Recently, we concluded the transportation of a 1972 Lotus Elan that traveled from Bend, Oregon to Sussex, Wisconsin. The transportation took place in an enclosed trailer and covered a distance of 2,032 miles. The cost of transportation was $2,259.00 or $1.11 per mile. Our client is a military serviceman, thus, we provided him with a $50 discount on the order.
The Elan was driveable when picked up. Moreover, the vehicle is older than 50 years and weighs almost as much as a half of a motorbike. These three factors influenced all the decisions regarding the shipment.
The route
It is a distance of 2,032 miles from Bend to Sussex. The road passes through the high desert region, the Rockies, and the plains regions before terminating in Milwaukee suburbs.
Bend is located in central Oregon far from any interstate highway. Cars follow US-20 eastbound from Bend through the high desert to Ontario where the road will meet I-84.
Further, I-84 passes southeast of Boise, Twin Falls in Idaho, and Ogden in Utah. From Echo Junction, I-80 is followed eastbound all the way to Ogden before taking I-80 again until North Platte. In Wyoming, it passes Rock Springs and Cheyenne. It further heads to Nebraska passing North Platte and Omaha.
In Nebraska, it passes Omaha before joining I-80 again at Sioux City and continues eastbound to Des Moines and Davenport in Iowa. I-80 ends at Moline near the Quad Cities when the driver will join I-88 leading to Chicago and then I-90 heading north to Milwaukee.
Shipping a 1972 classic
Classic cars do not travel the same way as new cars. A perfect example of such a car is the Lotus Elan.
To start with, weight is an important aspect. A Lotus Elan has about 1500 pounds. This is about one-third of the Range Rover Sport that was transported recently. Lighter things are usually easier, but this makes the car more sensitive to trailer movement hence making the loading process more intensive.
Then there is the body. The Elan body is made of fiberglass that is mounted on top of a steel backbone chassis. Fiberglass cannot dent, it can only crack. There is no flex in fiberglass, which makes all strap and tie-downs impossible, another reason the car will never travel open.
Finally, age of the vehicle is a consideration. Fifty-year-old car has fifty-year-old rubber, wiring, and seals. A well-maintained car could also leak and have problems starting especially when cold. We advise the customers to expect the driver to treat a classic as gentle as possible once it has been loaded, which is exactly what happened here.
Enclosed transport
The choice was always going to be a closed one here. Enclosed you’ll find the only reasonable method of transporting this vehicle given its age and its value, and the route speaks for itself.
It goes through high desert country and up over Wyoming, down across the plains. Dust and mud and hail come in unimpeded into a fully exposed trailer bed, as well as whatever else Mother Nature dishes out at seven thousand feet above sea level. Fiberglass and paint work very differently to a modern clearcoat finish after being assaulted like that.
The Elan is also a low-riding vehicle, but not as much so as a contemporary sports car. This means it rode with soft straps over the tires instead of chains over the suspension to avoid any weight on a chassis it wasn’t meant to carry.
The military discount
A military discount worth $50 was used in this reservation. The offer is open to all service men and women, active or retired and their families regardless of whether the move will be a PCS, a personal one, or a collector’s car moving to a new location.
Something that you can discuss during the quotation request rather than after making the reservation as it is easy to include at the beginning.
Transport summary
- Origin: Bend, OR 97701
- Destination: Sussex, WI 53089
- Distance: 2,032 miles
- Service cost: $2,259.00 after a $50 military discount
- Cost per mile: $1.11
- Vehicle: 1972 Lotus Elan
- Condition: Operable
- Trailer type: Enclosed
- Route: Bend, OR → US-20 east through Burns to Ontario → I-84 southeast through Boise and Twin Falls → Ogden, UT → I-80 east through Rock Springs, Cheyenne, Omaha and Des Moines → I-88 east → I-90 north to Milwaukee → Sussex, WI
