Lotus offered three different versions of the Eleven, which eventually became one of the most successful cars from the marque: the 1,100-cc, Coventry Climax-engined ‘Club’, a 1,172-cc Ford-engined ‘Sport’, and the top billing, the 1,508-cc Coventry Climax-derived ‘Le Mans’. The Eleven ‘Le Mans’ featured the more powerful 138 horsepower engine and also featured a chassis that was built some 200 mm wider. This was due to company founder Colin Chapman’s interpretation of the FIA’s Appendix Group C regulations for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the cabin space needed to be larger to adhere to these new rules. It is estimated that only 10 examples of the Le Mans were ever built with a wide chassis.

This example was constructed in 1956 and is one of the believed 10 Le Mans “wide chassis” Elevens. Its 1.5-litre Coventry Climax FWB engine is known to have been fitted to this car since 1969. Inspected by the Historic Lotus Register in the 1970s, this example lost its chassis plate in the first part of its life, with the earliest known owner purchasing it from a dealer in Birmingham in 1969. However, they deemed the car to be a period-built example and supplied it with the chassis number it bears today. The Register has also acknowledged that this Lotus Eleven is the only known example which features a “long door frame” as well as a “wide chassis”. The long doors were a period improvisation by Lotus for four cars, which raced at the 1957 12 Hours of Sebring, to enable faster egress and ingress for drivers. While later Elevens are a mixture of “wide chassis” or “long door”, this is thought to be the sole example known to feature both.

Still in England in the 1970s, this Eleven became part of Count Hubertus von Dönhoff’s collection in the mid-1970s. It was later acquired by Jason Wright, the well-known collector and avid racer in 1989, who reportedly had the Eleven restored in 1999. The car was then exported to Italy, where it had four owners from 2002 to 2017 and competed in the Mille Miglia Storica three times. It was acquired by the previous Belgian owner in 2017, who went on to participate in the Zoute Grand Prix and the Mille Miglia Storica.

Acquired by the current owner in 2021, this Lotus Eleven participated in the 2021 Mille Miglia Storica and was then exported to Dubai, where it competed in the 2022 Mille Miglia Experience UAE—this Lotus comes with a complimentary entry for the 2024 Experience. The car is accompanied by a history file that includes FIA HTP papers, FIVA, and CSAI passports, as well as historic UK registration documents and old MoT certificates. This attractive Eleven is highly eligible for many historic racing events around the world.