SOME of the world's most distinctive motor sport liveries have adorned Lotus Formula One cars over the years, and now the Norfolk-based company is reviving them with four new limited-edition versions of the Elise.

They come in colour schemes which pay tribute to the company's pioneering and highly successful racing history: black and gold; red, white and gold; blue, red and silver and blue and white.

The famous black and gold references the JPS livery of the Lotus Type 72D which Emerson Fittipaldi raced to five victories over the course of the 1972 Formula 1 season.

The red, white and gold paint job echoes the Gold Leaf team Lotus Type 49B which Graham Hill raced in 1968, while the blue, red and silver is inspired by the Lotus Type 81 of 1980 driven by Nigel Mansell, Elio de Angelis and Mario Andretti.

The fourth new Elise, finished in blue and white, pays tribute to the Lotus Type 18 design from 1960. Exactly 60 years ago, it was the first Lotus car to achieve a Formula 1 pole position and victory, courtesy of the late Sir Stirling Moss, at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Officially called the Elise Classic Heritage Editions each car comes with a number of features which were previously on the options list including DAB digital radio with four speakers, air-conditioning, cruise control, ultra-lightweight forged alloy wheels with racing livery finish, two-piece disc brakes and black carpet with floor mats.

The Elise interior colour pack is also now integrated as standard. Elements include the upper door trim and central seat insert finished to match the exterior, with detailing on the door, gear selector surround and dashboard picking out key colours. The only one that's different is the blue and white car, which has red alcantara seat centres.

As well as their unique colour schemes each car comes with an exclusive numbered ‘build plaque' on the dashboard referencing the limited production run. A total of just 100 cars will be made, with the final numbers of each variant dictated by customer demand.

The Heritage Edition models are priced at £46,250 - £6,350 more than a standard Elise Cup 220, but with £11,735-worth of added features. Several optional extras are available for each car, including a fibreglass hardtop roof, lightweight lithium-ion battery and titanium lightweight exhaust.