Description:

ex-Jochen Neerpasch Lotus Elan 26R

• Factory built Lotus Elan 26R Series 2 delivered new to Jochen Neerpasch, founder of BMW Motorsport
• Excellent competition history (incl. Nurburgring 1000km) w/ multiple podiums and class wins
• Few owners from new with continuous documented ownership history
• Restored in 2020; sparingly used since and needs light recommissioning and new FIA HTP
• Eligible for all leading historic events including the Goodwood Revival, Le Mans Classic, etc..

The Lotus Elan 26R is one of the clearest expressions of Colin Chapman’s doctrine of lightness and efficiency. Introduced in 1964 as the dedicated competition derivative of the Elan, it combined extremely low weight, excellent chassis balance, and race-proven twin-cam performance. Factory-built cars are scarce, and examples with period competition history, known ownership, and completed restoration work are especially desirable in today’s collector and historic-racing market.

First introduced in 1962, the lightweight Lotus Elan was a much more developed and refined fast road car than the Lotus Elite. Owners soon discovered that its advanced chassis, independent suspension, and responsive twin-cam engine also made it highly effective in competition, even though the model had not been conceived as a dedicated racing car. To meet this demand, Lotus introduced the Type 26R in 1964 as a factory-prepared racing Elan. The original Series 1 cars, of which only 22 were built, used 1499cc DOHC twin-cam engines producing about 144 bhp. Later in 1964, the Series 2 cars adopted the larger 1558cc unit with around 165 bhp in period trim. In modern historic racing preparation, careful tuning can raise output well beyond that figure.

Our car, chassis 26R/S2/22, was painted red from new and was sold in May 1965 to German racer Jochen Neerpasch, later a pivotal figure in European motorsport and founding director of BMW Motorsport GmbH. Its significance rests not only on that association but also on a documented period competition record and a traceable subsequent ownership chain (see History section below).

In early 1989, the Elan was found abandoned and in poor condition. Horst Auer of Düsseldorf removed the glass-fibre body from the chassis, but no substantive restoration followed. The project then passed to Klaus Hornung in 1990, who began a comprehensive restoration and had the body restored and painted in primer by 1993, although the work remained unfinished. In 2016, the current owner acquired the car and had the restoration completed by Britec Motorsport (Germany) by June 2020, returning it to full operational condition while preserving its historic identity and period character. Since then, the car was used very sparingly in only a test session at the Oschersleben track thereby requiring a light recommissioning (go through, seat and belts) and a new FIA HTP before being used again on the race track.

This Lotus Elan 26R, chassis 26R/S2/22, is eligible for many of the world’s most prestigious historic motorsport events and series. These include invitation-based grids at the Goodwood Road Racing Club events such as the Goodwood Revival and Members’ Meeting, as well as international series organized by Masters Historic Racing, Peter Auto, and Motor Racing Legends. The car is also suitable for participation in leading endurance and historic racing events including the Le Mans Classic, the Spa Six Hours, and other pre-65 GT competitions.

The ex-Jochen Neerpasch Lotus Elan 26R combines scarce factory production, genuine period results, known ownership, and a completed long-term restoration. Chassis 26R/S2/22 is therefore not merely a desirable 26R, but a particularly well-documented and marketable example for collectors and historic racers alike.

Website:

Keyword Search Terms: