Esprit Market Watch

[Vanya]

Just logged on to mobile.de to check for Esprits (been mulling over ditching the SE and V8 for a Sport 300, gotta have those 315 rears!) and was gobsmacked by the prices. No 300's for sale currently but those that are are approaching 50,000 euros! WTF?

[hedgerley]

The Esprit's time has definitely come. Prices have been on the up this past year. I know of a late V8, low mileage, mint condition that has recently been sold locally for £35k, exactly what the owner paid just over a year ago. Nice to know even though I have no intention of selling mine....

[Escape]

Just logged on to mobile.de to check for Esprits (been mulling over ditching the SE and V8 for a Sport 300, gotta have those 315 rears!) and was gobsmacked by the prices. No 300's for sale currently but those that are are approaching 50,000 euros! WTF?

Join the club (wait, ehh, you already did... ;-) ). I made exactly the same discovery when I was looking for another SE a few months ago. Prices were up 50-100% since I got my first one 3 years ago. Same goes for the Stag. Apparently I had a small fortune sitting in the shop...

[Tocus]

here you go:

http://www.autoscout24.eu/Details.aspx?id=215474334

[The Pits]

Stunning! But I'd want the race seats and RHD. S300's have been around that price in the UK for some time now. Car number 063 was black and RHD and was asking £50k.

[Tocus]

Wait and search, it will come on the internet, why not a S4s?

i also have a S4s with 315 tyres (orginal the wheels need 335) because its 12J.

and you have power steering also!

[Vanya]

That's the one! He hasn't sold yet. And I think he's raised the price since last year? 

Looks like I'd have to (maybe) put some cash up after the V8 and SE sale....

I'm a bit peeved that SE's are going up - I want one for every day of the week (I'm not joking), at this rate that'll be hard. 

There's also a mustard yellow Highwing lurking in France which I MUST HAVE - I believe it's the ONLY (genuinely?) NMY Turbo SE in existence...If that guy sells, I'm buying. 

Wait and search, it will come on the internet, why not a S4s?

i also have a S4s with 315 tyres (orginal the wheels need 335) because its 12J.

and you have power steering also!

 

I believe the Turbo SE bodykit (square front) is the finest incarnation of the Esprit to have graced Gods green Earth. Also, I don't like the fact they went to 17" fronts and 18" backs - the proportions are off, and it feels less elegant compared to my Turbo SE. The OZ Futuras in 16" and 17" on the 300 were PERFECT though.

- I believe the Sport 300 has power steering since it's essentially an S4 in quasi-Turbo SE dressing. Personally though, I like rack 'n' pinion. The power steering on my V8 is sublime, so if the 300 is anything like it, I won't complain.

Furthermore, S4s prices are creeping up on Sport 300 territory... 

[Tocus]

I know that the prices are going up for a S4s, and a LHD. (not USA car) are also high because there are not so much sold,

and i have a car with 45.000 km (lucky me!)

my car has 18" front and 18" on the back, orginal they are 10J on the back, and i bought 12J wheels, looks way better!

i have now 4 esprits, maby a S1 should be nice, (then i have a S1 S2 S3 and S4s)

[Vanya]

Ah, 4 Esprits....it's comforting to know there's someone out there more crazy than I. Oddly enough I know quite a few in Sweden who have at least 2 Esprits in the garage. They're very more-ish. Once you pop.....

My ideal collection:

Turbo SE - BRG/Magnolia interior

Turbo SE - Norfolk Mustard/Black interior

Turbo SE - Pacific Blue/Magnolia interior (Highwing!)

S4/GT3 - Orange!!!!!!! 

S4s - Black/Magnolia interior

Sport 300 - Norfolk Mustard/Black

V8 - Calypso Red/Grey interior

One for each day! 

Unfortunately I need to buy a house so frivolous expenditure will have to take a back seat...

Edit: Ok fine, I'll trade an SE for a Copper coloured Turbo Esprit.

[Mysterae]

It's nice that prices are going up, makes all the work I'm doing that bit more worthwhile. Not that I'm considering selling at the moment though. To think I almost sold my SE for 5k (just to make space) a while back before I started working on it.

If I had the space and the cash I would also go for a copper Turbo Esprit .

[The Pits]

I'd still love a Turbo SE, still waiting to find a mint, factory original example. There just aren't any left.

Mine was Pacific Blue so that will always have nostalgic appeal but I'd like silver, black or BRG. Never seen one in yellow but I would like to!

[Jacques]

I surely would like a Sport300 too, but in red and lhd.

But not at those prices...

I too find that the Sport300 is the ultimate Esprit. So much better looking, and before rounded body styles deprived the Esprit it's super tough look. Sure. the S4/s and v8 look good, but not at all like that mean look of the SE/Sport300 models.

Btw. could someone knowledgable please tell me, how wide are the outer part of the rear rim. I only know that they are 10,5" wide. But I would like to know the width of the Sport 300 rear wheel outer rim part.

Likewise, I'd like to know the width of the outer rim on an V8 18" x 10" rear Futura heel. As in the width of the outer rim.  Most appreciated.

Cheers,

Jacques.

OOhhh, Again a post number 996. Should be worth around 69.990,00 euro for the porsche people.

[Sparky]

I know a guy with an astounding mint SE.  Ex-Singapore, from memory around 15000 miles, treats it like a baby.

[Trevsked]

And you've never told me?

Trevor.

[Sparky]

He's a nice guy; I wouldn't want to expose him to you.

[The Pits]

That is magnificent! If one like that ever came up for sale I fear resistance would be futile.

[Jacques]

That's a superb looking SE!

I would like to ask, if the light stalks are factory or changed over at a later date?

Kind regards,

Jacques.

[The Pits]

Steering wheel is definitely not factory original, neither are the stalks by the look of it. My SE had the same stalks as my 1981 Giugiaro Turbo. No doubt they predated that as well.

[Sparky]

he's done that himself, but it's all reversible and he has the stock parts, I believe.

[The Pits]

Later gear knob too. I would have to have the original (Renault Factory!) One on a Turbo SE.

[Trevsked]

He's a nice guy; I wouldn't want to expose him to you.

His card is marked now, surely he realises resistance will be a waste of effort. I'll be round Monday with the trailer.

Trevor.

[Loose Cannon]

Is that a functioning airbag?

Like how you can get a double DIN in the old interior, that's one up on the new style.

[ramjet]

That is very nice. I would have jumped at an anniversary pearl white one if one had come up. That was the car I drove at a dealers in WA. Beautiful. I believe they (an SE and a turbo) were shipped back to the eastern states but I have no idea where they are now.

[Laurie Cross]

That yellow one has been for sale for over a year, The Spanish are delusional on car values. They put a massive price on them then just leave the ad running forever. 

There is a red S3 turbo that has been for sale in Madrid for over a year asking 30k+ , 

There is a Lotus Sunbeam for sale for 30k+ aswell been up for a year.

There are so few classics out here they ask insane money for them.

[GTK]

It didn't really happen in the end, the prediction at the beginning of this thread. The OP represents a bit of growth back then but that market leveled and seems to have more or less capped itself since. 

As a newbie looking for an insight to the market (the last time I watched it was perhaps 2002 and I near bought a blue S2.2 off ebay that needed work for £3000 but I felt it was overpriced), the Esprit for Sale site is very useful along with the sales section here and bits and pieces elsewhere. It doesn't take long for one to get a sense of market history in the last three or four years at least. There still seems to be a handful of cars that haven't found their would be forever owners. When that happens I think the prices will begin to increase. When the lack of supply a frenzies the demand.

EDIT: I've no idea really about the S cars and later, I'm speaking about G's