Lotus Elan F1 supercar, reportedly said that his only disappointment with the McLaren F1 was that he could not give it the perfect steering of the Lotus Elan. In 2004, "Sports Car International" named the Elan number six on the list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s. The original version of the car was designed by Ron Hickman who also designed the first Lotus Europa as part of Lotus' GT40 project bid and made his fortune having designed the Black & Decker Workmate. Because of its successful design and rigorous attention to cost control on the body, chassis, engine and the
Birkin Cars Seven. The cars were unveiled to the public at the 1983 South African Grand Prix. The first shipment of completed S3 Roadsters were delivered directly to be sold at Lotus car dealerships. Since the 1980s, Birkin has expanded several times, but has kept its base of operations near Durban, South Africa. Cars are currently sold through dealers around the world in the United States, Japan, and across Europe. The car can be purchased as either a turn-key car, or as a DIY kit, that can be completed by the owner. Several Inline 4 cylinder engines, such as the Ford Zetec