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Old 5 Aug 2018, 14:18 (Ref:3841607)   #1
Jay Laifman
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Tracking down Leighton Irwin's Elva Mk6

Hello folks. My sons and I have just purchased an Elva Mk6 that I believe used to be Leighton Irwin's. I'm wondering if anyone on this site can provide any details about his car including his purchase of it, who he sold it to, and what color it is (seems white with red stripe in b&w pictures).

Here is what I have:
On this site, there is a 2006 exchange between Leighton and John Lindsay. In this exchange, Lindsay says he owns three Mk6's: Leighton's, Don Wolfe's, and "a California one." Leighton confirms that Lindsay has his, and they both indicate that Leighton's is Lindsay's brother's car.

Elsewhere on this site, Leighton says that "the one that got away" was his Mk6, and he sold it in 1969. The sale was for $3,000 and included extra engines, wheels and car carrier.

On the elva.com site, Lindsay indicates in 2010 he is rebuilding Don Wolfe's and his brother's car and he has a third car "hanging from the ceiling. Presumably that's the California car. As I said, I just purchased the one he called his brother's car.

Lindsay did mention to someone that he got this car from someone in the Midwest.

Of course, sadly, Leighton and Lindsay have both passed away. So I'm hoping for any help to confirm this was Leighton's car and what happened to it between Leighton's ownership and Lindsay buying it in the Midwest.

Our plan is to reassemble the car and race it in historic races, mostly out here in California.

Here are some pictures of Leighton racing it:
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 4.jpg (86.6 KB, 7 views)
File Type: jpg Elva (1).jpg (75.8 KB, 7 views)
File Type: jpg With Porsche.jpg (95.8 KB, 8 views)
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Old 5 Aug 2018, 14:56 (Ref:3841610)   #2
Jay Laifman
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I just found that the car may have been owned by Peter Blakely of Quebec between Leighton and Lindsay. Anyone know Peter?
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Old 5 Aug 2018, 19:01 (Ref:3841641)   #3
Mike Bell
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Welcome, Jay. I’ve copied your request / thread to Motorsport History to give it maximum exposure. Hope you get the info you’re looking for!
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Old 6 Aug 2018, 15:23 (Ref:3841859)   #4
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Hi Jay

I'm an Elva owner/enthusiast, and ironically enough the Elva 200 Formula Junior that I used to own had also passed through John Lindsey's hands at some point before coming back to the UK.

You say that you have looked at the Elva.com website, but have you actually made contact with Roger Dunbar at Elva, he would be a good place to start in researching this sort of history.

Good luck with getting the car back on track, I am hoping that my own Mk5 comes out of 'the shed' soon, it's been there for nearly 3 years, but is essentially back in one piece at least!

James Owen
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Old 7 Aug 2018, 22:23 (Ref:3842207)   #5
Jay Laifman
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Hi guys. Yes, definitely in touch with Roger.

On the plus side, I did find Peter Blakely. On the negative side for that path, we do not have his car!

I now have a growing, but incomplete history of our car. There is an ad from 1969 Autoweek, listing the car. It was shown then as having a Ford-Cosworth engine. The seller was Jack Howard of Dillon, Montana. That's a pretty small town. I'm not even sure what race tracks were around there in the 60s. I contacted folks in Dillon, and found that Jack owned the Ford dealership there, and they are looking for more materials on him, and hopefully info on the car.

I also found reference to a "Jack Howard Motors" on Van Nuys Blvd., in LA. Perhaps it's the same person.

There is also a Jon Clifton of Indiana who might have owned the car at one point.

Finally the original owner is shown as "Hountingly" but it is noted as a possible typo. I'm wondering if a poor handwritten scribble of "Howard" became "Hountingly."

If any of those names mean anything to anyone, let me know.
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Old 7 Aug 2018, 22:27 (Ref:3842209)   #6
Jay Laifman
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I will continue my posts about my search for info on this car in the Motorsport History part of this forum.
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Old 5 Aug 2018, 19:00 (Ref:3841640)   #7
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Over on 'the nostalgia forum' section of the autosport forum website ( forums.autosport.com ) there are currently two threads which feature a Maserati engined Elva Mk6 which appeared in Viva Las Vegas . If you don't get any joy on Ten Tenths it's probably worth trying autosport tnf .
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