Lot 114: 1963 Elva Mk7-Ford Sports-Racer

Elva always had a stronger reputation in America than in Europe because the company’s founder, Frank Nichols, said he was in the business of selling cars not racing them. In Europe it was a case of private Elvas against works cars from the likes of Lotus, whereas in America, SCCA racing gave Elva a level playing field and its sports cars were immensely successful there.

The Mk7, however, enjoyed success on both sides of the Atlantic. Porsche supplied engines to Elva, a very rare instance of the German firm supplying another manufacturer, and a Porsche-engined Mk7 took a debut win in the 1963 Road Atlanta race, one of the most important on the American calendar. Porsche also bought two Mk7s, one of which was fitted with a 2.0-litre flat-eight engine. That car was driven to second place in the European Hill Climb Championship by Herbert Müller and subsequent Porsche competition cars bore distinct signs of having been influenced by it. In Europe the Mk7 normally had a 2.0-litre BMW engine and Tony Lanfranchi won the 1964 Autosport Championship with one. Elva brought BMW back into motor racing and was the only company apart from Abarth to be permitted to use Porsche engines.

The Elva Mk7 was the best under 2-litre sports-racer of its day, and this example was manufactured on 15th October 1963 (according to original factory build sheets that come with it) and delivered to race-team owner Carl Haas in the USA. ‘70-027’ was delivered finished in British Racing Green and fitted with a Ford Twin-Cam engine and Hewland Mk4 five-speed gearbox, both of which it retains today. The car’s subsequent history is uncertain, but from the mid-1980s it was owned by Shelton Washburn, whose victory in the 1987 Monterey Historics in California is documented. Washburn then sold the Elva, presumably in the late 1980s, to California-based Dave Dunwoodie, whom in turn sold it to Mark Leonard of Grand Prix Classics, also in California. In 2001 Leonard sold it to dentist Thomas Glatz in California. The vendor purchased the car from Walter Davies in Toronto, Canada.

The Elva is presented today in restored condition, the restoration having been carried out by well known race mechanic John Dodd in Toronto, Canada. Breathing via twin Weber 45s, the dry-sumped Twin-Cam engine is said to contain a Farndon crankshaft and Cosworth pistons and rods. It has done only two races since being refreshed, while the gearbox was overhauled recently by a Hewland expert in the USA at a cost of $6,000.

The chassis has been completely stripped and repainted, and all suspension components have been newly remanufactured for the sake of safety and nickel plated. Four ‘new’ original Elva Mk7 magnesium rims are fitted and all the electrics have been renewed or restored.

A large file of history, including some logbooks and period racing photographs, comes with the car, which represents an exciting opportunity to acquire a potentially competitive historic sports-racer, eligible for a wide variety of events and championships worldwide.




L’Elva Mk7 fut en son temps une des meilleures voitures sport-compétition de moins de deux litres. Cet exemplaire achevé le 15 octobre 1963 (selon la facture d’origine émise par l’usine) fut livré au patron d’écurie Carl Haas aux Etats-Unis. « 70-027 » de couleur British Racing Green était équipée d’un moteur Ford Twin-Cam et d’une boîte Hewland Mk4 à cinq rapports qu’elle possède encore aujourd’hui.

L’histoire ultérieure de cette voiture est mal connue, mais au milieu des années 1980, elle appartenait à Shelton Washburn qui remporta la victoire dans une épreuve historique à Monterey en Californie. Washburn vendit l’Elva probablement à la fin des années 1980 à Dave Dunwoodie en Californie qui la revendit à Mark Leonard de Grand Prix Classics. En 2001, Leonard la vendit à Thomas Glatz, toujours en Californie. Le vendeur actuel acheta la voiture à Walter Davies à Toronto au Canada.

L’Elva a été restaurées par le bien connu mécanicien de course John Dodd à Toronto (Canada). Alimenté par deux carburateurs Weber de 45, le moteur Twin-Cam à carter sec est équipé d’un vilebrequin Farndon et de pistons et de bielles Cosworth. Il n’a effectué que deux courses depuis sa reconstruction et la boîte a été révisée par un spêcialiste Hewland aux USA pour un coût de 6 000 dollars.
Le châssis a été totalement mis à nu et repeint et toutes les pièces de suspension ont été récemment reconstruites pour des raisons de sécurité et nickelées. Les roues en magnésium « neuves » sont conformes au type original Elva Mk7 et tous les composants électriques ont été changés ou rénovés.

Un gros dossier historique contenant documents et photos de course d’époque accompagne la voiture qui représente une intéressante occasion d’acquérir une sport-compétition historique, potentiellement compétitive et éligible pour la plupart des manifestations et des championnats mondiaux.