What year is my car?

[TonyL]

I just bought a Elan Plus 2. I am trying to register it correctly. The id number is 50/2305 was it a 1969 model? I was told it was a 1970, and an old registration card from Canada lists it as a 1967. It is a non Federal car. Is there any way to confirm the date of manufacture. Thank you.

[m750rider]

Based on the information on the Elan Registry website, chassis number 2305 appears to be a 1969 model.

http://www.elanregistry.org/list_cars.php

[theelanman]

Is there any way to confirm the date of manufacture. Thank you.

ask Lotus....send Andy an email

Andy Graham ? Technical Publications and Archives
[email protected]
www.lotuscars.com

[gus]

There are several hundred +2's supposedly built in december of 1969. I think it was a dodge to avoid some regulation or another. If it has that style VIN it is probably technically a 1969, but I am willing to bet it was well into 1970 before it was actually on this side of the pond.

The model year is not that important, the major changes did not really follow years

very early[external trunk lock] webers


then federal and non federal versions of the
one fusebox,
three fusebox ,
four fuse in dash,

s130, and s130/5

gasket or bonded windshield

Evap cannister

I actually isn't that complex as I believe there are no non S cars post january of 1970, and I think the bonded windshield happened shortly thereafter

I think the Feds forced some model year discipline due to emissions. I don't think Lotus was 'model year' centric like the big three.

SO the feds think your car is a 69, it probably wasn't built until well into 1970 and could be registered as whatever the registration body said it was

[TonyL]

Thanks for the help. I think I will stick with 1969 unless the certificate I ordered from Lotus says something else. (The windshield is not bonded, the car has webers.)

[Bud English]

My 70 +2S, 0053N, was built in March of '70 according to the data plate on the driver side door post (just south of the strike plate). It has the bonded windshield and stromburgs. It doesn't sound as if your car got caught up in the whole US spec fiasco. 1969 was a good year.

[gus]

I think my point was that in regard to paperwork, continuity breeds confidence. It is not important to anyone what year your car is, as long as you know the particulars of its construction. However, if you create a paperwork problem[by declaring it something different than official bodies think it is] then some day when you need to sell it to a complete stranger, it may cause you trouble.

So, don't worry about it.

[spridget]

Hi
Do you know this file ?

Plus2_numbers.pdf

(190.32 KiB) Downloaded 979 times

I hope this can help

Franck

[Bud English]

Thanks for posting that Franck. I hadn't seen it posted before. Do you know where it originally came from?
The info seems correct for my +2 (except for the blank date).

[spridget]

You're welcome Bud
No, I don't remember where I got it, maybe from Club Lotus France, but it's very intersting to source information about our toys. The info seems correct for mine too (302)

Franck

[Jason1]

The list was originally on the Sports Car World website.
It was free to download and is copyright 2006 at the bottom of the list.