Lotus Elite

The Lotus Elite was an ultra-light 2-seater coupe, produced from 1958 to 1963. Its most unusual feature was its fiberglass unibody construction. Unlike the Corvette, which used fiberglass for exterior bodywork, the Elite actually used this glass-reinforced plastic material for the entire load-bearing structure of the car.

The resulting weight savings allowed the Elite to achieve sports car performance from a 75hp engine.

Advanced aerodynamics also made a contribution, with an astounding drag coefficient of only 0.29 - which actually outperforms most modern sports cars. This, from a company and a time that did not enjoy the benefits of computer-aided design.

From 1974 to 1982, Lotus produced the considerably larger 4-seat Elite. (This needs filling in by someone knowledgeable)