Last Esprits on "Look East"

[Paul@thewatermill]

[Tony K]

Nice! Thanks!

[gospeedv8]

Cool!

A take on the last 15 UK cars?

Dragi

[Esprit V8]

Brilliant.

Thank you!

[Jonathan]

Lovely to watch. A fiver under 50,000 ?

Thats cheap ?

[Paul@thewatermill]

Lovely to watch. A fiver under 50,000 ?

Thats cheap ?

Yes, I paid over 60 for mine, two years before. then I wrote it off!

[Guy Munday]

That was a helluva couple of days. The date of the handover was March 19th 2003 but it all started at the motor show the previous October when I was speaking to a senior member of Lotus management who confided in me that production was due to stop. In a moment of madness, I agreed to take the last six. Given that we couldn't sell Esprit for toffee by that stage, it was a bit reckless, but I wanted to see the old girl off in style after being so good to me for so many years.

We collected all six customers and their partners by helicopter, from Yorkshire, Lincoln, Berkshire x2, Southend and Norwich and provided them with accomodation at Dunston Hall, just outside Norwich. We had a fantastic evening celebration with Hazel and Clive Chapman as our special guests and most of the main board of directors attended too. Speeches were made by Clive Chapman and Morris Dowton, who was coinciding his retirement with the end of Esprit with which he had been involved for the full thirty years.

Next morning, we helicoptered all of the guests from Dunston Hall to Ketteringham Hall. We chose this venue as it seemed fitting that the Esprit story should end where it started, back in 1972. Lotus also used it to celebrate another retirement of the chap that had done nothing but assemble heating and ventilation systems on Esprit for thirty years and was probably beyond retraining..!

Local and national press took a lot of interest in the day and I think the customers enjoyed their fifteen minutes of fame.!

I still know the whereabouts of all six cars. Interestingly, only two are in the original owners' possession. A third still is, if you count the fact that it was sold and then re-bought by the first owner! One has had four owners and is in a very sorry state, sadly. The very last one is still owned by Dan Collins, who races a Type 91 F1 car with Classic Team Lotus.

As a footnote, due to the interest surrounding the last six, Lotus decided to build some more! Some very stern conversations, including various expletives and quoting of the Sale of Goods Act ensued, in order to ensure that our customers' cars remained the last..!

Happy days!

Guy Munday

Stratton Motor Company

[Kimbers]

I'm sure Guy will agree with me (I know MJK did) that cancelling the Esprit was a bit premature.

Firstly, and most importantly, the development costs had been paid off years before and as such the cars were built for peanuts (labour and parts only) I was told that 50% of the retail cost was net profit! Because of this it really didn't matter even if they only sold 100 a year they would still have made good money.

Secondly, there was no replacement!

Thirdly, with the build costs so low they could have dropped the price to silly money....really silly money and sold loads! (We're talking Exige money) I mean, who wouldn't buy a supercar V8 for

[Jonathan]

Interesting stuff.

To carry on...

Fourthly - they would have sold !

What I find amazing about watching that prog and thankfully owning an Esprit is how good it looks and how desirable th shape is - I think it might have needed another minor face lift after 2004 (likes of Stevens to Thompson).

I saw a V8 and my car at a local deal ther other day near an Evora and they just look so much more of a supercar / flagship - Lotus without the Esprit/top supercar just feels like a car with 3 wheels (3 bloody excellent wheels but never the less).

[bingoking]

That was a helluva couple of days. The date of the handover was March 19th 2003 ...........

As a footnote, due to the interest surrounding the last six, Lotus decided to build some more! Some very stern conversations, including various expletives and quoting of the Sale of Goods Act ensued, in order to ensure that our customers' cars remained the last..!

Happy days!

Guy Munday

Stratton Motor Company

I have often wondered why "the last 6 cars" were delivered before my car which I took delivery of on 19th April 2003 having ordered it on 28th Feb 2003. It was a couple of months after I took delivery that I received the plaque stating that my car was one of the last 15.

Like one of the 6 owners you mentioned I too sold my car and missed it so much that I bought it from the dealer who underwrote the trade-in. The car had only 30 more miles on the clock from when I traded it in and I was still on the V5 as the original owner. A very costly over winter car storage, but at least I get my car back and will keep it for many years to come.

[lotushead]

Hello!

Does anybody know the whereabouts of these last cars? Or have any photos of this ceremony? I own the laser blue car. Thanks

[Bibs]

Hi! This any good?

http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EOtherstuff/LastEsprit.html

[B1 RMA]

I think I agree that Lotus missed a trick by not continuing Esprit production. They should have just continued until interest ran out particularly if the purchase cost could have been brought down or perhaps upgraded existing parts and kept the price the same which could have brought about an amazingingly upgraded car.

Edited April 3, 2012 by B1 RMA

[nello]

Great stuff - thanks for sharing. Must have been darn nice to have been one of the last few owners..... What a great way to (sadly) end the run........

[Guy Munday]

Hello!

Does anybody know the whereabouts of these last cars? Or have any photos of this ceremony? I own the laser blue car. Thanks

Hi,

Welcome to the forum,

If you send me a personal message with an address, I still have a copy of the official photo that was taken outside ketteringham Hall, which you can have with my pleasure.

Your car was supplied to Gordon Sim who was interviewed in the Look East piece. I have a good recollection of the whereabouts of your car until fairly recently (some good, some bad) and I will be pleased to tell you everything I know.

Guy

Stratton Motor Company

[lotushead]

Thank you very much Guy, great to be able to complete the story.