Low Miles, Very Original: 1977 Lotus Esprit S1
When I was a kid, my dream car was a Lotus Esprit. The “wedge” shape was propagating all over the place, design-wise. Triumph’s TR7, the Countach, the Lancia Stratos, any number of Maseratis, the Pantera…. The wedge was “it”. The Lotus, though, was the James Bond car, and what girl didn’t like James Bond? Here on craigslist is one of the most original, reasonably priced 1977 Lotus Esprit S1 cars I have seen lately. The seller wants $27,500. Tragically for me, this car is right in my backyard, in Portland, Oregon, almost forcing me to go see it. Thanks to Pat L. for this tempting tip. The Esprit was conceived in 1970 and almost abandoned by Colin Chapman before it was born due to poor wind tunnel results. Despite this, the prototype’s coachbuilder, Italdesign, finished the car on an elongated Europa chassis and took it to the 1972 Turin Auto Show. Positive public reception encouraged Chapman to persevere. It took another few years to create a mechanically complete car, forestalling the launch until 1975.
The performance of the US version of the Esprit was not impressive, thanks to emission controls larded on top of the type 907 motor. The rear-mounted 2.0-liter twin-cam inline four-cylinder, by now used in several cars, should have produced some 160 bhp, but thanks to twin Strombergs and other heinous ancillaries, it managed only 140 bhp. Adding insult to injury, its doggedness earned it the nickname The Torqueless Wonder. Factory reports had the zero to sixty time at sub-seven seconds, but the reality was more like 8 seconds. Good thing the body was fiberglass. Power went to the wheels via a five-speed Citroen transaxle. The seller indicates he has a set of Dell’Orto carburetors -original equipment for overseas cars. Those are good for a few extra ponies. This car has only 47,000 miles according to the seller, and it has received considerable attention with rebuilt suspension and brakes, a resealed engine, a new clutch, and more. It runs and drives well.
The Esprit suffered a series of the weirdest interiors in all of Automobile History. Some look like Austin Powers’ bedroom; others must have been conceived by color-blind committees. This is one of the – cough – better examples. Sun-faded thanks to that immense front windshield, it is a mash-up of colors and fabrics that challenges sensibility. Still, I like it. What’s wrong with me! And this is a good time to note that the short-throw gearshift – similar to the Europa.
The underside of this gem is incredibly clean. The prices of these early cars have been strong lately since only about 718 were made, and fewer survive. I am hoping one of you saves me from myself and jumps on this lovely Lotus.
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Comments
Someone should buy this quick. It’s cheap.
You should go look at this one Michelle.
Checked patterns on the seats were very common in the 70s.
Just to name a few, the Ford Capri Golf 1 Fiat 127 Sport and
131 Racing or the 1st BMW 3 series. It reflects the time
spirit and taste of that time.
I am more concerned about finding spare parts. This light red
paint is uv-sensitive and bad for repainting. If thermoplastic its
even worse, then everything must be removed.
I had no issue getting spares for my S2. There are specialists about who can supply.
Mercedes also used checker patterns on the 16 valve versions
of the 190E Leather was optional and rarely ordered.
Requires 1) Turbo
2) Ski 🎿 rack
This car has got to have the largest “vent” windows in its doors i have ever seen & worse of all, they don’t open! Perhaps Lotus should have enlisted the expertise of GM & it’s astroventilation(especially since this car has no a/c!) & full door glass styling & frameless glass back in the day. Not to mention hidden wipers.
Vent windows were a carryover from the Europas. They needed more support for the upper hinge area on the doors so used the ventless windows for that purpose. Asked the same question myself to some folks on the Europa registry and learned that and other interesting things about the cars. The ’80s versions really updated the cars and by the end of the 80s they had V8 engines and all sorts of other goodies to make really nice cars out of the breed.
I heard that parts started falling off these things on the way home from the dealer.
GM and expertise? Good joke. They filed how many times bankruptcy?
Lotus is still present. They sell good cars. And they make profit.
I was referring to GM back in the day. You need to look at a ’70-81 camaro or firebird & marvel at how GM was able to get those FULL door glass CURVED windows to retract fully into the door. & how did they get the optional remote driver’s mirror to work with the glass in the way!
Starting in the ’80s to this day(even on today’s 3 domestic pony cars), all manufacturers took the cheap way out – either with an ugly cheap
sun-fadeable plastic piece (instead of glass) at the front of the door,
https://topclassiccarsforsale.com/uploads/photoalbum/1982-chevrolet-camaro-berlinetta-coupe-2-door-50l-3.JPG
allowing EASY routing of wires or cables for the remote mirror –
or even worse, actually mounting the mirror itself there so that wires or cables were not even necessary.
Back in the day, Chevy actually bragged about full door glass styling twice &
even hidden wipers – & were rightly so to do that …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsqaqTNpNPw
&
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5ReryLKm5g
IMO. the future(exterior styling) was YESTERDAY – both features now gone, not to mention hidden headlites.
That’s hilarious. GM bought Lotus in about ’86 and dumped a bunch of money into it. Can’t even count how many different entities have propped up Lotus over the years. Never the less the Esprit design is timeless.
I worked for a Lotus dealer when these were new. Today I wouldn’t touch one with a 10 foot pole . . . make of that what you will.
Lotus is timeless. They have survived more times than any other car manufacturer. There must be a good reason for that alone. How many American car manufacturers have been swallowed up by giants the likes of GM just to totally disappear. Yet, Lotus have managed, and survived, and have gone from strength to strength with new and exciting cars coming through their doors.
Ya, when the Chinese owns the brand wins.
EXIGE Cup 390 is my favouri.
TVR spontaneously comes to mind in this context. The famous
cars from the Smolenski era or the Gordon Murray-Griffith 500.
Gordon Murray had nothing to do with TVR and the Griffith. He was working hard in Formula 1 for McLaren at the time before embarking on the later McLaren F1 road car project. Ian Jones, formerly of Lotus – and work on the Espirit- and John Ravenscroft, together with company owner Peter Wheeler, engineered the Griffith and later cars from TVR.
NO harassment here but,
GM ceo where stock dividends always more important then
making good products. They sold their Lotus stakes 1993
and Proton took over.
Since they took over many groundbreaking cars and many
good developments took place. also for other companies.
IF they had company culture they had relocated its
development centre to OPEL. OPEL always built good cars
and had a very active research centre.
While GM continued to make oversized commercial vehicles
– or pick ups, as you you like – produces. That what they call
Buick in China is actually a Daewoo from South Korea.
No, I think GM has always had a miserable management.
Rubbish Recycling would be more their business, …but they
would certainly fall there as well.
Lotus had a very changing and interesting history.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Cars
I like the looks of the early cars better, but not this one with the plaid interior and faded paint. No photo of the Mondial? Did it sell?
So what is the contact info for the seller please?
See the craigslist ad link in the write-up.
So he has too many cars and needs to make some room, but willing to trade this on another car??
Typical car guy … he’s selling 5-6 cars out of 15 but can’t resist an interesting trade.
Haha. Don’t we all. We are always looking for the Golden fleece of a deal.