I do keep such a register, alongside my overall Elan and +2 registers. I know of two possible cars that may be the one you write of.
26/0016, an early March 1963 Elan, was registered 7360 TJ, another Lancashire registration. The first owner was Mr John Wadsworth of Burnley who, aged 27, won the 1964 Alpine Gold Cup for a completely clear run in his Cooper 1275 S. The Shapecraft, painted red, was featured in the Robinshaw & Ross Elan book. It is currently in Japan.
It has been reported to me that a second Shapecraft was bought new in Burnley, at the same time as the Wadsworth car, Burnley being then a wealthy industrial town. Apparently the Elan was bought as a standard kit, built and then sent to Surbiton to have the roof fitted. It was subsequently badly damaged in Italy, repaired in Yorkshire and then written off by an employee of the repair shop. It could have been resurrected, possibly.
Could this second car be the one to which you refer?
I agree. A TR4 for nine grand! That was definitely ‘Good Value’ at that price. It would have made at least double that figure a couple of years ago regardless of how much tin worm it had.
The classic car market is certainly not what it was a year or so ago. At least not in the UK. Quite how far prices are going to drop though is anyones guess.
This. And I’ve heard opinions that crazy value for most old cars is probably about to become a thing of the past as the only generations who care much about cars are starting to die-off.
