1996 Lotus Elise PICTURES
Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1995, initial reactions weren’t great. The styling was compared to that of a beach buggy by some observers, but the old fashioned exterior failed to highlight the futuristic design and materials that were hiding underneath.
The Elise was named after the granddaughter of Romano Artioli, the chairman of Bugatti Industries who had taken the brave decision to buy the struggling Lotus from General Motors in August 1993. At this time the only model in its range was the Esprit, an old design that was ready for retirement, and production of the last model in the lineup, the Elan, had just ceased. The Elan had been far removed from Chapman’s philosophy having weighed just over a ton, and what Lotus really needed was to get back to its roots and produce a compact and, above all, light sports car. So, the Lotus Design Studio were set the task of creating a new car to transform Lotus’ model range.
1996 Lotus Elise PICS
1996 Lotus Elise PHOTOS
1996 Lotus Elise IMAGES
1996 Lotus Elise WALLPAPERS