Lotus Elan Tires

Lotus Elan uses 145R13 and 520-13 for 1963 through 1968, with 1968 also listing 165R13 and 600-13. Lotus Elan uses 155R13, 560-13, 165R13, and 600-13 for 1969 through 1973. Lotus Elan then changes completely for 1990 through 1992, using 205/45R16. All of the early sizes are tied to 13-inch rims, while the later 205/45R16 uses a 16-inch rim.

That spread means year alone is not always enough, especially on 1968 through 1973 cars where several sizes overlap. Start by confirming whether your Lotus Elan is the original 1960s-1970s car or the 1990s model, then verify wheel diameter and compare the existing tire size, wheel width, and restoration goals before settling on bias-ply or radial construction.

A 520-13 size on a Lotus Elan is an older numeric bias-ply designation used on early cars from 1963 through 1968. The 520 number represents nominal section width in the traditional numeric system, and the 13 identifies the rim diameter in inches. The products offered in this size are bias-ply tires, not modern metric radials.

That matters because a Lotus Elan wearing 520-13 tires will have a different look and road feel than one fitted with 145R13 radials from the same period range. If your goal is period presentation, numeric bias-ply sizing is the right place to look, and on these bias-ply applications a tube is required.

A 1968 Lotus Elan has four sizes listed because that year sits at the overlap of two radial sizes and two numeric bias-ply sizes, all on 13-inch rims. The listed options are 145R13, 520-13, 165R13, and 600-13. Since the rim diameter stays the same, the split is not a wheel-diameter change but a configuration choice within the same model year.

The practical step is to identify whether your 1968 Lotus Elan is set up for the narrower early fitment or the wider later one, and whether you want period bias-ply character or radial behavior. Looking at the tire size already on the car, the wheel width, and any restoration records will usually narrow the choice more reliably than the calendar year by itself.

Lotus Elan uses two rim diameters across the full range covered here. The 1963 through 1973 Lotus Elan sizes all fit 13-inch rims, while the 1990 through 1992 Lotus Elan uses a 16-inch rim with 205/45R16 tires. There is no mix of 13-inch and 16-inch sizes within the same year group.

That makes wheel diameter the quickest way to separate early and late Lotus Elan fitments before looking deeper at tread style or construction. If the car is an early Elan, your next decision is among the different 13-inch bias-ply and radial sizes; if it is the later car, the 16-inch metric radial size defines the fitment path immediately.

Lotus Elan has both bias-ply and radial sizes listed for the 1963 through 1973 cars. The bias-ply options are the numeric sizes 520-13, 560-13, and 600-13, while the radial options are 145R13, 155R13, and 165R13. The 1990 through 1992 Lotus Elan uses only a modern radial size, 205/45R16.

Choose bias-ply for period appearance and a more original-era presentation, especially on a restoration where sidewall style matters. Choose radial if your early Lotus Elan is being set up for road use and the car already corresponds to one of the listed radial sizes, but keep the choice consistent with the wheel and overall setup rather than treating the two constructions as interchangeable.

A Lotus Elan fitted with one of the listed radial sizes will typically feel different from the same car on one of the listed bias-ply sizes because the construction type is fundamentally different. The early Lotus Elan range includes both constructions in 13-inch fitments, while the later 1990 through 1992 Lotus Elan is radial-only. That means the change is not just cosmetic; it is tied to the tire’s carcass design and dimensions.

For an owner, the key is to match expectations to the purpose of the car. A show-focused early Lotus Elan may call for bias-ply character and appearance, while a driver-oriented car may lean toward one of the listed radial sizes that suits the wheel and year range already established on the car.

A Lotus Elan should be treated as a car that needs one construction type chosen deliberately rather than mixed casually. The early years offer both bias-ply and radial fitments, but they are presented as separate size paths, not as components of a mixed set. The later 1990 through 1992 Lotus Elan avoids the issue because it uses only a radial size.

For practical fitment work, keep the car on one complete construction type and one properly matched size set. If your Lotus Elan currently has a mixed arrangement from years of piecemeal replacement, use the wheel diameter, the existing size markings, and the car’s intended use to move back to a consistent four-tire setup.

A 1969 Lotus Elan can use four listed sizes: 155R13, 560-13, 165R13, and 600-13. All four fit 13-inch rims, but they split between radial and bias-ply construction and between narrower and wider fitment families. That means the correct size depends on how the specific car is configured rather than on year alone.

Begin with the size currently mounted if the car has a known good setup, then confirm wheel width and compare the car’s restoration direction. A period-style restoration may point toward one of the numeric bias-ply sizes, while a road-oriented setup may align with one of the radial sizes already listed for the 1969 Lotus Elan.

Lotus Elan tires are available in several sidewall styles across the listed sizes, including blackwall, narrow whitewall, wide whitewall, and RBL. The radial 13-inch and 16-inch applications are primarily blackwall or RBL, while the numeric bias-ply sizes for the earlier Lotus Elan years include both narrow and wide whitewall options. That gives buyers a meaningful cosmetic choice alongside the size and construction decision.

For a restoration-minded early Lotus Elan, the sidewall can strongly influence the finished look, especially if you are aiming for a period presentation rather than a modernized stance. For the 1990 through 1992 Lotus Elan, the modern radial options keep the visual treatment much simpler, so fitment and performance intent usually matter more than sidewall styling.

Lotus Elan tires in the listed sizes come from Michelin, Firestone, Premium Sport, Dunlop, and BFGoodrich. Michelin and Dunlop cover several of the 13-inch radial applications, Firestone and BFGoodrich appear in the 13-inch bias-ply range, and BFGoodrich also supplies the later 205/45R16 fitment. The brand mix changes with the size family rather than remaining constant across the whole Lotus Elan range.

That means the right brand choice starts with the right size and construction choice, not the other way around. Once the correct size is established for your Lotus Elan, you can compare sidewall appearance, tire series, and intended use within the brands that actually serve that specific fitment.

Lotus Elan listings include several distinct tire series, including Michelin XAS-FF, Michelin XAS, F560 Radial, SP Sport Aquajet, Firestone Classic Bias Ply, Premium Sport Lowrider, Silvertown Classic Bias Ply, and the g-Force Comp 2 family. Those series fall into different construction approaches: period-style bias-ply options for the early numeric sizes, classic radial options for the early metric sizes, and modern performance radials for the 1990 through 1992 car. The series therefore track the era and intended character of the fitment.

For an early Lotus Elan, the most important distinction is whether you want a classic radial road setup or a period-looking bias-ply setup with whitewall options. For the later Lotus Elan, the series choice is really between modern 16-inch radial patterns within the single listed size rather than a broad historical construction decision.

A Lotus Elan should be stored in a cool, dry, dark space with the tires protected from direct sunlight, ozone sources, and long periods on dirty or damp concrete. Keep the tires inflated to an appropriate operating level for storage and move the car occasionally if it remains on the ground for extended periods. Early bias-ply fitments deserve especially careful storage because collector tires often see low annual mileage and long stationary intervals.

If your Lotus Elan is put away seasonally, consider reducing static load with proper support under the chassis while keeping the suspension in a sensible resting position. Good storage practice preserves sidewall condition, helps avoid flat-spotting, and gives both early 13-inch collector tires and later 16-inch radials a better chance of aging evenly.

Tires on a Lotus Elan should be inspected before each meaningful drive and more thoroughly at regular intervals even when the car is seldom used. Look for cracking, bulges, tread separation, impact damage, air loss, uneven wear, and changes in ride feel or steering response. On early Lotus Elan applications, also pay close attention to tube-type bias-ply tires and the condition of the wheels they mount on.

Collector cars often age their tires out long before they wear them out, so a visual check in the garage is only part of the process. A hands-on inspection by a knowledgeable vintage tire professional is a smart step whenever the car has been stored for a long time, has unknown tire age, or is returning to road use after restoration.

A Lotus Elan should have its tires replaced when age, cracking, hardening, vibration, separation, repeated air loss, or impact damage appears, even if tread depth still looks usable. Tread alone is a poor guide on collector vehicles because the tire structure often ages out before the surface wears away. That is especially true for early bias-ply Lotus Elan fitments that may spend years in storage between outings.

The practical rule is to judge a Lotus Elan tire by condition, age, and intended road use rather than by tread depth alone. If the car has older collector tires of uncertain service history, replacement becomes part of basic recommissioning, particularly before any sustained road driving or spirited use.

Lotus Elan does not point to one single original tire type across the full range here because the early years list both metric radial and numeric bias-ply sizes, and the later 1990 through 1992 car uses a separate modern metric radial size. The early 1963 through 1968 group includes 145R13 and 520-13, while 1968 through 1973 expands to include 165R13 and 600-13, and 1969 through 1973 also includes 155R13 and 560-13.

For restoration work, the right answer usually comes from matching your specific Lotus Elan year and configuration to period photos, build records, and marque-club guidance. The tire listings establish the correct size families, but the final choice between radial and bias-ply presentation should reflect how the individual car is being restored.

Correct tire fitment can absolutely affect how a Lotus Elan is judged and perceived, especially on restored early cars where stance, sidewall style, and construction type are part of the overall presentation. A Lotus Elan fitted with a size family and visual treatment appropriate to its year will generally look more coherent than one wearing a mismatched modern substitute. That is particularly relevant when choosing between numeric bias-ply and metric radial options on the 1960s and early 1970s cars.

For buyers and restorers, tire choice is one of the finishing details that can either support or undermine the rest of the car. If authenticity matters, compare your Lotus Elan against period references and consult marque-club standards so the final tire choice aligns with the car’s intended class, use, and presentation.

Lotus Elan restoration choices include blackwall, narrow whitewall, and wide whitewall within the listed early sizes, while the later 1990 through 1992 Lotus Elan uses modern blackwall or RBL-style radials. The correct look depends on which size family your car uses and what era-specific appearance you are pursuing. Numeric bias-ply sizes such as 520-13, 560-13, and 600-13 offer the broadest period-style sidewall variety.

A restorer should treat sidewall style as part of the car’s overall visual language, not as an afterthought. If your Lotus Elan is being built for period character, choose the sidewall treatment that suits the wheel, ride height, and intended finish level; if it is a later Elan, the modern radial appearance is already built into the available fitment.

A Lotus Elan can be driven on public roads when the tires are the correct size, in sound condition, properly installed, and matched to the car’s wheel diameter and intended use. The safety question differs between the early 13-inch cars, which may use collector bias-ply or classic radial tires, and the later 1990 through 1992 car, which uses a modern 16-inch radial. Construction type, age, and overall condition matter as much as the size itself.

Before regular road use, make sure your Lotus Elan has a consistent set of tires, no signs of structural aging, and no unresolved wheel or suspension issues. Early cars deserve extra caution because many are driven infrequently, and long storage can hide tire deterioration that only becomes obvious once the car is back in motion.

Before driving a Lotus Elan, check inflation pressure, visible tread and sidewall condition, valve stems, wheel security, and any signs of rubbing or uneven wear. On an early Lotus Elan, also confirm whether the car is on tube-type bias-ply tires or radials, because that affects what you should expect from the car’s response and how carefully the wheel setup should be inspected. A quick walkaround is especially important after long storage.

The point is not just to see whether the tires hold air, but to confirm that the whole tire-and-wheel package still matches the car you are about to drive. If your Lotus Elan has an unfamiliar size, mixed tire ages, or a recently revived chassis, take the first miles gently and reassess the tires again after the initial outing.

The appropriate speed for a Lotus Elan on period-style tires should be conservative and guided by the tire’s construction, age, condition, and the overall condition of the car. An early Lotus Elan on collector bias-ply tires should be driven with more restraint than a later Lotus Elan on fresh modern radials, even if the tread looks good. Older tire design and long periods of disuse both narrow the margin for sustained high-speed driving.

In practice, keep speeds modest until you know exactly what is fitted to your Lotus Elan and how old those tires are. If the car is on newly installed classic tires, build confidence gradually; if the tires are older or of uncertain age, treat the car as a short-distance collector vehicle until a specialist has evaluated the entire setup.