The Elva GT160 was a small coupé built on the edge of Elva’s racing programme in 1964. Its BMW engine and Italian-built bodywork promised strong performance, but the car was deemed too costly for series production and only three prototypes were made.
Elva GT160 at a glance
| Type | two-seat coupé, never put into series production |
|---|---|
| Built | three prototypes |
| Engine | BMW two-litre four-cylinder with dry sump lubrication |
| Body styling | Trevor Frost, also known as Trevor Fiore, who also designed the Trident |
| Body maker | Carrozzeria Fissore of Turin, Italy |
| Power | 185 bhp (138 kW) |
| Weight | 11 long hundredweight, about 559 kg |
| Shown | London Motor Show, 1964 |
| Racing | 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans, entered by Richard Wrottesley |
| Fate | too costly to put into series production |
This page is based on a single source, the English Wikipedia article on Elva, so the figures could not be cross-checked.
History of the Elva GT160
A coupé alongside the racers
Elva was a sports and racing car manufacturer based in Bexhill, then Hastings and Rye, East Sussex, founded in 1955 by Frank G. Nichols; the name comes from the French phrase elle va, “she goes”. By the early 1960s the company was building rear-engined sports racers such as the Mk VI and Mk VII and the road-going Courier.
The GT160 of 1964
There was also a GT160, which never got beyond production of three prototypes. It used a BMW dry sump engine of two litres capacity with bodywork styled by the Englishman Trevor Frost, also known as Trevor Fiore and the designer of the Trident, and made by Carrozzeria Fissore of Turin.
The car weighed 11 long hundredweight, about 559 kg, and had 185 bhp, so it would have had very impressive performance, but it was deemed too costly to put into series production. The GT160 was shown at the London Motor Show in 1964.
One race at Le Mans
One of the three cars was purchased by Richard Wrottesley and entered in the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans. Co-driven by Tony Lanfranchi, the car retired early in the race.
Two companies called Elva
The name was used earlier by another, unrelated maker: Voitures Elva lasted for one year, 1907, and was based in Paris, France. The Sussex company of Frank Nichols is the one remembered for its racers and the Courier.
Design and features
- Engine: a two-litre BMW four-cylinder with dry sump lubrication, giving 185 bhp.
- Body: a light coupé shell styled by Trevor Frost (Trevor Fiore) and built by Carrozzeria Fissore in Turin.
- Weight: about 559 kg, low enough for the promised performance to be exceptional for a two-litre car.
- Production: only three prototypes, so no two cars need be alike in detail.
Elva GT160 versions
- GT160 prototype (1964): the three cars shown at the London Motor Show.
- Le Mans car (1965): the Wrottesley and Lanfranchi entry, which retired early.
- Voitures Elva (1907): an unrelated French company of the same name, based in Paris.
Elva’s racing cars are described on the Elva Mk I–III and Elva Mk VII pages, and the road cars on the Elva Courier page. More cars of the marque are in the Elva collection.
Sources
- Elva (car manufacturer), English Wikipedia: company history, GT160, engine, Le Mans entry
