1990 Lotus Esprit

Sold for $31,900 at 2017 Bonhams : The Amelia Island Auction.
The Lotus Esprit began as the Giorgetto Giugiaro-designed Ital Design project car at the 1972 Turin Motor Show. The silver prototype came about as a chance encounter between Lotus boss Colin Chapman and Giugiaro. The design was well received and a protracted development program finally entered production in 1976. The Esprit had the trademark backbone chassis but deviated from previous designs by employing rear and front sub-frames to support the all-independent suspension and engine/gearbox unit. Over the years, the Esprit evolved, gaining a 2.2-liter engine, turbo-charged induction and a new body design. In 1989, the Special Equipment (SE) version was introduced and came with a water-to-air intercooler which Lotus called a Changecooler.

This particular example is a fourth-generation Lotus Esprit Turbo SE finished in British Racing Green over Tan leather. It was delivered new to Virginia. The first owner racked up 2,500 miles of driving during the two years of ownership. The original owner kept the car until 1997 and remained in the Old Dominion state until 2006, covering fewer than 8,000 miles in total during that time. From there, it entered the next owner's care, who lived in Knoxville, Tennessee. The current owner acquired the car in 2013. It currently has fewer than 9,500 miles.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2017