How many Lotus Elites are left in New Zealand?
Super rare 1 in 203,255 on the road Built 1959-1979 Sold new in New Zealand
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
Two different cars. The first Elite, launched in 1957, was a tiny coupe whose body and structure were made entirely of fibreglass, a first for a production car, and it won its class at Le Mans repeatedly. The second, from 1974, was a four-seat wedge with a glass hatch and Lotus's own 16-valve engine.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1974: 6 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1959 | 1 |
| 1960 | 1 |
| 1974 | 6 |
| 1975 | 4 |
| 1976 | 5 |
| 1977 | 1 |
| 1978 | 1 |
| 1979 | 4 |
What Super rare means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 23 still registered, the Lotus Elite is Super rare: the grade for cars with 5 to 24 left.
By how many are left it ranks 9th of the 15 Lotus models and equal 1,626th of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.