Elfin Type 100 Mono
Encyclopedia
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.
began work on a revolutionary monocoque
design of a car intended to dominate the newly created Australian 1½ Litre capacity class
. Lotus Cars
had already built the Formula 1 monocoque under the direction of Colin Chapman
but the idea still in its infancy so Cooper
had only vague ideas of the design. The monocoque
build removed the need for the traditional "Superleggera" tube frame chassis
and harnessed a very light sheet steel frame to which aluminum panels were riveted for a very stiff structure. The finished structure weighed approximately 80kg less than the tube framed
Elfin Catalina it replaced. Uniquely, the hollow section of the body was sealed off to serve as the petrol tank. The Elfin Mono eventually made its debut at the August 1964 Melbourne Racing Car show and orders quickly followed.
Australian 1½ Litre Formula
The Australian 1½ Litre Formula was a motor racing category which was current in Australia from 1964 to 1968. The formula specified racing cars with four cylinder unsupercharged engines using commercially available fuel and limited to 1500cc capacity...
racing car produced from 1964-1969 by Elfin Sports Cars. The name "Mono" referrers to the fact that it was constructed upon a monocoque
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
design.
Development
In 1963, 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...
began work on a revolutionary monocoque
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
design of a car intended to dominate the newly created Australian 1½ Litre capacity class
Australian 1½ Litre Formula
The Australian 1½ Litre Formula was a motor racing category which was current in Australia from 1964 to 1968. The formula specified racing cars with four cylinder unsupercharged engines using commercially available fuel and limited to 1500cc capacity...
. Lotus Cars
Lotus Cars
Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at the former site of RAF Hethel, a World War II airfield in Norfolk. The company designs and builds race and production automobiles of light weight and fine handling characteristics...
had already built the Formula 1 monocoque under the direction of Colin Chapman
Colin Chapman
Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman CBE was an influential British designer, inventor, and builder in the automotive industry, and founder of Lotus Cars....
but the idea still in its infancy so 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...
had only vague ideas of the design. The monocoque
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
build removed the need for the traditional "Superleggera" tube frame chassis
Superleggera
Superleggera is an automobile chassis construction technology developed by Felice Bianchi Anderloni of Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring. The company was located just north of Milan, near Alfa Romeo, Italian Citroen, and the former Isotta-Fraschini plant...
and harnessed a very light sheet steel frame to which aluminum panels were riveted for a very stiff structure. The finished structure weighed approximately 80kg less than the tube framed
Superleggera
Superleggera is an automobile chassis construction technology developed by Felice Bianchi Anderloni of Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring. The company was located just north of Milan, near Alfa Romeo, Italian Citroen, and the former Isotta-Fraschini plant...
Elfin Catalina it replaced. Uniquely, the hollow section of the body was sealed off to serve as the petrol tank. The Elfin Mono eventually made its debut at the August 1964 Melbourne Racing Car show and orders quickly followed.