Esprit Market Watch

[DJW]

Loved it and put 700 trouble free miles on the car.  Unfortunately a local GT40 replica  I've been chasing for years came up for sale and I don't have space to keep the Lotus.

Shame as it took me 2 years to find a GT3  this good 

[jtmco]

According to hagerty.com, the price of a 1977 Esprit S1 in the U.S. increased 35-60% (depending on condition) from May to Sept 2015.  Better then my stock portfolio!

[GTK]

Great for you guys if it's true, but the car has more cachet in the USA. The UK market is still sceptical.

[Wally Finland]

Back in for sale. My lucky guess is that price is between 40-50.000€

http://harriasunta.com/item/lotus-esprit-turbo/

[stradman]

Well he was asking 47500 Euros back in 2014 before he sold it, so I figure there is no way he would be asking any less than maybe 50-55k....

[ChrisJ]

I've never seen an Esprit before with mud flaps.

Leather looks pristine - if you like that sort of thing

Black bumpers, colour coded mirrors?

[Loose Cannon]

Good god that is gorgeous. It's as 80s as George Michael's swimming briefs!

[Wally Finland]

I've never seen an Esprit before with mud flaps.

Leather looks pristine - if you like that sort of thing

Black bumpers, colour coded mirrors?

Mud flaps were required in the 80's in Finland for MOT. 

[C8RKH]

http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/news/classic-car-news/1510/club-warns-lotus-elan-owners-to-check-value/

[Paul Coleman]

Well if Practical Classics know what they're talking about there doesn't seem too much to get excited about...

The 4 prices range from top notch car to restoration project. So where are the S1 restoration projects for £7,000?

 

Edited October 3, 2015 by Paul Coleman

[Barrykearley]

them there value tables have always been complete and utter twoddle. They are always well under what any dealer will sell a car for - and even further away from what they will buy for.

ill put an order in now for a £5k s2.2 that's just about worthy of an mot as they guide!!!

i wouldn't like to see the valuations on an elite 503

[Loose Cannon]

I've been wondering about why there seem to be fewer Esprits advertised year on year. I often get comments like "you don't see these much anymore from passers by. When everyday cars start to dwindle in Autotrader you know it's because they have mostly worn out from the daily grind that toy cars are not usually subject to. Not so long ago there would be 3 or 4 GT3s in the classifieds each week and now lucky to see one. Do special cars eventually pass into the hands of long term owners who rarely sell, or have they secretly been getting scrapped or SORNed due to mechanical maladies?

There was either an advert or a post on here recently about a GT3 for sale with the comment something along the lines of "now only 60 believed left in the UK". Douglas Valley breakers aren't bursting at the seams with them so if this is not erroneous information or seller's bullshit where have they all gone?

[Andyww]

 

Black bumpers, colour coded mirrors?

The white dry-sump car I used to own had black bumpers and colour coded mirrors from the factory.

[The Pits]

A top notch S1 would be at least double the Practical Classics estimate.

The numbers of good cars available are tiny and the best examples change hands without ever being advertised for sale.

As such a guide price is complete nonsense really. Someone selling an Essex or perfect S1 could name his price.

[Andyww]

Exactly. S1s have changed hands in the USA for big money and USA pricing is generally lower than UK. 

The problem with the price lists is they are based on a too-small sample size. There are so few of these cars left in the marketplace.

[Vanya]

I've been wondering about why there seem to be fewer Esprits advertised year on year. I often get comments like "you don't see these much anymore from passers by. When everyday cars start to dwindle in Autotrader you know it's because they have mostly worn out from the daily grind that toy cars are not usually subject to. Not so long ago there would be 3 or 4 GT3s in the classifieds each week and now lucky to see one. Do special cars eventually pass into the hands of long term owners who rarely sell, or have they secretly been getting scrapped or SORNed due to mechanical maladies?

There was either an advert or a post on here recently about a GT3 for sale with the comment something along the lines of "now only 60 believed left in the UK". Douglas Valley breakers aren't bursting at the seams with them so if this is not erroneous information or seller's bullshit where have they all gone?

Ive seen quite a few advertised cars show up some time later on eBay after having been crashed. You know the tune "CAT C, light fibreglass damage, repairable drive away"

So a lot do get crashed, or burn.

But its also likely a lot of them are sitting around in garages what with the market and all.

[MikieP]

FYI here in the states, when I reg'd mine last month in my soon to be new resident state of Delaware, they valued it, a 1993 SE, at only $17K, thankfully as I had to pay 3.5% to the new state.

[GTK]

Lest anyone hasn't already seen it, there's a S2 on ebay for the first time in a while (non U.S.)

Not perfect nick but looks a good starting point. £15k give or take. What do you think?

[Bazza 907]

Is it riding a bit high at the back?

[GTK]

Thought so too, it's amazing how it shortens the car. 

Black is the original colour for 494g but you can see something lighter through scrapes on the leading edge of the drivers door and side of the front valence. I wonder was it white at some stage?

[GTK]

aaaaaaaaand it's gone. I think within a day but I didn't see the start date of the ad. So £15k is fair money in the UK market for what seemed to be a good useable S2, albeit it with some issues to take care of.

Anyone on here the lucky new owner?

[Barrykearley]

The next big thing is going to be the hardy triumph spitfire - Orange is the best colour on say a 1976 r reg

get in fast before they are all gone

[LotuStuart]

I disagree. 

1970 and BRG. 

[Daniel]

aaaaaaaaand it's gone. I think within a day but I didn't see the start date of the ad. So £15k is fair money in the UK market for what seemed to be a good useable S2, albeit it with some issues to take care of.

Anyone on here the lucky new owner?

I'm quite pleased with that if it went for somewhere in the region of £15K.

I'd consider mine to be better than just 'usable' condition although it's far from concourse and has had paint, but it's very tidy and retains the original interior. That one had nasty door card speakers and the paint looked a bit tatty.

I gave £12.5K for mine less than 2 years ago and I'd like to think the value is approaching £20K now and rising.

Almost makes up for the massive hit I took when I lost my Sport 350!!

[GTK]

I'm quite pleased with that if it went for somewhere in the region of £15K.

It's still on the dealer's website, which might just be a case of backed up admin, but now that I have a good hard look there are a few other things that need sorting out, but the dealer seems like a reputable sort, so if it went for the £15k mark I'd be happy too. (I have no vested interest or association by the way, only that I have one myself and take an interest in the market)

RE the Spitfire chaps, you're on your own there. Always hated them, to me a vermillion Spitfire is the stuff of nightmares. May they all breakdown unceremoniously and away from me