1963 Elva Mk7 (S-spec)

History

If you enjoy pouring over volumes of records uncovering the history of a racing car, then you will really enjoy this Elva. It has records going back to the car’s original purchase by C.W. “Buzz” Appleby from U.S. Elva distributor Carl Haas in 1963. The records from then to the present day include, but are not limited to, period correspondence directly with Elva, race records, invoices, track driving notes and set up records, period magazine articles, maintenance schedules, log books from 2023 back to the early 1970s, etc. Also included are photos of the car during different periods of its racing life. There is a treasure trove of fabulous documents with this car. 

At some point in the car’s history, pre-1983, someone removed the car’s original chassis tag. However, in 1983, Roger Dunbar, of the Elva Register, researched the history of this Elva from factory records, and the records that still remained with the car through to 1983. He concluded that this Elva Mk7 was chassis #70/015. He discovered that the original specs of this car exactly matched the car that Elva shipped to Carl Hass in early 1963. Haas then sold the car to Northern California racer C.W. Buzz Appleby in mid 1963. Thereafter the racing history and chain of ownership is known and documented to the present day. So back in 1983, Dunbar issued an official Elva replacement chassis tag for the car, which remains affixed to the car to this day.

Ownership History:

As mentioned above, the Elva was originally purchased from Carl Haas by C.W. “Buzz” Appleby in mid 1963. The car was red with an 1100 c.c. Climax FWA engine. The engine failed almost immediately and was replaced with an 1100 cc. Ford twin cam engine. Appleby then raced the Elva extensively on the U.S. West Coast.

Around 1966, Appleby sold the Elva to Butch Owsley of Aptos, California. Owsley kept the car until at least until 1968. The file contains a dyno report for Owsley dated 10/10/67. Owsley was very successful with the car. It was still painted red, but now sported gold leaf trim. 

Owsley sold the car to Bunny Ribbs from San Jose, California in the late 1960s. Ribbs raced the Elva for several years before selling it to Jack Blake of Point Richmond, California around 1972. The files with the car contain Blake’s SCCA log book showing the car racing starting in early 1973 through 1975.

It then appears Blake sold the car to local San Francisco Bay Area racer Tide Ebbings of Oakland. Ebbings removed the engine, but there is no evidence that he actually raced the Elva.

The next known owner was Norman Martin of Denver, Colorado. He bought the Elva as a roller and resold it to Thor Thorson from the Seattle, Washington area in 1987. Thorson, a long time and well known U.S. Elva enthusiast and collector, had the Elva restored at Elva specialists Vintage Racing Motors in Redmond, Washington. Thorson then raced the Elva from 1991 through 2009. 

In 2015-16, Thorson had a complete mechanical overhaul done to the car. This included a Jay Ivey engine rebuild. Thereafter it was stored while Thorson raced another Elva Mk6 that he had acquired.

The Elva Mk7 was then sold to its current owner who raced it from 2019 through 2023. During that time the car was damaged in an accident, and went back to Vintage Racing Motors for another frame up redo. The receipts, which are included with the car, total over $60,000. The car remains in its fully restored condition as can be seen in the photos below.

Description

The Elva is powered by a 1600 c.c. Lotus twin cam dry sump engine that was a new build by Tony Ingram. The engine was most recently refreshed by Ivey Engines in 2023 and has approximately one hour on it. The dyno results show 194 horsepower. 

The gearbox is a Hewland Mk8/9 prepared by Scott Young. It has the stronger Mk5 gears and mainshaft, and a limited slip differential. The car will come with gears for both long and short tracks. 

The Elva has Spax double adjustable shocks and Hypercoil springs, 300 lb. front and 350 lb. rear. It also has the Mk7S upgraded larger wheels/tires and brakes. The car is fully balanced and aligned. Its only need before heading to the track would be a fresh set of tires if you want to lay down some fast lap times.

These Elva Mk7s are icons of the 1960s sports racing era. They are fun and easy to drive, and outperform bigger cars with much greater horsepower. They are also great cars for venues such as Goodwood, the Rolex Monterey Reunion, and all tracks and sanctioning bodies in between. 

So if you are looking for something different than a Formula Ford, Formula B, 1960s F2 or F3 car, we recommend you give one of these a go. These Elvas are great cars for improving your driving skills too, no matter what your level of experience. They reward smooth, momentum maintaining driving, which translates to any other cars you will ever race. They are also very forgiving, and full fendered, which can increase both your comfort and confidence levels.

We think there is a lot to like here, especially when all the money has already been spent on work performed by Elva specialists and racers. It’s like buying a brand new Elva from the factory, plus 60 years of R&D that make this the best possible Mk7 Elva it can be, and with the Mk7S performance upgrades. It is also genuine, with documented history back to 1963. 

So here we have history, high quality restoration, top performance in its segment, eligibility everywhere, and a serious fun factor. Let’s figure out a way to get you into this lovely Elva. 

Feel free to contact Art Hebert directly at ahebert@motorsportsmarket.com, or 707-328-2452. The Elva is currently located in Oregon.

All vehicle descriptions are accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing. Corrections, and supplemental information, are always welcome. Buyers are responsible for confirming vehicle histories, condition, and authenticity to their own satisfaction prior to purchase. Motorsports Market is not the owner of the vehicle and assumes no liability for errors and omissions.

(c) 1996-2026, Motorsports Market. All Rights Reserved.

Photos

Questions, Comments, Offers?

Please Contact Us if you have any questions or comments, 

or would like to make a non-binding offer.