100 Cars That Changed History

“Blue Lotus Elite” by Alf van Beem – Own work. Licensed under CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.

64. Lotus Elite Type 14 1958-1963 United Kingdom

The Elite Type 14 was an ultra-light two-seater coupe produced by Lotus Cars from 1958-1963 and manufactured mostly by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. The car utilized a revolutionary fiberglass monocoque construction. The Elite 14 used fiberglass, a new glass-reinforced plastic material, for the exterior as well as the entire load bearing structure of the car, with the monocoque incorporating a steel beam to support the engine and front suspension. The car weighed in at only 1,110lbs (503.5 kg) and had a sleek, aerodynamic body designed to reduce air resistance. The Elite Type 14 has a drag coefficient of 0.29, which is good even by today’s standards. That’s really impressive considering they didn’t have the modern computers and wind tunnel testing that companies utilize today.