1963 Elva Mk7 (S-spec)

History

The Elva comes with multiple binders of extensive original documentation. These include such things as correspondence from the Elva Car Co. with the car’s original owner, C.W. “Buzz” Appleby, and several subsequent owners. The files also contain an original log book from 1973. That logbook’s number is 19-143, which corresponded with the SCCA number that was stamped into the roll bar. 

In 1983, Roger Dunbar of the Elva Register confirmed that the original factory specs for chassis #70/015 were the same as those of the car shipped by Elva to its U.S. importer, Carl Haas, and sold to Appleby in 1963. As a result, Dunbar then issued a replacement chassis plate which has remained on the car ever since.  

Ownership History:

As noted above, the Elva was originally purchased from Carl Haas by Northern California racer 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, Califlornia. 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.

Blake then apparently sold the car to Tide Ebbings of Oakland. Ebbings removed the engine. 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 restored the Elva and raced it from 1991 through 2009. He then traded it for an Elva Mk6 through Vintage Racing Motors. The Mk7 Elva received a complete mechanical overhaul, including a Jay Ievey engine rebuild in the winter of 2015-16. Thereafter it was stored while Thorson raced the Mk6.

The Elva Mk7 was then sold to its current owner who raced it from 2019 through 2023. The car was then subject to frame-up restoration by Elva specialists, Vintage Racing Motors of Redmond, Washington.  The work included Mk7S updates, such as wider wheels and larger brakes. The receipts, which will be included with the car, total over $60,000 for this work.

Description

The Elva is powered by a 1600 c.c. Lotus twin cam dry sump engine that was an all 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. The car has the upgraded Mk 7S larger wheels 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. Spares and support equipment can be seen in the lists and pictures in the Photos section below.

These Elvas Mk7’s 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, 1960’s 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. 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, serious fun factor, and an owner that is retiring and looking for something just remotely fair in price – having nothing to do with what he has invested in the car. 

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) 1996-2025, 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.