HISTORY OF THE NEW ELVA
™
PROJECT
|
| 1988 |
Elva Courier Mk 4 purchased
for restoration, with only 9,400 original miles. Car is likely to have
been the last one sold in the US.
|
| 1989 |
Vantage Motorsports, then
called Composite Autobody, developed a prototype sportscar based on the
MGA. The composite body was made of pre-preg glass, carbon fibre, and
Kevlar, and weighed
48 kg (105
lbs.) A production body using RTM would have weighed
68 kg
(150 lbs.) The engine was a Twin Cam Toyota 1600cc engine using dual 40mm
Mikuni side draft carburetors, and developed 145 hp.
Kerb weight
681 kg
(1500 lbs.)
|
| 1990 |
Sportscar Illustrated, then
called Sportcar International, wrote that the car was blisteringly fast,
but hampered by the MG brakes and suspension, which it was. It was also
basically just a replica. Later that year, Roger Dunbar, of Elva racing
Components, introduced Andy Rich to Frank G. Nichols, at the Elva
gathering at Road Atlanta.
|
| 1991 |
Frank and Andy began
collaboration on a new Elva Courier, and the revival of the marque as a
maker of new and modern sportscars and racing cars based on the same
principles that made the Elva Courier successful. The composite unibody is
developed with Frank’s input.
|
| 1992 |
Vantage Motorsports
prototypes the Bugeye Sprite nose for Mazda dealer in Tokyo; discussed
Elva project, and may have influenced a Mazda composite MX5 project. Andy
visited Frank Nichols at his home, and stayed for days discussing planned
new Courier in detail.
|
| 1993 |
Work on new Courier slowed
as potential financing never materialized. Frank became unhappy with the
pace and lack of financing.
|
| 1994 |
Vantage Motorsports closed
the Cambridge facility, and moved back to Allston to do restorations of
antique British sportscars. Began building the Solectria Sunrise, an all
carbon-fibre monocoque, a car that held the record for distance on a
charge of batteries: 375 miles, for 3 years.
|
| 1995 |
Mazda dealership and Ferrari
restoration shop experience.
|
| 1996 |
Graduate school, MBA and
Manufacturing Engineering completed in the year 2000, while working for
DaimlerChrysler.
|
| 1997 |
Worked For Daewoo Worthing
Technical Centre, West Sussex, in the Advanced Materials R&D department,
down the road from Elva Racing Components. Unfortunately while there,
Frank Nichols passed away.
|
| 1998 |
Worked for Fraunhoffer
Institute on Rapid Prototyping research. Performed research studies on
Solectria’s Diaphorm Process, and E-Beam processing of cationic epoxy
resin systems.
|
| 1999 |
Began work for
DaimlerChrysler at Liberty and Technical Affairs doing research on all
potential manufacturing processes for mass-production of composite
structures, and non-structural body panels. Worked on ESX3, Viper, and SLR.
Studied RTM, SRIM, VARI Spent much of the time on the ACC Focal Project 3
build committee, and processing committee.
|
| 2000 |
Became the Chairman of the
processing committee of ACC, and initiated several new development
projects. Left DaimlerChrysler to go to a carbon fiber company. The Elva
project began in earnest.
|
| 2001 |
The laser table is purchased
and a series of jigs and fixtures is mounted to the table creating a base
plane and fixtures to hold suspension, etc. in position. The prototyping
shop is assembled to be able to vacuum bag, oven cure, weld frames, and
build parts.
|
| 2002 |
The Dunnell engine arrives,
along with the MT-75 gearbox and the SPRINT materials from SP Systems. The
laser table is enhanced by the addition of a CMM, or co-ordinate measuring
machine, a measuring device for keeping the components of the chassis and
the body in alignment. The Dunnell engine is mounted to the subframes,
fully 8 inches behind the position of the MX5. Unfortunately, the top of
the engine pops out of the bonnet by more than 2 inches, clearly requiring
a new lowered sump, and a move further back in the chassis. The sump went
back to Dunnell for re-fitting. They do this all the time, but it’s a bit
of a pain, and we tried to get the stock Ford sump to work, but it
couldn’t, without a drastic restyling of the Elva nose.
|
| 2003 |
The new sump fits under the
bonnet beautifully, especially now that it’s pushed back a further 6
inches. This will truly be a front mid-engined car, just like the original
Elva. The modified shifter from Westfield makes the gearbox look and feel
right. The new prop-shaft, which is special to this car, has been made to
fit. The overall proportions are beginning to take shape. All the
components will be mounted together and fitted before styling is done,
firewalls and bulkheads are designed, or the transmission tunnel is built.
(Unlike the way the Sunrise, ESX3, Viper, and SLR were prototyped).
|
| See
the Progress News page for updates and pictures.
top
|
|
The ELVA trademark is owned in the U.S. by
Vantage Motorsports Inc.
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