Elfin: The Spirit of Speed

PREVIEW BOOK

An unrepeatable story demands an unrepeatable book. So, it is fitting that – on the 60th anniversary of the company’s foundation – a very special new work was published, solely dedicated to the fascinating history of Elfin Sports Cars.

Elfin: The Spirit of Speed is a book on an epic scale. At over 700 pages and of imposing proportions, featuring hundreds of black and white and colour photographs, it is published in grand style, with the very finest quality stock and production values.

Five years in the making, exhaustive research has uncovered countless hitherto unknown facts about the marque. The author, David Dowsey, has conducted over 50 interviews with the individuals who know the history firsthand. Hundreds of high quality photographs – many previously unpublished – bring the story to life. Almost every model and variant has been professionally photographed, making Elfin: The Spirit of Speed worthy of museum-piece status.

Elfin: The Spirit of Speed is a comprehensive catalogue of every Elfin model produced by the company under all ownerships: Garrie Cooper, Don Elliott, Murray Richards, Bill Hemming/Nick Kovatch and Tom Walkinshaw.

Over the course of its incredible 704 pages, every model and all variants are described in accurate detail and are bolstered by specification tables and racing histories. Period and specially commissioned contemporary photographs add depth to the stories.

Many of the surviving Elfin employees that constructed the cars; the drivers who campaigned them with so much success; and the brave individuals who have owned the company over the years contributed to the book through revealing interviews that detail the aspirations and disappointments, the rivalries and jealousies, and the comradeship and can-do attitude that make the story of Elfin Sports Cars one of the most fascinating in the history of motorsport.

Elfin: The Spirit of Speed – The Editions

ULTIMATE EDITION (5 produced) SOLD OUT
STANDARD EDITION (1000 produced)
COLLECTORS EDITION (100 produced)
LIMITED EDITION (350 produced)

The ULTIMATE EDITION (at an impressive $2750 price point) SOLD OUT on its first day of release.
This limited run of only 5 books were produced strictly to order. Signed by the author and hand numbered with special binding, these very special books were presented in a craftsman made wood and aluminium display case which featured a panel from an internationally campaigned Elfin Formula 5000, plus a chassis plate stamped with the purchasers choice of frame number and a selection of genuine body building tools, used by Garrie Cooper and John Webb during the 1950’s and 1960’s at the Elfin Works in the making of Elfin’s aluminium-bodied cars. NEVER TO BE REPEATED!  

There is still limited availability of the other 3 EDITIONS, each of the highest quality, but positioned at different price points to suit most budgets: 

The STANDARD EDITION at $198 is for the fans of Historic Racing and for the ELFIN marque.
A once only run of 1000 copies will be printed: hardbound with French-fold dust jacket and special ribboned bookmark. 704 pages. 

The COLLECTORS EDITION at $298 is specially presented for the serious book collector.
Only 100 copies have been set aside, numbered and signed by the Author and protected with a special slip case with a replica chassis plate stamped with its Collectors Edition number. 704 pages.

The LIMITED EDITION at $398, designed for Elfin owners or lovers looking to personalise their book.
Only 350 books available – one for each of the 350 odd Elfins built – this will provide a genuine connection with the marque and the car they own, or may have owned, or wish to own. Each book has special binding, cloth embossed slipcase complete with a hand stamped chassis plate attached (strictly one book per frame number, never to be duplicated), authors signature and individually handwritten Limited Edition series number. 704 pages with ribbon bookmark. 

Models Covered

Every Elfin car is featured in Elfin: The Spirit of Speed. Beginning with the speculative specials and moving on to the first Elfin-named model, the Streamliner, through the open-wheel racing cars and the mighty sports models; raced by the very best in Australian racing history, along with a surprising coterie of internationals stars, including Formula One World Champion, James Hunt and Ferrari ace, Didier Pironi, every car, every variant is presented in incredible detail and specially commissioned photographs.

Cooper-Butler
Cooper-Austin
Streamliner
GTS Coupe
Formula Junior
Catalina
Clubman
Mallala
Type 100 (Mono)
Type 500 (Formula Vee)

Type 400
Type 300
Type 350
Type 600
Type 600 Formula Ford
ME5
Type 360
Type 620 Formula Ford
Type 622 Formula Two
Type 623 Formula Three

MR5
MR6
MS7
Type 630
Type 700
New Generation ‘NG’ Vee
MR8-C
Type 792
GE Two-25
Aero

MR9
Elfin road car
FF84P
FF85
Type 852
FA891
Type 3 Clubman
MS8 Clubman
MS8 Streamliner
T5 Clubman

Interviewees

Well over 50 interviews were conducted during the writing and research of Elfin: The Spirit of Speed. After all, who knows the story of the marque better than those that designed and built the cars, drove them, maintained them and owned them?

Neil Allen
Bruce Allison
John Anderson
Simon Aram
Kevin Bartlett
John Bowe
Geoffrey Brabham
Lorraine Cooper
Alf Costanzo

David Earle
Tony Edmondson
Don Elliott
Fred Gibson
Jeff Gransden
Allan Grice
Ron Guppy
Mike Hall
Vern Hamilton

Bill Hemming
Allan Horsley
John Hurd
Noel Hurd
Bob Jane
Dale Koennecke
Stuart Kostera
Nick Kovatch
Ron Lambert

Peter Larner
Ernest Litera
John McCormack
Mark McLaughlin
Spencer Martin
Henry Michell
Albert Middleton
Mary Middleton
Bob Mills

Peter Molloy
Allan Moffat
Phil Moore
Laurie O’Neil
Max Pearson
Larry Perkins
Malcolm Ramsay
Brian ‘Brique’ Reed
Bruce Richardson

Vern Schuppan
Mike Simcoe
George Spanos
Mike Stillwell
Bryan Thomson
John Webb
Mick Webb
Peter Wilkinson
Henk Woelders

Preview Book:

Purchase your copy of Elfin: The Spirit of Speed today!