One benefit of restoring a car, particularly one that has stayed in the same family, is that memories get restored as part of the process. Take Perry Atha’s 1966 Lotus Elan S2.

 His dad, Russell Jr., bought it new at Page Motor Co. in Webster Groves, Mo., for $4,720 while on a trip. The Lotus was a replacement for Russell’s Alfa Romeo that had been destroyed by an engine fire.

 “The Lotus tempted me and I took advantage of the opportunity,” saidRussell, who is now 89 and lives in Mission Hills.

 Lotus is an English car designed by Colin Chapman. Chapman was a genius, and his racing cars are legendary. The Elan was noted for its I-beam frame, light weight and fiberglass body. Even though the twin-cam engine produces only 100 horsepower, it moves the 1,500-pound Elan with vigor.

 Russell drove the car for a few years and then his son, Russell III, drove it to the University of Kansas in the early 1970s. After college, the car reverted to dad and ended up being stored in a garage.

 Fast forward a couple of decades or so, and Perry enters the picture. He was intrigued with the car and decided to take it out of his dad’s garage. Little did he know that the brakes had deteriorated, but he discovered that as soon as he stepped on the pedal. He swerved into a neighbor’s yard to stop. Better days would lie ahead.

 Perry, who lives in Prairie Village,  bought the car from his dad about five years ago. He drove it in “as is” condition for a while but decided a complete restoration was in order. He took the car to Craig Vaughan at Foreign Car Enterprise in Kansas City. Vaughan completely dismantled the car, including removing the fiberglass body from the steel backbone frame. Everything was cleaned, painted and reassembled. It took about 18 months. 

 The old wooden dash insert was used as a template to construct another. The body has been smoothed and finessed so that it looks better than new.

 What was Russell’s reaction when he saw the car after its restoration? “I loved it,” he said. “I might be sorry I ever sold it.”

 Perry said he drives the Lotus as often as he can, and he enjoys taking it to car shows.

The real thrill, he said, was seeing his dad at the wheel again after more than 40 years.

That’s a memory that will outlast the car.