Elva

GB, 1955 – 1968

(1) Elva Engineering Co, Bexhill and Hastings, Sussex, 1955 – 1966

(2) Elva Cars (1961) Ltd, Rye, Sussex, 1961 – 1966

(3) Elva Cars (1961) Ltd, Croydon, Surrey, 1966 – 1968

(4) Elva Cars Ltd, Shenley, Herts., 1967

The original Elva was aimed to be a low-cost sports-racing car, with power unit to suit the customer’s pocket. A simple tubular frame took Standard front suspension on the Elva, and a Ford Anglia rear axle was modiefied to give a De Dion type layout. An ohv conversion for the 1172cc Ford engine was devised by M. Witts and H. Weslake, and used with outstanding success in this Elva model. Frank Nichols steadily developed his design, the Elva Mark 4 of 1958, with 1098cc Coventry-Climax engine, featuring a bear end based on the MG, but with independent suspension and inboard brakes.

The Elva Mark 5, with small-diameter tubular frame and coil suspension, formed the basis for the 1959 Formula Junior car. As this was at the time the only production car in the class, sales were spectacular, and the standard DKW-engined Elva models for sale achieved considerable success until the advent of the rear-engined contenders in 1960. Elva countered with a rear-engined version of their own, but sales of the front-engined car continued into 1961, finally exceeding 150 Elva cars.

Meanwhile, the Elva Courier road car had been introduced in 1958, based on a large-diameter steel tube ladder chassis, with MGA engine and fiberglass body. Available as a kit, this Elva car sold very well, and some 700 were made up to the end of 1961. The Elva Mark 4 version, retaining the Triumph independent front suspension and MGB mechanical components of the Elva Mark 3, but with a box frame moulded into the body, was still offered in 1967, being chiefly purchased for racing circuit training in the USA.

Other models had included the Elva Mark 7 of 1963, with 1588cc Ford engine, and the 1964 Elva GT ‘160’ with dry-sump BMW engine, the elegant body being designed by Fiore and made by Fissore of Turin. The design and manufacturing rights of the Courier had been taken over previously by Trojan Ltd, and in 1964 this firm took over the Elva company entirely. The Elva Courier only was produced for a period at Shenley before manufacture returned to Croydon. By then the only vestige of the Elva racing models was in the name McLaren-Elva, and this too was dropped some time after Courier production ceased in 1968.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; DF

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