Lotus Esprit Turbo

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Penned by Giugiaro, the Esprit had initially appeared as a one-off design concept at the 1972 Turin Show and the 1976 production car was little changed. Beneath the wildly modern and sharp-edged GRP bodywork was the Lotus trademark of a steel backbone chassis, but with a mid-mounted in-line 2.2-litre slant-four engine cradled in a tubular frame.

In 1981 the Esprit entered the supercar ranks when the Turbo model was launched. Blindingly quick thanks to its Garrett turbocharger, it could sprint to 60mph in just 5.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 152mph. Even more impressive was the in-gear acceleration – with 50-70mph taking just 2.9 seconds overtaking was accomplished with contemptuous ease. With go-kart like steering (two turns lock-to-lock), powerful disc brakes and classic Lotus handling, the car could be hustled along at a rate that would embarrass Italian exotics more than twice its price. And the bodywork would never go rusty…

In 1987 the car was redesigned by Peter Stevens (of McLaren F1 fame) with more rounded lines and Kevlar reinforcement, the new look being complimented by Giugiaro who thought it close in spirit to his original design.

This 1990 Esprit Turbo has little known history and was the property of the vendor’s deceased father. The car had been in storage for four years until recently and has been examined by a local garage and declared to be in good general order. It was last MOT-tested in 2014 and passed with the advisory that all four tyres were beginning to perish.

The car has covered less than 1,500 miles in the past 13 years and it may be that the 51,720 miles recorded are genuine. The car does have a V5C and the vendor hopes to have more paperwork in time for the auction.

This Esprit will need some attention from its new owner due to lack of use, but it would appear to be far from a project car. The bodywork and the wheels look to be in good condition, while the interior would benefit from some refurbishment and a new set of carpets. Being of an earlier age, the Lotus is not too technical for the home enthusiast and the new owner should have it back in shape for the summer.