page_title: Lotus Europa
section_title: Design features
hierarchical_section_title: Lotus Europa / Europa (1966–1975) / Design features
caption_attribution_description: English: Lotus Europa S2 1968. The early S2 models were produced with S1-style front indicators and door handles. Note the S2 two-pane opening windows.
context_page_description: The Lotus Europa name is used on two distinct mid-engine GT cars built by British automobile manufacturer Lotus Cars. The original Europa and its variants comprise the Lotus Types 46, 47, 54, 65 and 74, and were produced between 1966 and 1975.
  The name was later revived in the Type 121 Europa S, a sports car based on the Lotus Elise produced from 2006 to 2010.
context_section_description: The Europa used a lightweight, folded & welded "minimalist" boxed-steel backbone chassis with a fibreglass moulded body, a combination that was first used by Lotus founder Colin Chapman in the Lotus Elan launched in 1962. Earliest versions of the Europa had the body fully bonded to the chassis for maximum structural stiffness, however this was soon changed to a bolted-on body to allow normal chassis and body repairs to be made. Unlike the Elan, the Europa had no front-mounted engine or gearbox to accommodate, and so the Europa's main chassis member ran straight forward to intersect a large box-section cross-beam running across the car between the front suspension points. At the rear, the chassis split into a "U" shape behind the cabin to accommodate the combined engine, transmission and final-drive components, and to support the rear suspension.
caption: Lotus Europa S2 from above (1968 model)
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