I am now the proud owner of a pile of bits, which is allegedly is a s3 dhc. Serial number on the chassis plate and the log book is 45/6440. I assume the 45 signifies a dhc. However, the log book also says it is a coupe. Can someone please put my mine at rest and I have not brought a chopped hard top s3? There is not any sign of modifications so if it has been hacked, it has been well done. There is a loose hood tray behind the seats, and unusually, the chassis plate is a Cheshunt one.
And a type 36 is a FHC, or Fixed Head COUPE. And even my S3-Super Safety has a Cheshunt VIN plate. I suspect that some of the later S3 models which might have been assembled at Hethel, probably left the works with obsolete VIN tags.
I thought the type 45 was the S4/Sprint…and was either FHC or DHC…
Lotus Type 26 drop head coupes (convertibles), marketed as the Elan 1500, Elan 1600, and Elan S2 (Series 2)
Lotus Type 36 fixed head (coup?s) and drop head coupes, marketed as the Elan S3
Lotus Type 45 fixed head and drop head coupes, initially marketed as the Elan S4 then, later, in a higher performance model, marketed as the Elan Sprint
Thanks for all your replies. In summary, as my S3 IS a type 45, it IS a dhc, despite the log book just stating “coupe”. (I have no reason to think otherwise, other than “coupe” on the log book rather than “dhc”.
hey…every days a school day
so you can get a type 36 in S3 S3ss S4 and Sprint…
like wise you can get a type 45 in S3 S3ss S4 and Sprint…
until they changed the numbering system…
altho’ I suppose that apart from the few S4’s that were made into sprints then the sprint would have had the later numbering system…not the 36 or 45 prefix…???
Thanks Tim, that’s definitive, though I still stand by type 26’s being roadsters and not convertibles. Convertibles have hoods that fold into the body, roadsters on the other hand had detachable hoods. I think Jaguar used that system on the XK’s as well.
The definition of a roadster is that its roof (hood over yonder) comes apart in bits and is placed into the trunk (boot) by the driver for storage. A Drop Head Coupe’s roof (hood) drops down by folding, not being disassembled… For reference see XK120 Roadster versus XK120 DHC. A 26 is a roadster while S3s and S4s are DHCs