Lotus Europa (1966-1975): Books - History and Construction

Lotus Europa - Colin Chapman's mid-engined masterpiece

The Lotus Europa was Colin Chapman and Lotus's first mid-engined road car, and was produced from 1966 through to 1975. Originally designed to slot into the Lotus range below the Elan as a low cost replacement for the Lotus 7, the Europa eventually sat alongside the Elan and Plus 2 as a comparable sports car in its own right.

Starting with the design philosophy behind the development of the Europa, this book provides detailed technical descriptions of all the major versions of the model, starting with the Renault-powered Series 1 through to the Lotus Twin Cam powered Special.

It looks at the cars on the road and the racing Type 47 derived from the road cars which competed in the small capacity Group 6 class, as well as featuring in historic racing today.
With owners impressions and interviews with ex-Lotus employees, the book provides a valuable insight into owning running and racing these iconic cars.

Author:	Matthew Vale
Specs:	160 pages, 26 x 26 x 2.1 cm / 10.25 x 10.25 x 0.83 in, hardback
Illustrations:	175 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Veloce Publishing Ltd (GB, 2019)
ISBN:	9781787112841

Lotus Europa 1966-1975

Brooklands Portfolio book about the Lotus Europe sports cars from the years 1966-1975. Describes the Lotus Europe type 46, S2, GKN 47, V8, Twin Cam and Special.

• The articles, taken from contemporary British and American car magazines, provide much information about history, model changes and technology.
• Also driving impressions, tests, comparison tests, technical specifications, etc.

Specs:	180 pages, 27 x 21 cm / 10.6 x 8.25 in, paperback
Illustrations:	300 photos
Publisher:	Brooklands Books (GB, 1991)
Series:	Gold Portfolio
ISBN:	9781855201118

▶  More information on the Brooklands Portfolio books

Lotus Europa - S1, S2, Twin-cam & Special (1966-1975)

Originally intended to be a cheap and basic Lotus Seven replacement, during its development the Lotus Europa morphed into a miniature supercar, described by Colin Chapman as a "working man's GT40," which sat alongside the Elan in the Lotus line-up. Its mid engined configuration gave it exceptional balance, and its handling and roadholding were second to none.

Initially produced for export to Europe in late 1966, the Renault-powered car evolved into the Series 2 in 1968 when it was released to the UK and US markets, and, in its final iteration, gained the Lotus' own Twin Cam engine in 1971. Production ended in 1975 with around 9200 cars completed.

This book has been written to provide the prospective owner with all the information they need to establish if the car is for them, and what to look for when viewing an example.
All aspects of the cars are examined, including paperwork, mechanical issues, bodywork and interior with many photos of example cars to assist in the assessment of an individual car, and understand the implications of many of the common problems that a car can exhibit.
The author is a Lotus enthusiast, and has been working on and writing about classic Lotuses for a number of years.

Author:	Matthew Vale
Specs:	64 pages, 19.5 x 14 cm / 7.7 x 5.5 in, paperback
Illustrations:	95 colour photos
Publisher:	Veloce Publishing Ltd (GB, 2018)
Series:	The Essential Buyer's Guide
ISBN:	9781787112872