Lotus Elan S4 (1968)sv1ambo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lotus Elan S4

1968 — UK

Muscle Era (1960-1974)BritishSwinging Sixties
Engine1,558 cc
DrivetrainRWD

Lotus Elan S4

The Lotus Elan S4 represented the final evolution of Colin Chapman's revolutionary sports car design featuring a steel backbone chassis and fiberglass body. Its twin-cam 1.6-liter engine developed by Lotus from Ford components produced 126bhp, but the Elan's magic was in its phenomenal power-to-weight ratio and sublime handling. With just 725kg to propel, it outhandled cars costing many times more and established Lotus's reputation for creating the world's finest handling road cars.