Essex 007

[rocket63]

Ok Pilko. Fess up. Are serious about the sale or not ?

[Advantage]

A million pounds in a brown envelope will be the only way of finding out.

[comem47]

Any truth to the rumor Lotus is coming out with a green limited edition 2011 BP car and like earlier commemoratives you can request a number ?

Time to go silly walking now ......

Edited July 27, 2010 by comem47

[Paul C]

Incredible how long this thread has gone.

I have two genuine questions RE the copper Essex car used in for your eyes only.

(I 'think' i grasp from this thread that it is 100% an Essex Esprit albeit copper in colour)

So...

I assume to even be reffered to as an Essex it was once painted blue and had a full red interior, then stripped out to a magnolia interior and resprayed copper for the film?

Or was it never Essex blue, never had the decals, never bore an essex badge and it never had an Essex interior etc, but the chassis plate is actually what makes it an Essex regardless of colour or trim?

Sometimes the chassis is everything, people pull old bentley chassis out of rivers and it's worth a fortune just for the rusty frame to build a car around.

[USAndretti42]

I can't believe that one of the most pointless arguments on the forum has gone on for 6 pages. I guess no one's got anything else to do now the World Cup is over.

[Kimbers]

I've only just caught up with this thread, mainly because I lost the will to read further after page 2 originally.

David, please don't take all this personally, it's just our strange sense of humour.

I don't have anything to say on the matter because I am awaiting the wise ones words of wisdom.

[esprit22]

Well you could be waiting for a long time then, unless Ernie is a member of this forum...but I think that his short hairy legs could'nt reach the pedals!

[hopo]

Im certainly interested in the "Sex Bond Oil"..... looks facinating.

on a serious note the Essex looks lurvely.... is very tempting. I would love an one. and they dont come up often. It is a hefty price especially for such a high mileage. I wonder what work has been done on the engine, gearbox and clutch and by whom... would the car still be usable as a frequent runner. Im guessing everything that is likley to inidiately go wrong will have been rectified already.

Tyres would obviously be a concern partly because they are no longer avilable! would have to find something very similar with the ability to paint the lettering write. an Essex just wouldnt look like an Essex without it!

Have seen pictures on Flickr of the car and it looks simply stunning!

[Kimbers]

OK I shall write this exactly as the Text says.

MJK says as follows "The FYEO Esprit was a standard Turbo that we did a Special Edition for. Whilst it takes some cues off the Essex it was never a resprayed Essex. We would never do a job like that, the car had to be original as the job was far too important."

[Nelly]

It took a text message from MJK to get the final word, so maybe it wasn't such a pointless thread after all but its been great fun reading and contributing!

[comem47]

Well obviously MJK should know. I dug out one of the Jeremy Walton books on Esprit and he covers both the Essex and Bond Esprits separately with no mention of any intersection (He says the Bond cars were originally 2 white Turbos with brown leather interior repainted to the later metallic copper (also called "brown" in the book). refitted with cream Connolly leather and the ski rack and other bond parts added. He also talks about the difficulty of blowing up a mock up white body shell As for the Essex cars he said the Essex sold for 21,000 pounds and the turbos started at 16,982.23, but could add on options from the Essex , (excepting of course the special paint etc) to get the price up around 20,000. He also drove an Essex with Roger Becker so I think he knew this info from up close personal experience, not reading info from afar.

[lotus4s]

Thanks Tony, this thread should be good for six more pages now....

[Bazza 907]

What this thread seems to be missing is some Essex pictures..

[matk]

Nice one Kimbers.

And just for Barrie here's No 18 about 4 years ago....

[Kimbers]

Bazza. If you ever get bored of that car I want to be first in line. My god it's goooooooogeous.

[Bazza 907]

Kimbers - Thanks mate. If I ever need cash I'll have a kidney and a couple of kids on ebay before the Essex

Matt - Luverly - just needs a bit of spit n polish.

I'm suprised that No.18 has not really surfaced after it was bought a couple of years ago on ebay. It would be nice to see a few more of them actually on the road.

Last I heard the owner (Joolz?) was considering selling it but never came up with a price when I enquired - he's probably still investigating the Bond angle.

[gghc87]

just needs a bit of spit n polish.

I'm your man

[hopo]

More automotive finery... hope you dont mind bazza!

[nello]

Been away a while guys and only just caught up with this Anyway just to say I still see ESSEX 017 regularly though its been off the road for some years...........................(check your Essex AutoArt models) and various C&SC mags/Posters etc.....

It still looks immaculate ........

IMO for what its worth the ESSEX spec cars are special - not just for the stickers - the suspension setup is different (lower) and of course the dry-sump setup of the early cars.......Oh and the Compomotives.....I've wanted the HC to sit like an Essex ever since I saw one.

The cockpit stereo is still super cool and 017 has the ESSEX camcovers too.....

That said a Gold S2 with speedlines and brown velour would rock my boat as much - A cars worth what someone wants to pay for it if its the exact car they want so get what you can.

I've just bought back '78 Lime Green 1300 X1/9 which I owned about 15 years ago and paid top money for it because of the spec/colour and theres no others around.

Reunited stable mate for my G Turbo HC

......Good Esprits are a rare thing now in any guise..........

Edited August 4, 2010 by nello

[Veilside]

I've stayed up late reading all 7 pages of this debate which is quite enough on Essex Turbo's. For me the positive that's come out all this is after a tip off from 007 Essex LHD 026 has surfaced in France. I've been in contact with the owner and this one is an absolute cracker. He bought it in 1986 (one previous owner) under 20,000 kms totally original as new. This is one of the two original Essex Motor Sport owned cars. The other one was LHD Essex 007 (you all forgot about this one) so now you have two 007's to consider. Here's to another another 7 pages.

Steve T

[TAR]

James bond was French???

oh ma bonté!

[Trevsked]

Read all with interest but clearly there is very little link between the Essex cars and James Bond. NOW, onthe other hand if one was to have a white S1 or even perhaps a white dry sump S3 Turbo but of course only with the 4 bolt split rim Compomotive wheels and tobacco leather interior as driven by Roger Moore. Nough said.

Trevor.

[mayevora]

I also noticed that an Essex liveried Talbot Sunbeam Lotus went under the hammer at Bonhams Auction house last month - £14950

[LOTUSMAN33]

Nice to see someone have the bottle to list on ebay with no reserve, this car will now reach its true current market value as most people use ebay these days especially when looking for classics.

I have seen Essex 007 a while back and although not mint I thought she was stunning and a true classic bit of Lotus history.

Good luck with the sale

Dave

[esprit22]

The add on Ebay states quite clearly that the car is advertised elsewhere and can be removed from Ebay at any time, I'm not a user of Ebay, but does this mean that if the bids are not high enough then it can taken off without question?