Elfin Sports Cars Pty Ltd (formerly known as Elfin Sports Car Company) is a car manufacturer company founded by Garrie Cooper. It has been an Australian manufacturer of sports cars and motor racing cars since 1957.
Elfin Sports Cars is currently owned by the estate of former British racing driver Tom Walkinshaw, through his company Walkinshaw Performance which also owns Holden Special Vehicles. It was previously owned by businessmen and historic racing enthusiasts Bill Hemming and Nick Kovatch (who remains as technical director) who purchased it in 1998.
Elfin is the oldest continuous sports car maker in Australia and one of the most successful with 29 championships and major Grand Prix titles. The original factory was located at Conmurra Avenue, Edwardstown in suburban Adelaide, South Australia. The company is currently located at Braeside, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia.
The company was founded by Garrie Cooper, a successful championship driver and designer and builder of racing and sports-racing cars as Elfin Sports Car Company. In 1983, following the death of its founder, the firm was bought by Tasmanian Don Elliott, racing driver Tony Edmondson and mechanic John Porter who re-established the provision of parts and service to existing owners
Cooper died suddenly from a burst aorta, due to the vessel's weakness from medication he was taking to keep his blood thin after a heart valve operation in the mid-1970s, on ANZAC Day (April 25) in 1982, at the age of 46. Cliff Cooper, Garrie's father, completed outstanding orders, including six new generation Formula Vees, before offering the business for sale as well as designing a new Formula Vee, the Crusader, and a Formula Brabham car.
In 1993, Victorian Murray Richards acquired Elfin and set out to build a new generation Elfin Clubman called the Type 3. In failing health, he sold Elfin to Bill Hemming and Nick Kovatch in 1998.
Currently, Elfin is owned by the estate of British racing driver Tom Walkinshaw.
There is a heritage centre dedicated to Elfin Sports Cars in Melbourne. The centre features around 12 current and historic vehicles on display.
Elfin drivers have won 29 championships and major titles including two Australian Drivers' Championships (1973, 1975), four Australian Sports Car Championships (1970, 1973, 1974, 1975), three Australian Tourist Trophies (1966, 1976, 1978), and four Australian Formula Ford Series (1970, 1971, 1974, 1982). In addition Elfin cars also won the Singapore Grand Prix (1968), the Malaysian Grand Prix (1968, 1969, 1972), and the New Zealand Grand Prix (1973, 1974).
Drivers of Elfin cars included 1976 Formula One World Champion James Hunt, and French F1 driver, Didier Pironi. Others included Australian F1 drivers Vern Schuppan and Larry Perkins, as well as John Bowe, Frank Matich, John McCormack, Bob Jane, John Harvey, Allan Grice, Peter Manton and Mark Mclaughlin.
Elfin is currently producing two V8 powered sports cars: the MS8 Streamliner and the MS8 Clubman and has recently introduced an entry-level model, the turbocharged four cylinder powered T5 Clubman. The engines are supplied by GM Powertrain.
The original company produced 248 racing and sports racing cars in 27 different models over a 25-year period.
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