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BBL 1P

1990 Lotus Elan

Red Petrol 1588cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires19 Apr 2027
Tests20 (14 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate70%

Mileage

91,558 mi
Last recorded91,558 miles
Recorded on20 Apr 2026
Typical for 1990 Lotus Elan82,230 mi

Above average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Lotus
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationBBL 1P
MakeLotus
ModelElan
Year1990
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,588cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

14 pass 6 fail
Pass 20 Apr 2026 91,558 miles
Pass 14 May 2024 88,438 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 17 Jul 2023 87,596 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))

Fail 10 Jul 2023 87,538 miles

Front Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements (0.1 (d))

Nearside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

Nearside Rear Service brake effort inadequate at a wheel (1.2.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Side repeater not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Service brake effort inadequate at a wheel (1.2.1 (a) (i))

Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Rear Registration plate does not conform to the specified requirements (0.1 (d))

Nearside Front Nail in tyre ()

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

offside front outer c/v boot leaking grease

rear number plate lamp showing red light

Pass 16 May 2022 86,380 miles
Pass 17 May 2021 85,626 miles
Fail 10 May 2021 85,545 miles

Nearside Headlamp insecure dip (4.1.1 (c))

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Pass 29 Apr 2020 84,024 miles
Pass 2 Aug 2016 82,752 miles

Advise both rear brake discs corroded

Advise hard top catches missing

Advise nearside headlight lifter mechanism weak on lift

Advise rear handbrake on just met required efficiency

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Fail 19 Jul 2016 82,746 miles

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.D.4)

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (3.7.D.2c)

Rear Parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.D.3a)

Advise both rear brake discs corroded

Advise hard top catches missing

Advise nearside headlight lifter mechanism weak on lift

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Pass 27 Aug 2013 78,148 miles
Fail 27 Aug 2013 78,148 miles

registration plate character(s) laid out in an incorrect format (6.3.4f)

Pass 3 Jul 2012 71,101 miles
Pass 8 Jul 2011 70,548 miles
Fail 7 Jul 2011 70,548 miles

Front registration plate with character(s) which are not the correct stroke width (6.3.4a)

Rear registration plate with character(s) which are not the correct stroke width (6.3.4a)

Pass 11 Aug 2010 70,462 miles
Pass 8 Jul 2009 69,290 miles
Pass 14 May 2007 68,151 miles
Fail 9 May 2007 68,151 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Nearside Front Front wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.5.A.2)

Offside Front Front wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.5.A.2)

rear steel brake pipes rusty

Pass 30 Jan 2006 65,938 miles

all metal brake pipes showing signs of corosoin

o/s & n/s/f wish bone showing signs of crosoin

slight wear showing on front link bar to anti roll bar

How Reliable is the Lotus Elan?

Based on 51,097 MOT tests across 4,280 vehicles.

77.4%
Pass Rate
554
Miles/Year
59
Year Lifespan
4,280
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 2,585
brake recording little or no effort 1,342
parking brake recording little or no effort 1,318
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 927
brake binding 845
Full Lotus Elan reliability report

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BBL 1P is a 1990 Lotus Elan in Red with a 1,588cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 20 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70%.

Across all 1990 Lotus Elan models, the average MOT pass rate is 72.8% with a typical mileage of 82,230 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

The most common reason a Lotus Elan fails its MOT is parking brake: efficiency below requirements, accounting for 2,585 recorded failures. If you're considering buying BBL 1P, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Lotus Elan typically stays on UK roads for around 59 years. At 36 years old, this Lotus Elan is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of BBL 1P?

You can check the full history of BBL 1P by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was BBL 1P registered?

BBL 1P is a 1990 Lotus Elan, first registered on 29 June 1990.

Is BBL 1P safe to buy?

The MOT history for BBL 1P shows 20 tests with a 70% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does BBL 1P have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on BBL 1P. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.