Elfin Mallala
| Industry | Automotive |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1962 |
| Founder | Garrie Cooper |
| Products | Sports racing automobiles |
The Elfin Mallala represents a rare sports racing automobile produced between 1962 and 1963 by Garrie Cooper's company, Elfin Sports Cars. Production was limited to just five examples. Its inaugural competition took place at the Mallala Race Circuit, which served as the inspiration for its name. Significantly, it holds the distinction of being the first racing car constructed in Australia to race in England.
Cars
| Chassis | Engine | Team | Owners / Drivers | Class | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | S6311 | Ford 116E | Scuderia Veloce | David McKay Greg Cusack Denis Geary Leigh Bayley (1967–1970) Peter Goodwin (1970) |
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| 2 | S6315 | Ford Consul | Brian Morrell Graeme Henderson |
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| 3 | S6316 | Climax 2.4 L | Brian Thompson Graeme Wright |
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| 4 | S6317 | Lotus 1.6 L Climax 2.0 L Ford Cortina 1.1 L |
Greville Edgerton (1963) Charlie Occhipinti (1967) Steven O'Callaghan (1971) Murray Richards Brian Ax (1988) |
1100 cc Sports Car class | |
| 5 | S6418 | Lotus 1.6 L | Henri Leroux (South Africa) Stephen Knox (Australia) Shairon Beale (USA) |
Powertrain
- Engine positioned mid-chassis, featuring a 4-cylinder, 1600 cc displacement
- Power output:
- Transmission: 5-speed manual gearbox
Suspension
- Front setup includes tubular wishbones combined with coil springs and shock absorbers, plus a fixed anti-roll bar
- Rear suspension employs reversed lower wishbones, a top link connected to the driveshaft, and trailing radius arms
Variations:
- Chassis number 6318 utilized a tubular top link alongside a splined driveshaft
- Chassis number 6316 incorporated tubular top links and driveshafts equipped with rubber doughnuts
Braking system
- Front brakes consist of 240 mm disc rotors
- Rear brakes are 216 mm drum units
- The final trio of vehicles were upgraded to have disc brakes on all wheels.
Wheels and tyres
- Equipped with 13-inch diameter wheels
Body and chassis
- Constructed with aluminium panels complemented by fiberglass sections at the nose and tail (the original model featured aluminium in these areas)
- Built upon a space frame chassis design
Measurements
- Overall length: 3040 mm
- Front track width: 1080 mm
- Rear track width: 1060 mm
- Wheelbase length: 1960 mm
- Weight when unladen: 408 kg