Lotus Elan SE Turbo (M100)

Click Here for Full Screen Image - Click Here to Download Image

Produced at a time when Lotus was part of General Motors, the new Elan of 1989 was a Lotus not like any other Lotus. It was front-wheel drive, for a start. There was even a rumour that it was reliable.

No longer short of R & D funds and with the General Motors parts bin to play with, the new Elan was a very good car and only the depressed market of the early ‘90s stopped it being a sales success. It was, however, a hoot to drive. It still is.

This Elan SE is a pre-production car, chassis number 13, that survived being road-tested on Top Gear and by a variety of cack-handed clowns masquerading as motoring journalists (is this too hard on that much-maligned breed?).

That G397 KEX is still with us is a testament to the improved quality of the GM-era Lotus but also to the fact that it has been enthusiast-owned for much of its life. There is a sheaf of invoices (mostly from Lotus Cars Ltd) going back to the early ‘90s when the car was owned by a Lotus employee who spared no expense and only parted with it in 2002, since when it has had only two owners.

In recent years the car has had a custom exhaust and Gaz springs and shocks fitted (2017); the front brakes were overhauled in 2018, the rears in 2016, and the car has always been run on synthetic oil (critical on the 165bhp turbo Isuzu engine). In January of this year the car had a new road speed sensor fitted at a cost of £464.00.

There are 78,386 miles recorded and the 21 MOT certificates with the car support this figure. The current MOT expires in September 2019 and has four minor advisories (brakes and a wheel bearing). Other documents include a handbook and service book, workshop manual, old tax discs and a huge file of invoices. It even comes with a sheet of Royal Mail first class stamps featuring this very car – how many cars can claim that?

This Lotus is in fabulous condition and looks great in its bright red paintwork. Its enthusiast owners have kept up it up to scratch and the car is ready for its next owner to enjoy what has been described – even recently – as “the finest handling front-wheel-drive car available”. Go to it!