Talking Classics With Elisa Artioli

Elisa Artioli has been around cars her whole life. She was there when the Lotus Elise was revealed to the world and is actually the reason for the Elise getting its name.

As Elisa now spends so much time around cars, it was great to hear her thoughts on her cars, her current projects, and the automotive industry in general.

You have a very strong connection to the Lotus Elise, for those who don’t know, can you tell us about your connection? 

Indeed I have a strong connection to the Lotus Elise, it is an important part of my life. 

My grandfather, Romano Artioli, decided to name the car after me because he believed that this would be the lucky charm for the launch event. I also got pretty lucky, because my name begins with “E”: Very suitable for a Lotus car. 

My Elise was produced in 1997, so since I was 4 years old I grew up with her. That is why for me my Elise is not just a car. She means a lot more to me than I can explain. 

I wasn’t allowed to drive it until I got my driver’s license and then I had to wait for another year because new drivers cannot drive cars in excess of a certain power-to-weight ratio. So after one year of a Fiat 500, I was finally admitted behind the wheel. I remember how happy I was when my grandfather once took me for a drive. I was little but I have that day imprinted in my mind. 

You were obviously so young when the Elise was unveiled in 1995, how do you think it felt for you to be involved in that moment though? 

At the age of 2, my grandfather prepared me for the presentation of the Lotus Elise in Frankfurt in September 1995.  

For the first time, the long-awaited roadster would be unveiled to the world. There were however two surprises hidden under the veil: Not only the Elise, but also Elisa waiting in silence while around the stand there was the clamour of visitors, journalists and photographers.  

From that moment on, for many years I thought my name was Elise, just like the T-shirt I wore to the salon said ‘I am Elise’.  

The day of the presentation I stood, holding on to the steering wheel and I didn’t want to get out, I knew that was the right place to be, and it is still the case today. 

What do you think it is that makes the Elise so special? 

What makes the Elise so special is that there isn’t any better car for driving enthusiasts at that price range. 

The Elise is raw, minimal, pure, and sincere, but nevertheless so complete. 

What I like about the Elise is that it is so light and you really feel that the car reacts fast, it is really straightforward. You feel connected to the road and it makes the drive full of emotions. 

Talking about the design we can definitely say that Thomson did a fantastic job with the smiling face of the Elise and her attractive curves that makes her an elegant sports car and a timeless beauty. 

You’ve been the owner of an Elise since you were extremely young, what was it like growing up around your very own car? 

My Silver Elise has been with my family since day one. First in Norwich and later when we moved back to Italy it stayed in showrooms and many years in the garage waiting for me to drive it. 

It was my first Lotus but also my first car. 

It has been difficult to own a car and not be able to enjoy it. Especially such a car that has to be driven to understand it. The time spent together made the link to this car unbreakable. 

Are there any other cars that catch your eye at the moment? 

I am so lucky to say that I already have my dream car, and I am not being biased. 

Of course, I am a big Lotus enthusiast but generally, I have a soft spot for lightweight sports cars. 

At the moment I like the new Alpine A110, even if I like the classic A110 as well. I think they made a really good product and of course, I like their concept.  

Another car that I would like to drive is the Cayman GT4, well who wouldn’t?  

I am curious to test drive the Emira since I didn’t have the chance yet and I know that many people out there are waiting to learn what I think about it. 

What do you think the future has in store for the automotive industry? 

The future for the automotive industry looks really sad in my opinion.  

Mobility will change drastically in the future. I don’t think we are ready to give up our private mobility, but the world seems to be moving in that direction. 

We need to preserve our cars as they are part of human history and are an important historical heritage to be passed on into the future, hopefully, we will still be allowed to use our cars. I know that the topic of pollution is a very topical and complicated issue at the moment. I myself have been attacked because I have been accused of polluting with “useless” rallies. However, I use my bicycle every day to go to the office and my car is getting used for about 10,000kms a year. If you go and read the statistics, you know that the few sports or classic cars that are used every now and then out of passion that are to be blamed for tipping over the world. I think that the development of synthetic fuels could be a game changer. 

How do you think this predicted future will impact big car makers like Lotus? 

Big car makers have to adjust to the current regulations, I don’t think that Lotus actually wanted to delete the Elise, but they needed to move with the flow. 

Are there any special projects you are currently working on? 

 I organise guided sports car tours that are affordable for everyone. 2 years ago I started building the concept for my small business called: Delightful Driving.  

Anyone who likes to can participate in my tours. The participants come from all over Europe and my meetings are not brand-specific. The only thing you need to bring is a sporty car so that you can enjoy the routes I choose. 

Delightful Driving is giving me a lot of satisfaction. 

I started with a lot of fear of not making it, but this year all the tours are already fully booked. This is motivating me to keep going. It is not an easy job, finding hotels and restaurants with parking for so many cars is more difficult than you might think. Then I always want to give my best because I do it with passion.  

During the rallies, I have met a lot of people who have also become my friends, and that is a very nice thing. 

How does it feel to drive your Elise around Italy? 

Italy is a beautiful country, every region is so different, starting with the typical cuisine but also the views, that’s why I like to take people to my favourite places, this year we are going to the Dolomites, Valpolicella and Tuscany. 

I must say that when people see a young girl in an Elise here in Italy they are always enthusiastic, it doesn’t happen often here, it’s quite a rare car 

What’s next for you? 

At the moment I am enjoying my purchase on which I spent all my money, but it was worth it. Sunshine is the last and final roadgoing, customer Elise. Then the model line went out of production.  

This year I want to go to the track more often. I love going to the track, and karting, I just unfortunately never got the chance, now I’m a bit too old to head into motorsport but I will never be too old to have fun and try to improve. This is currently my plan, then you never know what will come in the future. 

The personal connection with Lotus is a part of me, and therefore I will always feel linked to the brand and I always hope that sooner or later there will be any involvement for me. 

How can people keep up to date with what you are doing? 

On the mountain passes in the Dolomites if they can keep up! Joking aside I would really love if people would like to join me on my little adventures because a shared experience creates the best memories. 

If you want to know more about me and my cars check out my Instagram @iamlotuselise 

If you are a delightful driver like me and you want to join some road trips in central Europe – stay tuned with upcoming activities on @DelightfulDriving. 

Enjoyed Talking Classics With Elisa Artioli?

Take a look at the entire Talking Classics series for more interviews with other influential people.

Talking Classics With Phil McGovern

Phil McGovern co-founded Caffeine&Machine with Dan Macken. Since its creation, C&M has developed into a go-to place for automotive enthusiasts and more.

Phil was kind enough to take some time out of his schedule for a conversation with us, and it was great to ask him some questions about Caffeine&Machine and other automotive-related topics.

For those who don’t know, what is Caffeine&Machine?

That’s actually quite a tricky question to answer! Essentially, it’s a place for people with an interest in things that move. Predominantly cars, but also motorbikes, bicycles, tractors, trucks, lorries – everything, really! We are a broad church, and we welcome everyone, no matter what kind of scene you’re into. At the moment we have one venue in Warwickshire, where we have a restaurant, bar and coffee shop, as well as some bedrooms and a big space for displaying vehicles – either ones we’ve organised, or that have just turned up. And we get a lot of very cool stuff just turning up. We have plans to open more venues in the near future.

What first inspired you to start the business?

Caffeine&Machine actually grew out of an earlier business I ran in the Middle East, called crankandpiston, which was a similar celebration of car culture. In 2015 I decided to try putting on an event in Dubai, just to see if anyone would turn up. And they did – huge numbers of people from all different automotive cliques, in one place, together. When I moved back to the UK, I decided to see if the same kind of format would work on a permanent site. My business partner Dan Macken and I found an old pub and decided to go for it. After a big renovation, we opened in 2018, and we’ve been blown away by how many people have dug the idea and come along to support us.

How would you describe the community that has been built around Caffeine&Machine?

Massively varied. That’s really what we wanted – we didn’t want any of the cliqueiness that you can sometimes get in the automotive scene. Everyone is welcome, and we try to facilitate an environment where everyone’s happy. Even if they’re not into cars! Our weekly and weekend events reflect the broad range of interests from our community, covering everything from air-cooled classics to the German scene, off-roaders and Japanese-inspired modified cars to classic British stuff, electric vehicles, lightweight performance cars and hot rods. And loads more.

Are there any cars in particular that catch your attention as they pull up?

Oh, all sorts. We get such a mix turn up that it’s impossible to focus on any one thing. One minute you’ll be in the Yard ogling a ’50s American truck that someone’s crammed hundreds of horsepower in, and then the next minute someone from Aston Martin will rock up in a test mule, mid-shakedown, or someone will arrive in an engine-swapped 70s Japanese rally car. Half the fun is that you never know what’ll arrive – every visit is different.

What do you think the future has in store for the automotive industry?

It’s really difficult to say, what with economic conditions, changing technology, societal pressures and so on. All I can really say is that we’re here to celebrate and reflect automotive and transport culture, so we’ll get involved and enthuse about whatever happens.

How do you think this predicted future will impact you?

Hopefully, because we are such a broad church, we’ll do well out of it. The electric vehicle boom is bringing new people into automotive culture, and we’re here for them. As long as there are enthusiasts, we want to welcome them in.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

One of the central tenets of what we do is what I call the Cult of Machine, that enthusiasm for automotive culture. Everything C&M has become is due to me chasing the Cult of Machine. I love being able to do that every day, just getting out, seeing cool things and meeting fascinating people.

How do classic cars fit into your community?

They’re a central part of it. There’s more than a century of automotive culture behind us, and you can’t move into the future without looking into the past and revelling in what’s been created. It’s rare that you’ll come to C&M and not see classics here, not least because a decent percentage of our staff own classics themselves!

What’s next for Caffeine&Machine?

We’ve got lots of things in the works, including our increasingly popular fashion line, and we’re producing our own content too – long-form writing, photography and video about the vehicles and people that grace the Yard, but also the adventures we get up to when we go out and see people. And we have new venues in the works and hope to open in two new locations during 2023.

Where can people find out more about Caffeine&Machine?

You can go to caffeineandmachine.com, or just come and see us! We’re just outside Ettington in Warwickshire, and we’d love to see you.

Enjoyed Talking Classics With Phil McGovern?

Take a look at the entire Talking Classics series for more interviews with other influential people.