Esprit Market Watch

[rudolphwolven]

Thanks for the updated "estimate" summary.....!

[Mark Blanchard]

WTF is going on with 911 prices?  A 993 GT2 sold at auction for £1.8 million yesterday.  Crazy money for no class.

If I saw that on the road I'd think it's just another chaved up 911.

[Vanya]

Joke's on them - it's just not an Esprit. 

Speaking of Sport 300's where the hell are they all? It's be a damn while since one has been up. I'd gladly trade my Turbo SE and V8 for one. 

[silverfrost]

Most 300s probably in private collections now i would imagine, anyone sensible will hold onto one as they will only ever increase in value imo.

 

[Vanya]

I guess I'll just keep waiting. Two years back there was a black one in the UK going for something like 54 000 quid. I should've nabbed it instead of the V8.

[Bibs]

That was #64, Ken Baird's old car,  and Russell Mills before him.  

[silverfrost]

Yes  cars been on tv shows do help prices as i bet a lot of chaps looked for esprits on ebay and car sales websites etc after watching that show. Just look at audi quattro prices after that cop drama thing on tv, prices went crazy. I think in a couple of years time most esprits will sit at the 40 to 50k mark imo. 

But parts prices will surely rise when the car prices go up ? which is the downside to all this 

[Daniel]

If my S2 ever hits the £50K mark, I'm out of it....... it then becomes too valuable to really enjoy.

[The Pits]

Yes I passed on that black S300 too. Rather, I couldn't persuade my brother to go 50:50 with me but there were one or two issues with it at the time. I've never seen another for sale since. Not only that but I've never seen one full stop. None at Brands now for two years running.

I put my 50 share into my dry sump Turbo so all was not lost. While plenty here put an S300 high up their wish list I think the wider public would probably pay more for a white S1, many here would probably pay more for an Essex too, figuring the S4s is close enough. Supply is non existent for the Sport 300 but demand isn't much bigger. I guess it doesn't matter when the next car that comes up will be guaranteed a bidding war even if it's just me and Vanya!

Buying that V8 when you did was an inspired move though Vanya. I have a sneaking suspicion that an S300 might not be quite so impressive to someone used to a V8. Probably best you leave me to it!

[Vanya]

21 minutes ago, The Pits said:

Buying that V8 when you did was an inspired move though Vanya. I have a sneaking suspicion that an S300 might not be quite so impressive to someone used to a V8. Probably best you leave me to it!

Yeah in retrospect it was worth taking the plunge. I know of a mint condition black-on-black-on-black Final Edition V8 that might be tempting me soon however....

I stand firm by my opinion that the 4 cylinder cars are better and deliver the greater thrill thanks to their quirky power delivery. My Turbo SE proves it on a daily basis. No doubt the Sport 300 will be even greater, except for the unfortunate power steering which can be torn out. 

On another note: 
I drove an Exige S Sport 350 last weekend. I understand why it has such a high conversion rate. Bloody fantastic car. Absolutely cracking suspension and the steering is heavenly. I know why you bought that Cup. Good move. I now find myself stalking classifieds for a wingless mustard yellow one



 

[The Pits]

Yes V8 Esprit power with Elise handling is a very convincing combination!

I love that you are still a 4 cyl man at heart Vanya but the Esprit system was funded with GM money and was truly pioneering. Lotus pushed the envelope further than any other company would have I believe, it helps that they are fundamentally opposed to the idea. According to a VERY serious source (ex-Lotus), Saginaw saw the specs Lotus wanted for the system and said it couldn't be done. GM money (and lots of it) and stunning corporate obstinacy said otherwise. A totally uneconomic but utterly excellent solution that many would insist was never equalled for a power steering system, perhaps until the Evora. Still, you have it on your V8 and if it still plays second fiddle to the SE's steering then that's another thing that makes the SE special - the last unassisted Esprit. I must say it's lovely on my G-Turbo anything above parking speeds anyway. But I'll be keeping the power steering in my S300!

[Vanya]

29 minutes ago, The Pits said:

Yes V8 Esprit power with Elise handling is a very convincing combination!

I love that you are still a 4 cyl man at heart Vanya but the Esprit system was funded with GM money and was truly pioneering. Lotus pushed the envelope further than any other company would have I believe, it helps that they are fundamentally opposed to the idea. According to a VERY serious source (ex-Lotus), Saginaw saw the specs Lotus wanted for the system and said it couldn't be done. GM money (and lots of it) and stunning corporate obstinacy said otherwise. A totally uneconomic but utterly excellent solution that many would insist was never equalled for a power steering system, perhaps until the Evora. Still, you have it on your V8 and if it still plays second fiddle to the SE's steering then that's another thing that makes the SE special - the last unassisted Esprit. I must say it's lovely on my G-Turbo anything above parking speeds anyway. But I'll be keeping the power steering in my S300!

The PAS on the V8 is the best money can buy, no doubt. I think it has been matched in recent years by more modern systems in some cars but for 96 it must have been out of this world! The Evora 400 steering is top whack too, but there's something about unassisted that really gets me every time. I was out thrashing both my cars on twisties with some friends last weekend and switched back and forth between the V8 and SE on the small roads - the SE just gives the impression of so much more control, such an unparalleled good connection between driver and car (and road) that it's hard to beat. In the V8, you get the impression the car is just tapping its fingers, whereas in the SE it was white-knuckle all the way. Strange but true! 

[Barrykearley]

2 hours ago, Vanya said:

  In the V8, you get the impression the car is just tapping its fingers, whereas in the SE it was white-knuckle all the way. Strange but true! 

That's a spot on comparison.

the v8 really is an utter rocket ship 

[Paul Coleman]

16 hours ago, Buddsy said:

I said it before but I think by the year is out an Esprit will be sold for £100k

Seeing the Esprit on the channel 5 show last night you want a real Bond car £100K is cheap. DB5s are over £500k Nice cars but so is the Esprit. The amount of interest over the weekend at GY was huge.

 

Buddsy

I've often said that in my lifetime I think the Esprit will be a £100k car but I don't plan on dying for at least 30 years yet. I think it will always have that kit car stigma keeping the prices down. I have a 1965 FHC e-type and I think that will be £250k in my lifetime. But I doubt I shall own either of them long enough to reap the full amount. It's a bit like land, they're not making any more so if the demand is there prices will continue to rise.

14 hours ago, Daniel said:

If my S2 ever hits the £50K mark, I'm out of it....... it then becomes too valuable to really enjoy.

I'm with you. I don't drive my S1 as much as I would if it were only worth £5k. High prices are of no use at all unless you want to sell. As somebody else mentioned, the price of spares increases in line with car prices, as does the insurance and it also stops genuine enthusiasts (particularly the younger ones) from owning a car because they're bought up by speculators and car collectors and then put away. If they're all put away and nobody drives them they don't break, then there's no market for spares and the supply dries up. Now you have a car that you can't repair, it's a vicious circle.

If mine gets too expensive to drive I might donate it to a museum and have it on display. Of course I shall retain ownership of it - I'm not that generous!

[Chinsterb]

My old man has a 69 280 SL bought for 25 and now over 100k in about 5-6 years. When we go out with both cars the Esprit easilly gets as many if not more attention. and as others have said 30K for a propper bond car is nothing a DB4 GT sold at sotherbys for 2.4 million ( as i am sure many of the car nuts on this site will know it was actually a 4GT in the fiirst bond movies not a 5 as the 5 was not ready) 

If Bond drives a lotus again I put money on our cars going ballistic!

I am looking for my next car now perhaps a DB7 i6 or and 850 BMW ( i have a thing about pop up head lights! and doing the same as with the Espirt driving and seeing it rise in value better than money in the bank currenlty. 

The only propblem I see on the horizon ( and i would say the horizon is still a long way off) is self drive cars. once everyone has automated self driving cars I bet our cars will be confined to the track and to Sunday outings on specific roads what would that do for the Values? 

 

 

[Andyww]

The Bond cars were before the era of big-bucks product placement so Lotus would be unlikely able to afford this these days.

In the future I would expect emission regulations to be more of a threat than self-driving cars. There is already a precedent set in London in 2020 when no Esprit will be able to be driven in central London without a big daily fine, and this could spread.

The government needs to be aware of the huge number of jobs in the UK which depend on the classic car market. Probably more than any other country. At least Brexit makes it less likely that EU regulations can kill off this industry because we can act in our own interest and implement exceptions.

[Chinsterb]

I don't see why they wouldn’t be able to afford or want to do product placement, they are owned by Proton, maybe not the most glamorous but they are not short of a few bob and it would only take one of the board to be a Bond fan. 

Agreed the emissions thing is going to be a problem, and I can see that could spread, not sure I would want to drive mine in London all that much any way but totally get the point. Maybe the UK could become a classic car haven if they got the legislation right! 

[Bibs]

1 minute ago, Chinsterb said:

they are not short of a few bob

Proton are in lots of trouble, especially financial. 

[Chinsterb]

Shows what I know! its a pretty web site any way! 

Then a Bond placement may be just the right thing to get the money coming in, worked for Aston 

[Andyww]

But the London issue also affects owners who live in the area, there are no exemptions. It would only take a stroke of the pen by Mr Khan to extend it to the whole of the M25 then no more classic cars in London, everyone would have to sell up or move house.

I know that there are pushes for exemptions to ULEZ already going on though so maybe something will happen, or already has, I have not checked the situation recently.

[Chinsterb]

and all the businesses in london as well! nightmare.

Is there a classic car Lobby? 

 

[Mark Blanchard]

I'm sure there are plenty of MPs with classic cars tucked away so I can't see this tree hugging lefty crap affecting classic / vintage cars.  Let's hope common sense prevails.

[rudolphwolven]

 

New at "mobile.de".............

1990 LOTUS ESPRIT TURBO SE (LHD).........................19.500 mls..........$ 66.000,-

 

 

https://www.autoscout24.de/ergebnisse?atype=C&mmvmk0=44&mmvmd0=1834&mmvco=1&zipc=D&zipr=200&ustate=N%2cU&sort=price&desc=1&results=20&page=1&event=sort&dtr=s

Edited September 19, 2016 by rudolphwolven

[Iconic Ride]

Will be interesting to see how this one plays out. It does have exceptionally low mileage going for it, though another school of thought feels that sitting still for long periods can create other issues.

[Bazza 907]

At least if they get that sort of price they might be able to afford the rest of the carpet..