Esprit Market Watch

[Giniw]

3 hours ago, Jacques said:

While I always like a red SE, personally I think the red detailing interrior is a bit over the top, but then again, each to his own, naturally, and people may surely not like my own example of the breed, but honestly I don't care about that.

Well, you should care about that: you need to remove those horrid sports seats you installed and bin them. Just don't forget to tell me where your bin is, though!

[Jacques]

Hmm, well, they are almost too light. Maybe I should Work on making the Esprit much more heavy, so that it resembles a dancing donkey from Maranello? And that magnolia color... I've always read that all jeans etc, leave color on the light leather seats. Well, never happened, but just in case. Better think about get rid of them asap. And wrap the Whole car in Black alcantara. Or Wear something else, like my race suit (also light in color).

Kind regards,

jacques

[RS blu]

It 's true many cars have rise too much price.In Italy the price of a Lancia Delta evoluzione can reach € 80000 an Escort Cosworth 45000, an omega carlton lotus 70000 I think it's too much.Also the esprit have rise but not very much, if you want to sell  the right price is around 30000/35000 € only if really beautiful.

I think that the right amount for a well maintained and reliable esprit can be around between 30,000 and 40,000. The Esprit need a lot of maintenance and often something expensive breaks up, unfortunately. It's expensive to keep them in good condition.

jacques, I think you drove the wrong escort. I had several Lotus cars, Jaguar R, Honda etc. and some RS Ford but my old 1987 Escort rs turbo MkIV, I never sold it. For me with its only 131 hp and its little weight remains one of the most fun cars I drive. I prefer to spend € 10,000 on an escort rather than crazy prices for porsche or ferrari (although I must admit that ferrari has a great engine)

Roberto

[Jacques]

Haha, it's true. I did drive an RS turbo and it's fun. But I am thinking of the more ordinary variants of special cars. Soooo boring and worthles in my humble view. I mean as a special collectors item. With only a few exceptions.

Btw, I saw a spanking brand new (-like) Delta HF Integrale in complete original Martini livery, when I was in Siracusa on Sicily. Now THAT's a nice car!

But I do stand by my Words of not liking special sellers like for example auctions, special self-made persons etc. trying to make extreme profit by sucking on anything that their co-writers on mags and online mags can come up with in articles. People and organisations who take a special interest (profit) in inviting you into their fancy decorated luxury selling facilities with big fat carpets, gold and silverware, famous paintings, smart looking Young women who advertise themselves, sleek fast talking sellers who don't know a Jack s..t about anything outside what they can look up or dig up from the web, and are trying to sell you a super nice story of how this particular car is one of only 3 ever made, and only touched by special incarnated tibetan munks, using highly esoteric mantras and special collected yoke from a super rare cliff-living now extinct bird from Iceland's North side, only colleted in stormy weather with a middle Wind of no less than 250 km/h being equal to the average speed of this car on auction on a Monday morning being hit by a special interstallar Sun prhnomenon's light particles, having been underway for  3.000.000.000 lightyears,  and treating the surface of the car's paintwork, with only the content of  a salvaged one only bottle of 350 year old rum, dug up from the seafloor of the Bermuda Triangle with the aid of a special trained sealion, and only ever being driven by His Masters Voice to two car exhibitions apart from the first ever international Car Rare Art Product display held on the South Pole by the decendant of King George the 5'th, and whose total selling Price will donate 1 pence for every million Pound generated in the selling Price, to South African Apple Farmers Associarion, and the Whole auction is blessed by the ghost of the late Mr. Enzo Ferrari himself.

To those Guys I say: Keep clear of Lotus, please!

But as I said: I don't know if even I would jump that bandwagon if I ever were to sell. It may come suddenly one day, when I least expect it.

Kind regards,

Jacques

ps: I don't agree that something often breaks up on a Lotus Esprit, neither cheap nor expensive. But we can have a talk about certain other engines and gearboxes from other car brands  Anyway, I just don't recognise the often told rumour that the Lotus Esprit is super fragile and often breaks down. Quite the contrary in fact.

 

[Escape]

10 hours ago, Jacques said:

ps: I don't agree that something often breaks up on a Lotus Esprit, neither cheap nor expensive. But we can have a talk about certain other engines and gearboxes from other car brands  Anyway, I just don't recognise the often told rumour that the Lotus Esprit is super fragile and often breaks down. Quite the contrary in fact.

I fully second that!!

[rudolphwolven]

3 hours ago, Escape said:

I fully second that!!

I have the same experience.....26 years of ownership and 52.000 km on the odo......with my '90 Esprit Turbo SE

I have all the invoices since purchase in 1993; total cost of maintenance during all those years € 6300,- = GBP 5.500.- (GBP 200,- per year) incl. 1 set of 4 new Good Years; 1 revised turbo (after too heavy duelling with another sportscar); a very tiny piece broke of a turbo fan blade....

Actually the total cost of ownership (incl depreciation) are equal to those of a small 2nd family-car like a Fiat Panda, etc.

Edited February 14, 2019 by rudolphwolven

[RS blu]

27 minutes ago, rudolphwolven said:

I have the same experience.....26 years of ownership and 52.000 km on the odo......with my '90 Esprit Turbo SE

I have all the invoices since purchase in 1993; total cost of maintenance during all those years € 6300,- = GBP 5.500.- (GBP 200,- per year) incl. 1 set of 4 new Good Years; 1 revised turbo (after too heavy duelling with another sportscar); a very tiny piece broke of a turbo fan blade....

Actually the total cost of ownership (incl depreciation) are equal to those of a small 2nd family-car like a Fiat Panda, etc. 

fantastic color🤗

I agree, but there are some things of the Esprit  that are embarrassing. For example, I have the ABS, the previous owner had to change all the ABS system first,then  I had to change the delco moraine brake master pump. Price has been very expensive.

Fortunately my tanks are still beautiful, I hope, but many have had to replace them, it is not easy and not cheap. Is true everything else can be done alone, but it is always a delicate car.

Edited February 14, 2019 by RS blu

[910Esprit]

Are there any +25 year old cars that require no maintenance or don't have to worry about parts availability?    I suspect the average Esprit now fares pretty well, especially against steel bodied 'supercars'

Edited February 14, 2019 by 910Esprit

[Escape]

Roberto, the early ABS system is complicated and certainly not without faults, indeed leading to high bills. But that's true for most/all ABS systems of that period. Though the Range Rover one seems to stand up to abuse a lot better, despite a very similar layout and operation.

Tanks really aren't that expensive. And while not easy to chance, it's still much easier than having to deal with rust on chassis and/or body. It requires only time, not welding or painting skills.

My SE doesn't have an easy live as a daily driver, but she handles it very well. Far from a delicate car! 😉 And as with all British cars, in general parts are easy and cheap to source.

Filip

[RS blu]

3 hours ago, Escape said:

Roberto, the early ABS system is complicated and certainly not without faults, indeed leading to high bills. But that's true for most/all ABS systems of that period. Though the Range Rover one seems to stand up to abuse a lot better, despite a very similar layout and operation.

Tanks really aren't that expensive. And while not easy to chance, it's still much easier than having to deal with rust on chassis and/or body. It requires only time, not welding or painting skills. 

Filip

ah ah ,yes Filip a bit complicate

I am an Esprit owner from 10 years,so I became an expert in Delco Moraine powermaster 3🤗 ... I did not want to say that the Esprit is fragile or a bad car, but I believe that a truly beautiful and well-maintained esprit is normal that its price is not very low. Unfortunately I am a bit "manic", it must work all in the car, including ice detection ....😉

fortunately in Italy we do not have big problems of rust, you can find cars of 30 years like new🙂

[Mark Blanchard]

This Esprit Turbo with fsh and 71k on the clock only made £14,850 at auction recently.  Maybe the uncertainty of Brexit is causing prices to drop.  Anyway someone got a bargain.

https://www.barons-auctions.com/view-lot/2876/for-sale-at-barons-auctions-1988-lotus-esprit-turbo-x180

[pete]

Buyer has to pay extra 10% plus vat

[Barrykearley]

It’s a damn awful colour

[Mark Blanchard]

Ah, so more like £18k.

Yes odd colour.  And those gold wheels aren’t helping.

[C8RKH]

The colours fine. £300 to refurb the wheels in silver and she will be a looker.

[silverfrost]

I am sure this was sold last year on ebay, think it had rough paint at the time, it went for cheap money then ? 

[Andyww]

On 14/02/2019 at 12:17, 910Esprit said:

Are there any +25 year old cars that require no maintenance or don't have to worry about parts availability?    I suspect the average Esprit now fares pretty well, especially against steel bodied 'supercars'

So true. 

Ferrari for example have the permanent fight with rust which the Esprit doesnt have. Parts availability on the Lotus is worlds better.

For example if I were to break one of the front lights on my F328 the chances of finding one at all is slim and they usually go for at least £3000.  
When I needed a new targa roof rubber seal I resorted to CNCing a mold and a foam rubber manufacturer making some. I have supplied enough of these now to other owners to get back my £6000 outlay but it took 4 years.

[silverfrost]

Holy cow Andy, that is abig investment for getting your targa roof fixed,  I would of just not used it in the rain  lol   

[910Esprit]

2 hours ago, Andyww said:

they usually go for at least £3000

Bejesus....   I'd be tempted to go into the pattern parts industry if I had the appropriate machinery!  

[silverfrost]

Some parts prices as just damn crazy,  I can  understand old out of production parts as the time, tooling, materials etc all adds up what can be small production parts runs for rare low numbers built cars. That said how they can justify 3k for a headlight is beyond me.  Ferrari should of taken a leaf out of Collin chapmans book and used other cars parts lol. 

But other parts, I remember seeing an article years ago, I think it was practical classics iirc,  double page spread,  listing car and bike parts prices,

One side was a fairly new merc, and the other was a honda goldwing motorcycle,  Wing mirror for thr merc 550 to 600 sterling, wing mirror for the goldwing,  1500 sterling  

[Andyww]

42 minutes ago, silverfrost said:

 how they can justify 3k for a headlight is beyond me. 

This isnt a Ferrari price though. They arent't available from Ferrari so this is the price from a breakers such as Eurospares, if and when they come up.

The parts availability is the problem. As you say, if they had used Fiat parts there would not be a problem!. Thats one of the biggest differences in the brands. Ferrari had an explicit policy of not using anything from any other car, least of all Fiat, to avoid exactly what happened in press reviews of Lotuses and the interminable Marina Door Handle Syndrome.
Every piece of internal switchgear and external fittings such as lights etc are bespoke and NLA, which also means things like £1000 indicator stalks if they break.

This policy lapsed a little on the 348 and 355 and people did notice and comment on Fiat parts creeping in, and tacky plasticky interiors, and they quickly backed out again on later cars.

Actually Ferrari prices for regular consumables, especially from the independent suppliers are pretty good. For example timing belts for the V8 engines are £8. Most Ferrari V8 engine parts are cheaper than parts for 9xx Lotus engines.

[rudolphwolven]

Lotus Evora GT410 Sport IPS

"Prices soaring" in the Netherlands........GBP  154.735,- (Lotus Imp. Neth.)

Edited March 14, 2019 by rudolphwolven

[rudolphwolven]

Lotus Esprit Essex Commemorative Edition..........€ 120.000,-  .....(GBP 102.240,-)

From AutoScout:.............."Lotus Esprit Turbo Essex commemorative edition No. 100
This is a very rare opportunity to own the rarest and most sort after of all the Esprit models.
The Essex Commemorative edition was launched to commemorate the launch of the new Turbo Esprit in collaboration with Essex petroleum who where the main Formula One sponsor at the time and was unveiled at a party hosted by Essex in London's Royal Albert Hall. However the planned 100 commemorative cars where cut short , meaning that only 34 production Essex commemorative cars have been recorded , 23 for the domestic UK market and 11 for the export market. This information has been provided by Lotus Cars.
This is Essex Esprit no.100 chassis number 10949 which according to records was actually No.24 but renumbered to 100 when Lotus failed to make the 100 units planned .
This Lotus is also famous for being previously owned by Mark Thatcher it was handed to him three days after it was registered as he had been appointed by Lotus to help operations in the USA.
This Essex Esprit has only covered 77,000 miles and comes with a large history file and back in 2005 was subject to a restoration carried out by SJ Sports Cars.
The car will come with a new full C service and MOT the cam covers and plenum chamber will also be repainted .
If you are seriously interested in owning a piece of Lotus history please call Mark on 01245 248143 or 07732 339759
car is in Chelmsford Essex in the UK"...........

 

https://www.autoscout24.de/angebote/lotus-esprit-essex-commemorative-edition-benzin-blau-e653de76-9317-5c65-e053-e350040af5b6?cldtidx=1

 

Edited March 16, 2019 by rudolphwolven

[rudolphwolven]

*****

1997 Lotus Esprit S4 GT3.........46.500 mls..........GBP 37.200,-

https://vanderkooisportscars.nl/voorraad/item/?voorraad=19892600:lotus-esprit-s4 gt3 wordt verwacht

Edited May 6, 2019 by rudolphwolven

[Giniw]

https://www.drive.com.au/car-sales/buy-used-cars/melbourne-vic/lotus/esprit/s4s/338092718

54,413kms (or miles?)

$124,990 AUD