Registry: 1958 Elva Sports Racer MkIII

Elva MkIII Sports Racer Hand Built in Bexhill England with Alloy Body, space frame, Coventry Climax Overhead Cam FWA Engine, with MGA Transmission and DeDion rear axle inboard drum brakes, 15 inch wire wheels. Sports Racer (first owner Gei Zantzinger raced on East Coast SCCA). One of 15 built. Cost $5000 in 1958. Weighed approximately 1000 lbs.
Elva MkIII 100/65 Sports Racer
(1958 alloy body front engine with DeDion rear axle and drum brakes)
(revised 10/13/23)

PHSICAL EVIDENCE AS RECEIVED BY STAN MASON:
• Original Castrol Brass Chassis plate states MkIII with A7743 (FWA Coventry Climax 1100cc Engine). Original white base exterior with typical MkIII Appendix C full width windscreen, single mechanical windshield wiper, head fairing and wire wheels.
• 1987 as received baby blue top coat paint with white centered full length racing stripe, additional radiator opening above traditional lower opening. which correlate to picture in “Today’s Motor Sports February 1963”. This magazine chronicles the October 1, 1962 Vineland, NJ FM race with Lewis Flink between 2 Porsche RS. Linking this car to it’s past.
• A darker French blue is above the white base coat and the repaired left side exhaust cut out maybe linked to the 1960 period. To date I have no photos connecting this color to it’s time period.
• Unique identifiers on this car when compared to other Elva MkIIIs are a lower mounted front Elva emblem (similar to 100/66) and no side mirror body hole mounts.

KNOWN HISTORY (chronology):
• 100/65 was a later built MkIII and assumed to be purchased at Continental Motors Elva Distributor in Washington DC in close proximity to Villanova. This car also had a similar livery to 1958 Sebring MkIII White darker blue center stripe. Not sure if this car was raced prior to A. Zantzinger receiving it. Continental team driver Art Tweedale may have driven 100/65 at 10/26/58 Vineland & 11/16/58 Marlboro #34 looks like 100/65 same number Zantzinger used in October VIR).
• July 1958 Alfred (Geist or Gei) Zantzinger (Villanova, PA) was a World Renowned Ethnomusicologist. Gei also owned Suburban Foreign Car Service in Philadelphia and had discussed selling Lotus Elites with Colin Chapman. His first recorded race was Berwick, PA as a Novice on July 19, 1958. To date there are 2 photos in my possession both in black and white of him in 100/65 is found in SCCA Sports Car magazine September, 1959 issue at the start of the 1 August 1959 Berwick race which shows and identifies Zantzinger #41 a white car with assumed dark blue stripe and roundel (typical of Continental Car Livery of several other MkIIIs) with white 41, no side mirrors and lower Elva Emblem. The second photo is with him 9/14/1958 at Bridgehampton Race as number 23 with an Osca in the same frame. Livery is similar to earlier SCCA pic. He frequently raced North East SCCA in 1958- 1959. The last record of Zantzinger racing an Elva MkIII was 1 August 1959. He later raced a MkVI Elva SR.
• 1961 – 1964 Lewis Flink (Margate, NJ) & Otto Linton Co-owned. 100/65 purchased from A. Zantzinger with Coventry Climax Engine installed. Vineland, NJ August 20, 1961 was first recorded race in GMod for Flink. An Alfa 1500cc DOHC Engine with 140 HP was installed (assumed to have been provided by Otto Linton Philly area Dealership). Body modified by Jimmy Diaz for additional cooling slot and speed bump and painted baby blue with white stripe. First race recorded with new conversion was April 30, 1962 at Vineland in FMod. And the first race that they tried out this modification was on April 14, 1962 Vineland NJ under Otto Linton name, later on October 1, 1962 Vineland SCCA Regional shows Lew Flink/Otto Linton entry of #114 Elfa (assumed pun for Alfa engine in a Elva) in FMod. This was the last recorded race for Lew with a photo displayed in “Today’s Motor Sports February 1963” shows start of CM-FM race with CM Lister Corvette (John Snyder) in lead followed by Porsche RS60/61 (Maybe Herb Wetanson) and then 114 Lewis Flink with 100/65 ahead of RSK 19 of R. Thomas. Last record of Linton / Flink ownership is for sale advertisement May 1964 by Lew.
• Connecticut owner young
• 1974-75 Mark Miller NJ saw an ad in Autoweek / Competition Press he purchased from a Connecticut owner who test drove it with rear space frame only and held fuel tank. He disassembled car for restoration and sandblasted and painted space frame black. The Alfa 1500cc engine was destroyed in a Lotus / Maserati Dealership Lambertville, NJ fire. Car was in light blue livery that is seen in period with Flink and Linton. Sold through a friend and not sure of new owner.
• May 1985 - Cap Chenoweth (Stowe, Vermont) – contacted in December 1987 who sold car to Walter Donicki. (Cap Vintage Raced an Elva MkIV and Lola MkI later)
• July 1987 – Stan Mason purchased this car as a basket case from Walter Donicki through Lee Chapman in Newton Connecticut.
• 2005 Preassembled and fabricated rolling chassis/body for Elva 50th Road America reunion. Return to RA for 55th reunion with rolling chassis.
• January 2017 – The best original black & white photograph to date was obtained from Revs Institute with Gei Zantizinger at 14 September 1958 Bridgehampton SCCA NY Race white car with dark center stripe and roundel #23 with 2 added with shoe polish, visible dark tonneau seen on left passenger side. Current car has a flat bar on passenger door where tonneau was snapped.
• 2016 Internet movie of October 26, 1958 rainy Vineland race White #34 with Art Tweedale driving
. 2026 Elva 70th Anniversary at Put-In-Bay, Ohio partial build, painted white, blue interior. alloy panels and rolling chassis.

Next Steps Actions for uncovering more information on 100/65:
• April 30. 1959 Berwick PA Giant Despair SCCA Regional
o Contact Barcboys and see if they have John Ridall grid GM photos
o Buy photos from Barcboys if possible for clearer picture
• Watkins Glen Library Research
• Mark Miller association with others in NJ that Chenoweth purchased from
• Identify other races Lewis Flink may have entered with 100/65
• April 30. 1962 Vineland, NJ Race
o Contact Barcboys (sent R. Dunbar e-mail 4/3/10)
o Watkins Glen Library
o SCCA South Jersey Region Website investigation

Potential Owners or Drivers:
• Connection with Art Tweedale and Vineland Race
• Had a shop Import Motors Limited Selim Road Rosslyn? in Bethesda Maryland
Anyone having information on 100/65’s History would be greatly appreciated.
Please contact Stan Mason at StanBMason@AOL.com