The Elfe was a French automobile, manufactured in Lavallois, Paris, from 1919 until about 1925 by Ateliers Defrance Freres. The company was founded by M. Eugene Mauve, who was also the instigator of the Bol d'Or race for cyclecars and latterly motorcycles, now held at the Le Mans circuit in France. During its brief life, the company entered numerous races, under various names including ELFE, Elfe-Anzani, Elfe-DeFrance and Mauve.

Types

The cars produced can be divided into four broad categories:

Contemporary Reviews

In 1921, The French publication Omnia (Revue Practique de l’Automobile) carried a brief review and specifications of the ELFE in the cyclecars under 350 Kg section. The car, described somewhat disparagingly by Omnia as the "flying laboratory of M. Mauve" was listed with a 4 cylinder engine of 58mm bore by 98mm stroke (1036cc), magneto ignition, multi-plate clutch, 3-speed and reverse motorcycle gearbox with final drive by chain, 1.05m track, 2.2m wheelbase, rear wheel brakes (only) and 700 x 80 pneumatic tyres. Contemporary publications carry advertisements for the ELFE with a variety of V-twin and 4 cylinder engines from Anzani, Vapor and ELFE’s own.

Survivors

A reconstruction of a 1921 Elfe racing cyclecar was built by the museum L'atelier des Pionniers of Galardon, France around an original Anzani engine. The car has been demonstrated at numerous events, including the Vintage Revival at Montlhery. There is only one known survivor of the two-seater racing cyclecar, which was advertised for sale on Leboncoin.fr in July 2012 and later auctioned by Richard Edmonds in the UK in November 2017. There is one known survivor of the Mauve cyclecar, photographed at the Vaucluse Vintage Rallye in France, in 2008.