Essex 007

[esprit22]

Having worried me,(not for the first time) I have just spoken with Haggerty who insure my Esprit, they say that the agreement they have with Alianz is a full payout of agreed value if a total loss occurs, but did say that other companies did not have this procedure in place. Do yourselves a favour guys, phone Haggerty on: 08700 420 220 and insure with them.

So thats why my premium is so high Baz!!

[Bibs]

Please stick to topic, there's a thread I've linked to to talk about insurance. I've moved Bazza's post as it makes more sense where it is now.

Anyway, about this Esprit...

[Bazza 907]

Bibs

Sorry I thought we were trying to get a world record thread?

Bit of a dampener if it's been sold.

Anyway, FACT is that an Essex IS the ultimate Esprit therefore is worth mega wonga

[esprit22]

But does the Essex Esprit have any connections with James Bond??...........

[Paul C]

But does the Essex Esprit have any connections with James Bond??...........

My total lack of any faith and any afterlife is the only thing that keeps me going, i mean imagine living forever only to find out there is no end to this thread?

If there are any believers out there, admit it, You'd be really unhappy with god for that one.

[Bazza 907]

But does the Essex Esprit have any connections with James Bond??...........

I think that the real question and more to the point is...does James Bond have any connection with the Essex Esprit??

[Nelly]

I stil lthink, as rare as the car is, it has a limited appeal and will only be of interest to a collector or a fan who is wealthy enough and really knows their stuff. That IMO opinion is why it struggled to sell (if it indeed has).

As much as I appreciate it I don't hanker for one and certainly not at that sort of money (which I don't doubt its worth).

However, maybe this one has more of a bond connection?

Here's to the next 10 pages.....

Edited September 14, 2010 by Nelly9000

[Bazza 907]

Buddsy

No problem - each to his own mate

I think there were 23 in the UK and 11 Overseas making 34 out of the original 100 planned. As I understand it (Steve T will know more) Lotus cars dropped the planned production run of the 100 cars when the F1 team dropped the Essex sponsorship as a result of 'financial irregularities' at Essex Petroleum. That said, the cost at £20,400 in 1980/1 was indeed huge.

[LotusElan17]

After a seemingly endless procession of timewasters, dreamers, tyre kickers and joyriders I have finally had enough.

Final time it goes on sale until 7 December when it will be entered in the COYS auction in London.

Starting price of £12,000 and no reserve, with other owners valuing theirs at £25,000 plus then this has to be the bargain of the century.

David

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250697250228&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

[skiing]

If I had the money, I would snap it up - beautiful car and so cool. Good luck with the sale.

[FRANTIC FRANC]

I think the credit crunch has a lot to do with it - even classic car garages have said that the last year have been really bad for business.

So I'd say it is the wrong time to sell st the mo. By starting a auction with at 99p with no reserve simply attracts all the boy racers and Bond wannabes who are the real time wasters!

There seems to be some real cheap turbos advertised - if they don't get many bids then they're selling for not much more than breaking value - crazy really.

[esprit22]

You could well be right Frank. Got a copy of classic car mag the other day and there is a white S1 for sale with just 5k on the clock for just under 30k.

I'm sure that car has been around for a while now, but why?, lets face it 30k is not a lot for a decent car nowdays... and that is one hell of a decent car.

Why has'nt it been sold?? Dealer wants 30k, no probs to get it for 25k or less..

[Bazza 907]

Chris is that the one that's totally and completely original apart from the 2ft by 1ft hole in the roof?

Getting back to 007,

David, I'm surprised that you withdrew it the other day when bidding was at £8k with a few days to go. As others here have said, all the 'action' seems to happen in the last few mins on ebay .

If the £20k valuation you mention was "agreed" it might be helpful to mention when it was and by who (Club Lotus?).

Personally I think with job losses looming general;ly and a possible double dip in the economy on its way, selling anything that requires a large capital outlay currently is going to be difficult.

At least a further listing does keep this thread going for all those who pretend they want it to end but deep down can't get enough of it

Good luck

[esprit22]

Never been to Coys Auction, infact I have never been to a car auction..even though I have a dodgy coat!! Reckon that their commision must be

a tad on the high side to enter a car and more for the actual sale of the car..or am I wrong (as usual)

[Paul C]

I'm surprised that you withdrew it the other day when bidding was at £8k with a few days to go. As others here have said, all the 'action' seems to happen in the last few mins on ebay .

Bang on.

Everything i sell on Ebay (mainly watches) has bids in the last ten seconds as the automatic snipes are entered, these can often double the price or more. To accept an offer to 'end early' means i would never get to see those bids, and to finish early in fear it will not go high enough would mean i don't get those bids and that i have set my start or reserve price lower than i'm prepared to sell for, which is an inane thing to do when you think about it really!

I have not bid manually on anything on Ebay for about five years now, i always set a snipe for my maximum and it goes in with six seconds to go. Bidding when people have the time to see your bid and try to outbid you guarantees you will pay more if you win, thats just a fact. If someone is winning an item at £1500 then my £2000 bid goes in with five seconds to spare, it would be mental to bid with a minute to go, still win it but watch the other guy panic bid your winning price to £1800 before your eyes.

I figure now that my listing duration time only serves for people to see the item, add it to their watch list, and then set a snipe or do it the scary old fasioned way with screens open and trying to refresh until the last few seconds and then bid (this is fine if you are awake, but a snipe set on an item finishing in america at 3am gmt is a panic free win you don't have to stay up late for). Not letting it run full term is akin to running away from the fruit machine while it's still spilling out money.

My tip would be on selling anything...

Set a start or reserve you are happy with, then people know what your 'lowest price' is and won't plague you with offers as much as they will if you start at 1p, also it shows a knowledge of the items value, which adds the all important seller credibility to the listing. Keep auction private (hide seller ID) so if the winner views the car and is not happy with inspection/condition etc then his ID will be hid and when you list again potential bidders won't contact him for the info. Don't end early, not only as you will never know what it would have sold for but people watching tire of this and have no faith in it ending properly next time (i don't).

[Veilside]

This thread has had that many twists and turns it's a good job there's not that many Essex Turbo's around and even fewer that will ever come up for sale for everyone to debate on.

I'm sure most will agree apart from GKP that they have the ability to generate interest, this thread is proof of that, and they are the one that attracts more attention at the shows, ask Bazza he was at the NEC last year with 011.

Part of the interest is the mystique (call it what you like), in that you are very unlikely ever to see one, the amount of people over the years who have said to me " I've never seen one in the flesh before"

Last time I checked there were only 5 numbered Essex Turbo's licenced in the UK (one being 007) and shortly that will go down to 4.

5 in the U K licensed - 004, 007, 011, 014 & 024 (100).

6 in the UK not licensed or in storage - 010, 017, 018, 021, 023 & 025.

1 in Hong Kong - 003.

2 in Japan - 006 & 008.

1 some where in Guinea West Africa - possibly 009.

1 in France - 012.

1 in Switzerland - 013.

1 in Germany - 016.

1 Cat B fire damaged written off - 020.

1 in South Africa - 022.

3 we can't find - 005, 015 & 019, one of these we can't identify here doesn't exist, was a write off.

Discount 001 became the Bond car & 002 was a developement/ LHD car not a customer numbered Essex Turbo.

So you can soon work out that the possibility of finding a Essex for sale is unique in it's self.

Hopefully this informaion will find it's way to the auction house and the sale of Essex 007.

So love them or hate them, they will always have the X factor.

Steve T

[simonb]

Trouble is that "exclusive" can just mean unloved when new.

The Essex colour scheme is a bit hard work (as I suspect it was when new)

In reality every esprit is from a small edition (xx model in xx colour with xx interior).

I think the question with the Essex has to be "what premium is it worth over a "vanilla" model" . In terms of Lotus history, Essex petroleum was a bit of a dead end, so it is not as much fun as a gold leaf elan or a JPS S2

[Advantage]

So, that's the definitive list? Despite what you think of my opinions, I find that interesting.

However, you seem to have made a clerical error with 001.

[Veilside]

OK "For Yours Eyes Only GKP" we will now move this tread back to the Bond cars.

Essex 001 chassis 10858, engine number CD910791117542, Reg no. 459JTA, colour bronze (one of the two Bond cars) Peter Nelson had it in the Cars of the Stars Museum from 1988, you all know what happened next.

The other one 10930 remained at the factory until 1988 and was then bought by Peter Nelson at the Coy's auction.

Both cars were prepared at the factory, both originally white, one had a turbo engine and 0858 had the N/A engine but the log book was never updated prior to going to the film set.

10930 had a dry sump engine.

OPW 678W the confusing issue originally belonged to a Blue Series 3 Esprit from the Engineering Dept. at Lotus.

Steve T

[Advantage]

Have you read the thread in its entirety? Especially the bit where MJK stated that no Essex cars were resprayed to be in any movie? Or are you relying on a proprietor of a museum who's livelihood depends on having unique cars to display?

[Veilside]

These are the facts as I know them.

MJK used one of them as his wedding car (when white) they had to respray it bronze to hide the confetti stains.

Ask him about the Olin skis.

Steve T

[Nifty]

I wouldn't rely on Lotus to give accurate statements about the provinence of cars in those days.

Their record keeping was somewhat flakey, to be polite.

You are more likely to hear the truth from associated sources (i.e those who worked on the cars) than you are from the official records.

A good (ex-Lotus) friend's Dad (ex-Lotus) used to get sent by ACBC to drive an Esprit round the countryside for airshows etc on a sales "drive" at weekends.

He used different cars but with the same number plate .. imagine the "havoc" that would play with the records.

Having said all that I have no information to offer regarding any of these cars but there are plenty of people milling about around here who would.

Edited September 16, 2010 by Nifty

[Veilside]

Guys, I've had a look at some old emails since my last post my reference to MJK is wrong please subtitute with PP.

Nifty, I hear what you are saying but there's a certain person who might be reading all this and putting a tick in the box marked correct.

Steve T

[Advantage]

I think this is one of those situations that if you say something enough times and with real conviction, it will become true.

[Nelly]

Essex 001 chassis 10858, engine number CD910791117542, Reg no. 459JTA, colour bronze (one of the two Bond cars) Peter Nelson had it in the Cars of the Stars Museum from 1988, you all know what happened next.

Forgive me, but what did happen next?