23k Miles: 1974 Lotus Europa Special
The Lotus Europa was a mid-engine GT sports car that was built between 1966-75. “Federalized” versions of the car were built for the U.S. market but lost some of their aerodynamic characteristics in the process. The Europa Special, like the seller’s, had a more robust 1600 cc twin-cam engine. A tip from Richard Ray, this Special from 1974 is in Maryville, Tennessee, and here on craigslist for $19,900 or “best offer”.
By the mid-1960s, a mid-engine vehicle configuration had become accepted practice for Grand Prix cars but hadn’t found its way to street use. Lotus Cars developed the Europa for volume production and priced to sell within most sport car advocates’ budgets. Through various incarnations of the same basic design, the Europa saw production exceed 9,300 units after 10 years. That included the Europa Special which was fitted with a Lotus 1600 cc Twin Cam ‘Big Valve’ 4-cylinder engine which was good for 126 hp, at least in European applications.
Editions built for export to the U.S. were “federalized” to meet more stringent safety and emissions controls in this country. Adjustments had to be made to the bumpers and the height of the headlights to get passing marks. That included tweaking the suspension to add more height to the car, which probably didn’t help it in the handling department. The seller’s Lotus is a ’74 Special, so we have to assume it received these kinds of modifications.
With a reported odometer reading of just 23,000 miles, a lot of work has been done to the machine in the past year to make it a fully operational sports car. These items include new brakes, shocks, various suspensions components, water pump and radiator, and an assortment of other things. The paint and interior are pretty worn and the finish on the passenger side doesn’t seem to match. The seller would entertain a partial trade in the form of a pleasure boat. So, if you’ve been looking to get rid of your floating money pit, here’s a chance to have a cool sports car in its place!
Auctions Ending Soon
2006 Ford Mustang Saleen S281 SCBid Now12 hours$15,000
2002 Subaru Impreza WRXBid Now3 days$333
1975 Chevrolet Corvette ConvertibleBid Now3 days$3,000
1964 Ford F-100 Camper CustomBid Now3 days$2,000
2006 Jeep Wrangler SportBid Now5 days$10,500
Comments
It never fails to amuse me how much more valuable Ford econoboxes with Lotus engines are than Lotuses with Lotus engines. Logic would dictate that a Cortina with a standard Kent engine would be most valuable of all.
I used to love seeing Europas on the road; both in the Netherlands and in Virginia. There’s something about a car that’s so low and uncompromising that really appealed to me as a child. Sadly, growing up involved growing beyond the confines of a Europa’s interior.
As an owner who has had his for over 40 years and who still fits there are some things I would suggest the new owner look at prior to purchase. fill the gas tank with fuel and see if you smell gasoline. These cars are prone to pin whole leaks in the fuel tanks. Worse on the Esprits that had a foam pad below the gas tanks to reduce noise but became water traps with all the problems that come with that.
The ride height did not make much difference and to the average driver the cars capabilities are far greater than the average driver so most likely nobody will notice.
I would suggest when you repair the seats do something other than black as that interior gets just too dark. And it can get so hot in the summer time.
These are such fun to drive and they demand your attention on a constant basis. They are cars that can drive around many accidents because they handle so quickly. They can get amazing gas mileage if you drive them properly. Get behind a big rig and in his wind shadow the air circulating behind will push you forward. I have seen over 55 miles per gallon on more than one occasion. If you worry about stopping please understand you are so low that the brake lights of the car in front of the truck will reflect off the road so you can generally stop faster than the truck.
I love mine and I am in the middle of a ground up restoration. This is a hand built car so anything you build by hand you can rebuild by hand. It has been both a fun drive and a fun project.
2 loyus this issue, great!
A world of difference in the few yrs between, tho.
I’d go for this one foshwah. But is a few grand hi
2 loyus this issue, great!
A world of difference in the few yrs between, tho.
I’d go for this one foshwah. But is a few grand hi
I had a early 69, wish i still had it, some of the photos kill the deal on this one.
I swear that trim around the side windows looks like something you would buy at the hardware store for a project at home. Unbelievable!
LOL. Is it any different than that used on a Jaguar or TVR or other British cars of the era? I never noticed any cheapness or lack of quality in that component during my ownership in the 1970s. Maybe compared to a 2021 Toyota, it was not as sophisticated for a company building the lightest road car they could get away with. It was a fantastic car to drive, IMHO.
Take a Bow Seller! This is the first one I’ve seen on Barn Finds that actually is in one piece and running with the best motor.
Love these little cars, but big guys just don’t fit. My formula vee has more legroom.