Ian Walker Racing Elans

[Thornts]

Hi all
How about this for a long shot. According to its green logbook, my S3 SE DHC was owned by IWR for four months in 1968. As IWR were dealers at that time, it could have just been 'in stock' but I don't know if it was their policy to register such cars in their name. With the S4 around by then it could well have taken that long to sell but I wonder if it might have been 'breathed on' by them and consequently used as a showcase for their tuning work. I'm sure I've seen a load of period Road Tests of IWR cars but can't remember where and a search of this site reveals nothing.
Can anyone with an archive better organised than mine put their hands on any Road Tests of IWR Elans, especially one featuring a dark coloured S3 DHC registered ATW 41F!!?
Many thanks
Rob
S3 SE FHC
S3 SE DHC
S2 7
22

[Elanintheforest]

Rob, the only test of a road going IWR Elan I have is from Car and Car Conversions, Aug. '66. That was LHV 9D and developed 135 bhp. And got a rave review,

If ATW 41F was registered by IWR, then I'm sure it must have been a sales / development car before Graham Hill had it. And I'm sure that he would have had something a bit special, not a standard cooking Elan, or that would surely have come from the factory?

There's no excuse now, you have to build the engine back to 135bhp!

Mark

[Elseezed]

See classified adverts from Autosport re IWR. Dated July 14th 1967.

Autosport 1967

Autosport 1967

Les.

[Thornts]

Many thanks Mark. Unfortunately different cars. The Hill car was indeed collected by him from IWR and as you were able to establish a few years back, he was presented with the keys by Lotus PR chief Roger Putnam. Roger tells me it was a standard car right off the production line, brand new (he acquired a speeding ticket driving it down from Hethel). That car is LVF 167E. I had hoped that as Graham collected it from IWR it might have had a whizzy engine installed a la Bolster Road Test car - yes, I remember that Road Test and did rave about it.
ATW 41F is a DHC which does go well so maybe it has an IWR engine...
Many thank to you too Les, brilliant idea. I never thought to check and see if they had it advertised. They owned it from 27th August 1968 to 10th January 1969 when it looks as though they traded it to 'Warren Motors' in Liverpool. Either it was a demonstrator (good) or as I say, took a while to sell it (bad!).
Thanks chaps
Rob

[billwill]

Mine is an Ian Walker Elan, but their name never appeared in the logbook.

Just Malcolm Ricketts and then myself.

[Elanintheforest]

Sorry Rob, getting the old brain mixed up! Seen the car now, and it looks like a very good buy, and an original Type 45.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1968-Lotus-El ... Sw-0xYku-A

How late is the car? The last S3 was 7894.
Mark

[Thornts]

Hi Mark - no problem, your encyclopedic memory found Mr Putnam in the first place. Fairly late I would say at 45/7511. Mostly pure S3 though it does have 'Lotus' across the timing chain part of the cam cover (i.e. 2nd gen. cam cover) and the S4 interior door pulls (Austin 1100??) rather than the S3 chrome ones on the window frames. Also to be found here and (currently) even better value:
https://www.berlinetta-auctions.co.uk/w ... head-coupe
Value your view as ever.
Best
Rob

[pharriso]

How late is the car? The last S3 was 7894.
Mark

Looks to be 7511