1988 Lotus Esprit Commemorative – Today’s Tempter

By: Alex Affat, Unique Cars magazine

Date: 03.12.2018

Rare 40th Anniversary model – One of 40 ever built

1988 Lotus Esprit Commemorative – Today’s Tempter

Lotus’ 70s flagship arrived at the 1975 Paris Motor Show, in the form of the Lotus Esprit.

The Esprit was popularised a few years later in the James Bond flick, The Spy Who Loved Me – and spawned a passionate following for the sporting Brit.

Over its production lifecycle, the Esprit underwent a series of updates, culminating in the updated X180 – styled by McLaren F1 designer Peter Stevens.

The X180 gained almost all of the mechanical upgrades from the Esprit Turbo, with a revised interior and an overall softer wedged silhouette.

To commemorate Lotus’ 40^th Anniversary in 1988, Lotus produced 40 Esprit Commemorative editions, all factory right hand drive and sold in the UK.

This car here is build number 21 of those 40 Commemorative Lotus’.

Its original owner in the UK possessed the car for 20 years, and in 2009 sold it to a Senior Executive at McLaren. The third and current Australian owner bought the car in 2010, and travelled to the UK to personally inspect the car.

The car was imported in September 2010, and complianced in November 2010. After three owners and a trip across the world – the car bears just 14,063 kilometres on the odometer.

The car is reportedly in great health and condition, with its original and matching numbers 2.2lt turbocharged inline four and five-speed manual in perfect running order.

The car comes with extensive history and documentation, all original tools, jack, car cover and two sets of keys - as well as a Lotus Certificate of Vehicle Provenance confirming its identity.

The car is available via OldTimer Australia, and is based in Queensland.

Yours for $59,950 – it’s seems a reasonable price for a cult classic British sportscar, and represents solid value when compared to its rival Ferraris of an equal vintage.

You can check out the full listing here!

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