My rides

[cal44]

Just recently purchased the Europa.  Doing a little fine tuning in order to use all the gears 

The Plus 2 was a garage find by the prior owner who then proceeded to spend a bunch of money on it.






Mike

[Pete Gossett]

What year is your Europa? I love the color!

How do the two cars compare?

[cal44]

Pete,

The '73 Europa is Regency Red, paint code #11. 

As too the comparison of the two.  Apples and Oranges so far as I have not had enough windshield time in the Europa due to horrible shifting issues (parts are coming).  This one has great power on Strombergs.  Since I can't afford a vintage Lola coupe or a  GT40, the Europa fits the bill in my budget.  I will say that I have always been taken by the Europa design and since the TC has a bit more room, I made the plunge.  The things fit like a glove and just sitting in them makes me feel I should be in Monte driving some twisties.  Undervalued for pure genius.  I am rather disappointed in myself for wasting time with other marques for the last thirty years.  On the other hand, how would I have known what is more fun.  The fun factor is everything.

The Elan Plus 2 shifts like butter, has tons of room especially leg room, handles great, weighs in at 1900 lbs. This is my second Plus 2, like an idiot I sold my last one two years ago to buy a Sunbeam Tiger (now gone) and regretted it, so when this one came up it was a no brainer.

Look at the June 2012 issue of Classic and Sportscar.
Mike

[EuropaTC]

The +2 is a very under-rated car, I can never understand how they are usually half the price of the 2 seater when back in the day they were sold as the "grown up" Elan for a more expensive market sector.   A bit like the later Europas, they were also regarded as high class in their day while I can't ever recall the 2 seater being seen as anything other than a fun sports car. (although a fast one ! )

Brian

[EuropaTC]

As this is a Europa forum, here's what our car looks like. The quality of the early shots is poor as they are scanned from those quaint old 6"x4" paper things you used to get after sending off a roll of plastic film for something called "developing"     Hopefully the first is one taken on the first ride home, the second taken one winter when the car was our daily driver and we had a slight problem getting into work.  The last shot is digital and so a bit sharper, taken last year after I'd cleaned it !

[cal44]

I like it in yellow............come to think of it, they look good in just about any color. 

[Bainford]

Mike, that is a pair of beautiful Loti you have there. The Europa is looking very tidy in the engine compartment. The +2 is gorgeous as well. When I get tired of crawling in and out of my Europa (something which won't happen soon) I think I will graduate to a +2.