The Australian National Motor Museum is currently featuring an exhibition devoted to Australia’s famed Elfin Sports Cars. Elfin Sports Cars was founded in 1958 in Adelaide by Garrie Cooper. It quickly grew to become an amazing South Australian success story and a national motoring icon.
In the late 1960s, a small factory in the Adelaide suburb of Edwardstown was the second largest manufacturer of racing cars in the world! Elfin Sports Cars built 27 different models—and a total of 248 cars. The founder of Elfin Sports Cars, Garrie Cooper, was a remarkable, self-taught engineer and business manager, who tragically died at the age of 46, leaving so much more potential unfulfilled.
Elfins were very successful on the racetrack, winning 29 championships and major titles, including two Australian Driver Championships, five Australian Sports Car Championships, and four Australian Tourist Trophies. Elfins also won the Singapore Grand Prix and the Malaysian Grand Prix twice. This was quite an achievement for such a small team—only nine employees in 1965, including Garrie and his father Cliff.
The Elfin Magic exhibit runs through May 31, 2008, at the National Motor Museum, in Birdwood, South Australia. For more information please visit www.history.sa.gov.au/motor/motor.htm
