Every now and again, you come across a car listing that is the love for the vehicle just comes spilling through the page. That’s certainly the feeling I get reading about this 1989 Lotus Esprit Turbo, which has been with the seller’s father since it had a mere 900 miles on the clock. You simply don’t come across cars like this much anymore, especially when listed for sale by the son of the original owner after an extensive engine-out servicing and a boatload of other work that should make this Esprit – listed here on craigslist – a treat to own and drive for the next decade.

The seller is asking $36,500 for this piece of turbocharged British exotica, which is sort of the unsung hero of the 1980s sports car wars. It wasn’t as obnoxious as the Porsche 930, nor was it as expensive to buy as a Countach. It certainly was more exotic than a Toyota Supra, placing it in a rare category of being attainable by non-millionaires while still giving off the air of royalty thanks to low production volume and supercar looks. The seller notes that this Esprit benefits from a hefty engine-out service at which time the water pump was rebuilt, the clutch and flywheel were replaced, the timing belt replaced, and much, much more.

I’m sure the services he lists in the description had to have cost well into the five-figure range, which seems significant only if his dad has been putting in that level of work every other year. If he’s enjoyed this car since it had 900 miles on the clock, it’s likely just been steadily maintained – which is a far easier bit of spending to swallow versus having to dump years’ worth of budget allocation into one shot. The interior is in lovely, used condition, simply showing the signs of being slid into on a monthly basis and taken for a quick run or two down to some quiet roads 10 miles out of town. Current mileage sits at 37,400.

This 2.2L, four-cylinder turbocharged mill produced a respectable 264 horsepower, and I really do mean respectable – that’s a serious amount of scoot for a four banger. Even wilder is that when overboost was enabled, power levels rose to 280 horsepower. I’m sure the Esprit suffered a bit from a reputational standpoint for not having six- or eight-cylinders, but that’s a loss for anyone who judged it on that count alone. This is a gorgeous 80s machine that provides all of the rarity you could want at about half the price of a similar car from a German or Italian automaker. Who else is tempted by this well-loved Lotus?