Lotus Offers Historic F1-Inspired Liveries For The Elise

Hot on the heels of Alfa Romeo’s race-inspired liveries for its GTA and GTAm, Lotus has now announced its own special color combinations for the Elise that harken back to its motorsports history.

And what a history; the four liveries available for the Elise, officially called the Classic Heritage Editions, bring back some special memories from the company’s storied success in Formula 1.

The black and gold combination is probably the most famous Lotus color scheme of all time. This version refers to the Lotus Type 72D which Emerson Fittipaldi raced to five victories in 1972 to win the championship. Though, you could practically pick the era you want it to represent, as Lotus used the John Player Special black-and-gold from 1972 to 1986. Mario Andretti won his title in a JPS car in 1978, and a young Ayrton Senna got his first F1 victory in the black and gold in 1985.

Alongside that, the red, white and gold Elise livery echoes the Type 49B that Graham Hill raced in 1968, while the blue, red and silver is inspired by the Essex Petroleum-sponsored 1980 Lotus Type 81 driven by Nigel Mansell, Elio de Angelis and Andretti. The blue and white combination is a real throwback though: it’s in tribute to the Lotus Type 18, in which the late Sir Stirling Moss got the brand’s first pole position and F1 victory at the 1960 Monaco Grand Prix.

The color combinations for these Classic Heritage Editions carry on to the interiors, and each will also have a special plaque on the dashboard. Only 100 will be built, and at £46,250 ($57,300), they come in at £6,350 (almost $8,000) more than the standard Elise Sport 220 on which they’re based. Cigarette sponsorship is not included.

*Images courtesy of Lotus