Lotus Eclat 521

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“The sheer pleasure of handling the Lotus Éclat is something every motoring enthusiast should experience. If your garage contains several beautiful cars with famous names, you will find a strong temptation to use the Lotus for any sort of journey and leave the others behind…Colin Chapman has taken the best things that have come out of racing and combined them in one package.” John Bolster, Autosport.

In terms of exclusivity, performance and price, the Lotus Éclat successfully competed against much larger-engined rivals (Ferrari 308 GT4, Fiat 130 Coupe, Jaguar XJ-S and Porsche 911 Lux), offering vice-free handling and vastly superior fuel consumption, thanks to the 160bhp, 16-valve, DOHC Lotus 907 engine. Although well-received by the motoring press, the Éclat was an expensive car (£12,870 in 1980), resulting in just 1,522 sales between 1975 and 1982.

The only thing we can say for certain about this February 1977 Lotus Eclat 521 is that the body is rust-free. It’s a project car, no denying it. The vendor has owned the car since 2007 and always intended to get it back on the road but…well…you know.

It is a runner, though, and the vendor believes that most of the car’s wants and needs are cosmetic and electrical (though there are those who would say they were like that when new). The values of these cars are on the rise – just ask an auctioneer – and there is plenty of potential in this car. It even has an 007 number plate.