1956-Elva-Climax-Mk.II Sports Racer

Description

1956 Elva-Climax Mk II Sports Racer
S/N 100/20 Engine No. 400/6-6780
Silver with Red Interior

Frank Nichols’ first Elva sports-racer was built in 1954 and was designed by Mick Chapman. The cars competed immediately and successfully, against the similar small displacement Lotus sports-racers of Colin Chapman. Its success encouraged Nichols to emulate its design with the first few Elva live rear axle sports-racers. The first of the Mk II Elvas featured a deDion rear axle, and an experimental fiberglass body by Ashley Laminates, with power by a Ford based 1,172cc engine.

This particular Elva-Climax Mk II was the first of the Mk. IIs built, completed in June 1956 and sold it its first owner, C. “Bee” Stringer as a works prototype. Robbie Mackenzie-Low and legendary driver Archie Scott-Brown tested and raced this Mk. II early in its career; however, it was Scott-Brown at the Brands Hatch Glass Fibre Trophy Race in October 1956 that earned this cars first victory. After the cars success in 1956 the Elva was rebuilt with the “production” Mk II lightweight aluminum body that it wears today. At that same time a 1,097 cc Coventry Climax FWA was sourced from a Cooper Bobtail to make the Elva more competitive and the original De Dion suspension was reconfigured to the present design, identical to that incorporated into the production of the later Mk. II and Mk. IIIs.

During the 1957 season the car made numerous appearances at Goodwood and Brands Hatch by Mackenzie-Low and Archie Scott-Brown. Later, s/n 100/20 was acquired by a resident of Dartmouth and it is believed that he installed turn indicators and headlights to make the car street legal. The Elva was discovered by Arthur Curnow in the 1970’s who restored the car, and then sold it to a dentist in Holland named Otto Wiersema. Mr. Wiersema raced it periodically it before selling it to Peter Ecury, who in turn sold it to a Swiss gentleman who, by 1986, had put the car in storage.

In 1997, Roger Dunbar discovered the car and performed a re-commissioning of the cars mechanics while preserving the car’s wonderful patina. After having Robbie Mackenzie-Low campaign the car at Goodwood in 1998, Mr. Dunbar decided to part with the race car, which landed in the hands of a well known collector in Washington State. The current owner, an avid vintage racing enthusiast on the west coast acquired the car some years ago, and reports that the engine has been recently rebuilt. In his care, the car has participated in various CSRG Vintage Races at Infineon Raceway and the Monterey Historics. The car comes with FIA papers and a RAC competition logbook as well as a binder with outstanding historical information about the car.

This is an excellent opportunity to own an exclusive part of Elva’s history and is sure to be a welcome sight to various vintage and historic races. s/n 100/20’s rarity, period Works history, and marvelous patina make it among the most important of early sports racing cars built by Frank Nichols.