1964 Elva 7S
This 1964-specification Elva Mk.VIIS, powered by a Laranca-prepared BMW 2000 unit mated to a Hewland Mark 8 transaxle, is considered among the most accomplished surviving examples of its type. Originally raced as the Mahé/Quinlou and Szyndelman car through the mid-1990s, it was acquired in late 1997 and comprehensively restored before embarking on a successful European historic racing campaign from 1998 to 2002, taking class honours at Nürburgring, Spa-Francorchamps, and Jarama. Finished in Baby Blue, it holds current FIA HTP credentials valid to end-2026.
Ownership
- 2019-02-23Auction saleSold £68,000 (≈ $85K)
- → 1997-11-01Acquisition unknownMr Szyndelmanpartial documentation
Raced the car extensively until 1997, after which it was sold in November of that year.
- 1997-11-01 → 2016Private saleEuropean historic racing owner post-1997partial documentation
Acquired from Mr Szyndelman, commissioned a full restoration excluding the body panels, and campaigned the car in major European historic endurance events between 1998 and 2002.
- 2016 →Private saleCurrent vendorfull documentation
Purchased in 2016 and competed in select historic events at Silverstone in 2016, 2017, and 2018, achieving class wins. The car comes with extensive invoices, set-up data, and FIA HTP paperwork.
- Date unknownAlain Mahé/Quinloupartial documentation
Understood to be an early owner who campaigned the car actively in competition prior to the mid-1990s.
Competition
- 1998Oldtimer Grand Prix, Nürburgring1st in class
First competitive outing following the post-1997 restoration.
- 19996-Hour Race, Spa-Francorchamps1st in class, 2nd overall
Car set a quicker practice time than V8-powered Bizzarini and GT40 competitors; fastest lap recorded at 2 minutes 55.512 seconds.
- 20006-Hour Race, Spa-Francorchamps1st in class, 2nd overall
Repeated the 1999 result at the same event the following year.
- 2000Jarama 12-Hours3rd overall
- 2001Oldtimer Grand Prix, Nürburgring1st in class
- 2016-10-01Guards Trophy for Pre-'66 GT CarsGuards Trophy, SilverstoneDriver: Martin StrettonDNF — rear brake failure
Car qualified second fastest and was leading the race before a defective rear brake forced retirement.
- 2017Historic race event (class win)1st in class
One of two outings during the current vendor's tenure, each yielding a class win.
- 2018Historic race event (class win)1st in class
Second outing under current ownership, also resulting in a class win.
- —V de V 2 Tours d'Horloge 24-Hour RaceDNF — retired after 14 hours due to lost exhaust
Car recorded the third fastest overall time while running. Drivers had to withdraw despite being notably quicker than several Chevron B8 competitors.
- —Gran Premio Storico, Jerez de la Frontera2nd overall
Event took place around 2000–2001 based on the narrative sequence.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1997Restoration
Comprehensive rebuild carried out after acquisition from Mr Szyndelman; all areas addressed except the body panels, which were judged to be in sufficiently good condition to retain.
Work completed in preparation for the European historic racing campaign that began in 1998.
- —Modification
Car fitted with two custom-fabricated Uniroyal moulded safety fuel tanks, a long-ratio Hewland Mark 8 transaxle, and various other performance-oriented technical upgrades.
Timing relative to the restoration is not specified but assumed to be part of the same preparation phase.
- —Engine rebuildLaranca
Original BMW unit replaced with a Laranca-prepared BMW engine; approximately 12 hours of running time recorded at time of cataloguing.
Are you the owner of this car?
This car's public record is built from its auction and competition history. Register your ownership and privately add your own records to make it a verified Legacy Metrics passport — provenance that backs your car's value at sale and gives your insurer evidence to price against. Roy reviews and verifies every registration personally.