Elfin Cars
Encyclopedia
Elfin Sports Cars Pty Ltd is the current name of the car company which was founded by Garrie Cooper
. It has been an Australia
n manufacturer of sports car
s and motor racing cars since 1957.
Elfin Sports Cars is owned by the estate of former British racing driver Tom Walkinshaw
, through his company Walkinshaw Performance
which also owns Holden Special Vehicles
. It was previously owned by businessmen and historic racing enthusiasts Bill Hemming and Nick Kovatch (who remains as technical director) who purchased it in 1998.
The current manufacturer location is at Braeside
, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia.
Elfin is the oldest continuous sports car maker in Australia and one of the most successful with 29 championships and major Grand Prix titles. The previous factory was located at Conmurra Avenue, Edwardstown
in suburban Adelaide, South Australia.
, a successful championship driver and designer and builder of racing and sports/racing cars as Elfin Sports Car Company. In 1983, following the death of its founder, the firm was bought by Tasmanian Don Elliott, racing driver Tony Edmondson and mechanic John Porter who re-established the provision of parts and service to existing owners
Garrie Cooper
died in 1982, at the age of 46. Cliff Cooper, Garrie's father, completed outstanding orders, including six new generation Formula Vees, before offering the business for sale as well as designing a new Formula Vee, the Crusader, and a Formula Brabham car.
In 1993, Victorian Murray Richards acquired Elfin and set out to build new generation Elfin Clubman called the Type 3
. In failing health, he sold Elfin to Bill Hemming and Nick Kovatch in 1998.
Currently, Elfin is owned by the estate of British racing driver Tom Walkinshaw
.
There is a heritage centre dedicated to Elfin Sports Cars in Melbourne, Australia. The centre features around 12 current and historic vehicles on display.
s, four Australian Sports Car Championship
s, three Australian Tourist Trophies
and four Formula Ford
titles, the Singapore Grand Prix
(1968) and twice won the Malaysian Grand Prix
.
Drivers of Elfin cars included World Formula One
Champion James Hunt
and French Formula One driver, Didier Pironi
. Others were Vern Schuppan
, Larry Perkins
, John Bowe
, Frank Matich
, John McCormack
, Bob Jane
, John Harvey
, Allan Grice
and Peter Manton.
and the MS8 Clubman
and has recently introduced an entry-level model, the turbocharged four cylinder powered T5 Clubman. The engines are supplied by GM Powertrain.
The original company produced 248 racing and sports racing cars in 27 different models over a 25 year period.
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Garrie Cooper
Garrie Clifford Cooper was the founder of the highly successful Elfin Sports Cars and a competitive racing driver in his own right, winning the 1968 Australian 1½ Litre Championship and the 1975 Australian Sports Car Championship...
. It has been an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n manufacturer of sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
s and motor racing cars since 1957.
Elfin Sports Cars is owned by the estate of former British racing driver Tom Walkinshaw
Tom Walkinshaw
Tom Walkinshaw was a Scottish racing car driver and the founder of the racing team Tom Walkinshaw Racing...
, through his company Walkinshaw Performance
Walkinshaw Performance
Walkinshaw Performance, is an automotive company, involved in motor racing and the production of high performance sporting cars for regular road use...
which also owns Holden Special Vehicles
Holden Special Vehicles
Holden Special Vehicles is the officially designated performance vehicle partner of Australian automobile manufacturer Holden. Established in 1987 and based in Clayton, Victoria, the company modifies Holden models such as the Commodore, Caprice and Ute and markets them under the HSV brandname.-...
. It was previously owned by businessmen and historic racing enthusiasts Bill Hemming and Nick Kovatch (who remains as technical director) who purchased it in 1998.
The current manufacturer location is at Braeside
Braeside, Victoria
Braeside is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 26 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Kingston...
, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia.
Elfin is the oldest continuous sports car maker in Australia and one of the most successful with 29 championships and major Grand Prix titles. The previous factory was located at Conmurra Avenue, Edwardstown
Edwardstown, South Australia
Edwardstown is an inner Southern suburb located 6 km southwest of Adelaide in the City of Marion.Edwardstown is in the South Australian House of Assembly Electoral district of Elder and the Australian House of Representatives Division of Hindmarsh. Edwardstown is home to the Castle Plaza Shopping...
in suburban Adelaide, South Australia.
History
The company was founded by Garrie CooperGarrie Cooper
Garrie Clifford Cooper was the founder of the highly successful Elfin Sports Cars and a competitive racing driver in his own right, winning the 1968 Australian 1½ Litre Championship and the 1975 Australian Sports Car Championship...
, a successful championship driver and designer and builder of racing and sports/racing cars as Elfin Sports Car Company. In 1983, following the death of its founder, the firm was bought by Tasmanian Don Elliott, racing driver Tony Edmondson and mechanic John Porter who re-established the provision of parts and service to existing owners
Garrie Cooper
Garrie Cooper
Garrie Clifford Cooper was the founder of the highly successful Elfin Sports Cars and a competitive racing driver in his own right, winning the 1968 Australian 1½ Litre Championship and the 1975 Australian Sports Car Championship...
died in 1982, at the age of 46. Cliff Cooper, Garrie's father, completed outstanding orders, including six new generation Formula Vees, before offering the business for sale as well as designing a new Formula Vee, the Crusader, and a Formula Brabham car.
In 1993, Victorian Murray Richards acquired Elfin and set out to build new generation Elfin Clubman called the Type 3
Elfin Type 3 Clubman
The Elfin Type 3 is an Australian clubman-style, open body kit car by Elfin. The rear end components were sourced from the Mk 2 Ford Escort....
. In failing health, he sold Elfin to Bill Hemming and Nick Kovatch in 1998.
Currently, Elfin is owned by the estate of British racing driver Tom Walkinshaw
Tom Walkinshaw
Tom Walkinshaw was a Scottish racing car driver and the founder of the racing team Tom Walkinshaw Racing...
.
There is a heritage centre dedicated to Elfin Sports Cars in Melbourne, Australia. The centre features around 12 current and historic vehicles on display.
Racing
Elfin won 29 championships and major titles including two Australian Drivers' ChampionshipAustralian Drivers' Championship
The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...
s, four Australian Sports Car Championship
Australian Sports Car Championship
The Australian Sports Car Championship was the CAMS sanctioned national title for Sports Car drivers in the years from 1969 to 1988. Each championship was contested over a series of races with the exception of the 1975 title, which was awarded on the results of a single race held at the Phillip...
s, three Australian Tourist Trophies
Australian Tourist Trophy
The Australian Tourist Trophy is a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for sports car drivers. The title was awarded for the first time in 1956 and then annually from 1958 until the introduction by CAMS of an Australian Sports Car Championship for 1969...
and four Formula Ford
Australian Formula Ford Championship
The Australian Formula Ford Championship is a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Formula Ford racing cars. It has been held annually since 1970, originally as a national series, and later as the 'Driver-to-Europe' series...
titles, the Singapore Grand Prix
Singapore Grand Prix
The Singapore Grand Prix is a motor race, currently in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is currently held in the Marina Bay area of Singapore...
(1968) and twice won the Malaysian Grand Prix
Malaysian Grand Prix
First included in the Formula One World Championship in 1999, the current Malaysian Grand Prix is held at the Sepang International Circuit at Sepang, Malaysia. FIA-sanctioned racing in Malaysia has existed since the 1960s...
.
Drivers of Elfin cars included World Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
Champion James Hunt
James Hunt
James Simon Wallis Hunt was a British racing driver from England who won the Formula One World Championship in . Hunt's often action packed exploits on track earned him the nickname "Hunt the Shunt." After retiring from driving, Hunt became a media commentator and businessman...
and French Formula One driver, Didier Pironi
Didier Pironi
Didier Joseph Louis Pironi was a racing driver from France. During his career he competed in 72 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, driving for Tyrrell , Ligier and Ferrari...
. Others were Vern Schuppan
Vern Schuppan
Vernon "Vern" Schuppan is a racing driver from Whyalla, South Australia. Schuppan drove in various categories, participating in Formula One, the Indianapolis 500 and most successfully in sports car racing.-Formula One:...
, Larry Perkins
Larry Perkins
Larry Clifton Perkins is a former racing driver and V8 Supercar team owner from Australia.-Career:...
, John Bowe
John Bowe (racing driver)
John Bowe is an Australian racing driver, presently racing a 1969 Ford Mustang in the historic series, Touring Car Masters....
, Frank Matich
Frank Matich
Frank Matich, born 1935, was an Australian racing car driver. A highly successful motor racing competitor in the 1960s and 70s, Matich built his own range of Matich sports cars and open wheel cars, mainly to support his own career, but some cars found success with other drivers...
, John McCormack
John McCormack (racing driver)
John McCormack is a former Australian racing driver. Originally from Tasmania McCormack became one of the leading Formula 5000 racers in Australia during the 1970s....
, Bob Jane
Bob Jane
Robert "Bob" Jane is an Australian former race car driver and prominent businessman. A four-time winner of the Armstrong 500, the race that became the prestigious Bathurst 1000 and a four-time Australian Touring Car Champion, Jane is perhaps known best nowadays for his chain of tyre retailers,...
, John Harvey
John Harvey (motorsport)
John Francis Harvey is a retired Australian racing driver. He was a top speedway driver for many years in the 1950s/1960s winning many championship races including NSW Championship 3 successive years, Victorian Championship twice.After switching from speedway to road racing, Harvey drove cars...
, Allan Grice
Allan Grice
Allan Maxwell Grice OAM , known to motor-racing fans as Gricey, is an Australian former racing driver and politician, most famous for twice winning the prestigious Bathurst 1000 , and as a privateer driver of a Holden in the Australian Touring Car Championship.Grice also had a successful second...
and Peter Manton.
Current Vehicles
Elfin is currently producing two V8 powered sports cars: the MS8 StreamlinerElfin MS8 Streamliner
The Elfin MS8 Streamliner is a sports car, successor to the Elfin MS7, a Repco-Holden V8 powered sports racing car which won the 1975 Australian Sports Car Championship and the 1976 Australian Tourist Trophy....
and the MS8 Clubman
Elfin MS8 Clubman
The Elfin MS8 Clubman is a sports car, successor to the Elfin MS7, a Repco-Holden V8 powered Group A Sports Car which won the 1975 Australian Sports Car Championship and the 1976 Australian Tourist Trophy....
and has recently introduced an entry-level model, the turbocharged four cylinder powered T5 Clubman. The engines are supplied by GM Powertrain.
Historic Vehicles - The Garrie Cooper era
| Model | Total | Production | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steamliner | 23 | 1959–1963 | Sports racing car (front engined) |
| Formula Junior / Catalina | 20 | 1961–1964 | Formula Junior Formula Junior Formula Junior is an open wheel formula racing class first adopted in October 1958 by the CSI . The class was intended to provide an entry level class where you could use inexpensive mechanical components from ordinary automobiles... racing car / racing car |
| Clubman | 14 | 1961–1965 | Clubman sports car |
| Mallala Elfin Mallala The Elfin Mallala was a sports racing car produced in 1962 and 1963 by Garrie Cooper's Elfin Sports Cars. It had a small run of only five cars. Its first race was at the Mallala Race Circuit which gave its name to the car... |
5 | 1962–1964 | Sports racing car |
| Type 100 Mono Elfin Type 100 Mono The Elfin Type 100 Mono is an Australian 1½ Litre Formula racing car produced from 1964-1969 by Elfin Sports Cars. The name "Mono" referrers to the fact that it was constructed upon a monocoque design.-Development:... |
19 | 1964–1969 | Australian 1½ Litre Formula Australian 1½ Litre Championship The Australian 1½ Litre Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title contested annually from 1964 to 1968. It was open to drivers of cars complying with the Australian 1½ Litre Formula which specified open wheel racing cars fitted with unsupercharged engines using commercially... racing car |
| Type 500 | 21 | 1965–1969 | Formula Vee Formula Vee Formula Vee is a popular open wheel, single seater junior motor racing formula, with relatively low costs in comparison to Formula Ford or Formula BMW.... racing car |
| Type 400 | 4 | 1966–1967 | Sports racing car (V8 powered) |
| Type 300 | 6 | 1967–1969 | Sports racing car |
| 600/B/C/D/E Elfin Type 600 The Elfin Type 600 is a Formula car produced from 1968 to 1971 by Elfin Sports Cars in Australia. The model was originally developed to compete in the Australian 1½ Litre Formula but later variants were also produced for other categories including Australian Formula 2, the Australian National... |
27 | 1968–1971 | Racing car (various formulae) |
| 600 FF Elfin Type 600 The Elfin Type 600 is a Formula car produced from 1968 to 1971 by Elfin Sports Cars in Australia. The model was originally developed to compete in the Australian 1½ Litre Formula but later variants were also produced for other categories including Australian Formula 2, the Australian National... |
17 | 1969–1972 | Formula Ford Formula Ford Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing.... racing car |
| Type 350 | 1 | 1969 only | Sports racing car |
| ME5 | 1 | 1969 only | Sports racing car (V8 powered) |
| Type 360 | 3 | 1971 only | Sports racing car |
| MR5 Elfin MR5 The Elfin MR5 is an Australian Formula 5000 racing car produced from 1971-1972 by Elfin Sports Cars. John McCormack drove an MR5 to victory in the 1973 Australian Drivers' Championship, the 1973 New Zealand Grand Prix, the 1974 New Zealand Grand Prix and the 1974 Lady Wigram Trophy.... |
4 | 1971–1972 | Australian Formula 1 Australian Formula 1 Australian Formula 1 was a motor sport category for open-wheeler racing cars which was current in Australia from 1970 to 1983.AF1 was introduced by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport in 1970, initially restricting cars to unsupercharged engines of no greater than 2.5-litre capacity,... racing car (F5000 Formula 5000 Formula 5000 was an open wheel, single seater auto-racing formula that ran in different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982. It was originally intended as a low-cost series aimed at open-wheel racing cars that no longer fit into any particular formula... ) |
| 620 FF | 20 | 1972–1975 | Formula Ford racing car |
| 622 Elfin 622 The Elfin 622 is an Australian Formula 2 racing car produced from 1972-1974 by Elfin Sports Cars. Elfin also produced a version of this car optimised for Australian Formula 3 called the Elfin 623.... |
6 | 1972–1974 | Australian Formula 2 racing car |
| 623 | 8 | 1973–1974 | Australian Formula 3 Australian Formula 3 The Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship is a motor racing championship for FIA Formula Three racing cars and is now the official Australian Drivers' Championship. Growing out of Australian Formula 2 racing into a series for the first time in 1999, it has grown into the premier Australian... racing car |
| MR6 | 1 | 1974 only | Australian Formula 1 racing car (F5000) |
| MS7 | 1 | 1974 only | Sports racing car (V8 powered) |
| 630 | 2 | 1974–1975 | Australian Formula 2 racing car |
| 700 | 7 | 1975–1977 | Australian Formula 2 racing car |
| MR8 | 3 | 1976–1978 | Australian Formula 1 racing car (F5000) |
| New Generation "NG" | 29 | 1976–1983 | Formula Vee racing car |
| 792 | 3 | 1979 only | Australian Formula 2 racing car |
| Aero FF | 1 | 1979 only | Formula Ford racing car |
| GE Two-25 | 1 | 1980 only | Australian Formula 2 racing car |
| MR9 | 1 | 1980 only | Australian Formula 1 racing car (F5000) |
| Total | 248 | ||
Historic Vehicles - The post Garrie Cooper era
| Model | Total | Production | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FF84 | 1984 | Formula Ford Formula Ford Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing.... racing car. |
|
| NG "EP" | 8 | 1984-1986 | Edmondson-Porter run on of the NG Series Formula Vee Formula Vee Formula Vee is a popular open wheel, single seater junior motor racing formula, with relatively low costs in comparison to Formula Ford or Formula BMW.... racing cars. |
| Crusader | 20 | Formula Vee Formula Vee Formula Vee is a popular open wheel, single seater junior motor racing formula, with relatively low costs in comparison to Formula Ford or Formula BMW.... racing car. |
|
| 852 | 1985 | Australian Formula 2 racing car. | |
| FA891 | 1 | 1989 | Formula Holden Formula Holden Formula Holden was an Australian open wheel racing category.-History:Known during its development as Formula Australia, it was initially for chassis constructed from aluminium only, running a 3.8 litre Buick V6 engine as it was then utilised in the new versions of the Holden Commodore... racing car fielded in the 1989 Australian Drivers' Championship 1989 Australian Drivers' Championship The 1989 Australian Drivers' Championship was a motor racing competition open to drivers of racing cars complying with CAMS Formula Holden regulations. The championship winner was awarded the 1989 CAMS Gold Star as the Australian Drivers' Champion... by Elfin Sports Cars. Follow up orders from competitors were not forthcoming, largely preferring to import the latest British designs from Lola, Ralt Ralt RALT was a manufacturer of single-seater racing cars, founded by ex-Jack Brabham associate Ron Tauranac after he sold out his interest in Brabham to Bernie Ecclestone. Ron and his brother had built some specials in Australia in the 1950s under the RALT name... and Reynard Reynard Motorsport Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy... . The FA in FA891 was for the category's original working name, Formula Australia. |
| Type 3 Clubman Elfin Type 3 Clubman The Elfin Type 3 is an Australian clubman-style, open body kit car by Elfin. The rear end components were sourced from the Mk 2 Ford Escort.... |
70 | 1998–2007 | Clubman sports car. Powered by a supercharged Toyota 4AG ZE engine. |
External links
- Elfin Cars Pty Ltd
- Introducing the Holden Elfin MS8 Clubman and MS8 Streamliner
- Brian Ax with a profile of Elfin
- Video of Elfin Clubman and Streamliner MS8s
- Elfin racing images Retrieved from Autopics on 14 August 2008