Elva

by Janos Wimpffen

Spirited, fast, quirky, elemental, affordable, idiosyncratic, and most of all, fun - these are among the many adjectives that have been used to describe British sports and sports-racing cars of the 1950s and 1960s. The cars of Elva fulfil all these descriptions and more: simple yet clever and competitive. For many automotive enthusiasts the Elva name has been known but its history has remained shrouded in myth. For Elva followers, the cars' and the company's successes and failures have been almost secret - until now. Like many of its contemporaries, Elva began modestly, but the specials built by Frank Nichols and his crew in Bexhill and Hastings, Sussex, (and eventually in Croydon) were soon recognized internationally for performance that often exceeded that of their peers, at a fraction of the cost. Elvas epitomized the concept of intuitive design. As one observer put it, "All that the mechanics seem to have were a set of tools consisting of a file and a hacksaw...not a drawing in the place. The cars just happen."

516 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2011

Reviews

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, a couple of nitpicking items to get out of the way. There are a few instances of inconsistency in the text namely when referring to production numbers. Also, two captions are completely wrong (editing error no doubt) and, for some reason, the great Augie Pabst’s name does not appear in the appendix listing all drivers to have raced Elvas. (Not including vintage). Putting that aside, and they are minor grievances considering the scale of this tome, Wimpffen’s book is a masterpiece of automotive literature. It really sets the benchmark for motoring books. Physically speaking, the book is simply massive, a sumptuous collection of photos and writing that has real weight. Very satisfying. But the level of research undertaken and it’s delivery are superb. Those of you familiar with Wimpffen will understand his commitment to in-depth coverage of a topic written in an easy-going, and at times humorous, delivery. How admirable, too, that he has given such attention to a marque that has often times been relegated to tertiary status in the sports car arena. Frank Nichols would have been very pleased, I’m certain. Well done Mr. Wimpffen - if only all motoring books were of this caliber. Now, to get my hands on a copy of “Time and Two Seats”…