Inside a bespoke Lotus Elan with car custodian Roger McLouf

What’s better than owning a classic car? Perhaps owning a bespoke classic car that you helped to create over 20 years ago. 

That’s exactly what Roger McLouf did when he stumbled across this beautiful Lotus Elan, a brand he has loved since he was a child. This bespoke Elan was commissioned by McLouf over 20 years ago and has been his family car ever since.

“I was a mad keen Lotus guy,” explains McLouf as he sits in front of his wonderful vehicle. “I’d been driving Lotus cars for over 20 years, most of them were Plus 2’s. I remember seeing one at Brands Hatch in a book in 1972, and that gave me the idea. I wish I could say it was an original idea for my car, but it wasn’t. 

“The first time I saw a Lotus I would’ve been about 10-years-old and it was just so amazing and so different to anything else on the road at that time. The fact they were winning Grand Prix’s probably helped with my fascination for them. 

“It’s a unique car that I have, so I make no apology that I’ve changed various items. I was involved in the process every step of the way.” 

What is so special about classic cars?

“For me with classic cars, there’s a great deal of history in the cars themselves, not just this Mk but all Mk’s and there is a great deal of individual design.” McLouf passionately tells us. 

“I just feel the cars of today, especially the modern electric cars, don’t actually have an independent design. They virtually all look the same. When you think of all the great 1960s and 1970s designs that you probably had on a poster in your bedroom and then compare to today, it seems to be far fewer in numbers than they were back then.”

Watch more in this series here:

Where can I get classic car insurance?

Whether you own a classic car or are shopping around for one, you’ll need classic car insurance. That’s where the classic car experts at Adrian Flux can help.

Adrian Flux have been insuring classic cars for more than 45 years and were pioneers of limited mileage policies, which help reduce the cost of classic car policies. What’s more, if you’ve been quoted elsewhere, the team at Adrian Flux are confident they will be able to beat the best quote you have been given.

Call 0333 255 0601 to find out how much you could save.