Details:

Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale an Australian delivered, factory right hand drive, 1987 Lotus Turbo Esprit HCI.

There is correspondence on file with Andy Graham from Lotus in the UK confirming that this car was imported into Australia by James Smith Motor Imports. The car retains its original Australian compliance plate, which is dated 1/88.

The Turbo Esprit HCI was the very last of the original Giugario designed Esprits, being replaced with the softer Peter Stevens designed car, designated X180, in 1988.

The Turbo Esprit HCI was an important model for Lotus as it was used to relaunch the marque in Australia, which was actually a complicated exercise. The British suppled right hand drive cars, designated as Turbo Esprit HC, with twin Dellorto DHLA 45 carburettors did not meet Australian emission rules at the time. The story is well documented in the May 1987 issue of Modern Motor magazine. James Smith from James Smith Motor Imports stated . . .a lot of work has gone into getting the car back on the market in Australia, which includes a re-engineering job involving both American and British components. It was not simply a matter of transplanting an American unleaded petrol engine into the back of a British Esprit, and Mr Smith has been responsible with Lotus for the creation of a one-off vehicle. The Australian car has different suspension, improved ground clearance, larger wheel arches, a new front spoiler, wider and lower seats, and a host of other improvements. The article states that Smith hoped to sell in excess of 20 cars, however, we understand that there were in fact 11 Lotus Turbo Esprit HCIs imported and sold new in Australia.

Today this car presents essentially as it left Lotus Hethel factory all those years ago, having aged gracefully over time. It is an incredibly original and beautifully preserved example, finished in Calypso Red (Paint Code A23) with a beige interior. The paint and interior both look to be original.

The very early history of this car is not known, however, by at least 1990 it had found its way into the ownership of Humphry Statter 3rd. Statter was a Melbourne based enthusiast who amassed a significant collection of cars over a very short period of time in the early 1990s. He sparingly, and in some cases never, used his cars and most were stored at the Chequered Flag Stables which was a car storage facility in Moorabbin, a southern suburb of Melbourne. This Esprit was one of Statters favourite cars which he mostly kept at his home and it was used from time to time. There is a VIC Roads registration document dated 19th September 1990 on file in his name. At that time the car was registered as DJR032X. In March 1992 he changed the registration to HMPHRY N.

Statter passed away in April 2018 and his car collection sold off in May 2019. According to the information provided at the time of sale, the car was last registered on the 27th June 2012, it had not been driven been driven for approximately 5 years and was last started approximately 4 years ago.

The car was acquired by a Brisbane based enthusiast who sent it to Brisbane based Lotus specialists Automotion, based in Enoggera for recommissioning and a major service. The work included new fluids, new spark plugs, a new fuel filter and a new timing belt. A number of fuel injection components were overhauled by a Sydney Bosch fuel injection specialist and a set of brand new period correct Pirelli tyres were fitted.

At that time the odometer read 17,047 km.

The car was then used and enjoyed before it was sold to its current owner in mid 2020 with the odometer at 18,996 km.

Over the last five years this fabulous car has been driven and at the time of photographing the odometer read 24,435 km. Importantly, the car has continued to be fastidiously maintained, firstly by a private mechanic and more recently by British car specialists Classic & Prestige Auto Services

In terms of major work, Brisbane based auto electrical and air conditioning specialists, Just Classic Cars, overhauled and upgraded the air conditioning system as well as went through and sorted various electrical issues with the car.

In January 2023 the car was taken to Classic & Prestige Auto Services to have the alternator replaced.

The gearbox is a known weak point on a Lotus Esprit. The S1, S2 and S3 all used the Citroen C35 transmission, which was used in the Citroen DS and SM. In these cars the gearbox was mounted in front of the engine and as a result it ran in the opposite direction. When used in the Esprit, Lotus had to adapt the gearbox otherwise it would have resulted into 5 gears in reverse and one gear forward!

In July 2023 Classic and Prestige reconditioned and upgraded the gearbox and differential. At the time a new crankshaft oil seal and spigot bearing were installed. A follow up oil change was completed in December 2023 and the door rubbers were replaced in May 2024.

We were genuinely excited when this car arrived at our showroom. Its overall presentation is incredible given the cars originality and its age. And yes, we are well aware that Lotus were never that well-built which makes this car an ever better story!

The paintwork, which looks to be essentially original, is still in excellent condition. It has retained a strong depth of colour and a high gloss finish. There are only a few small stone chips consistent with a car that has been used and enjoyed, albeit for only 24,435 km, yet obviously well cared for. The fibre glass body work is in very good condition with excellent panel gaps and no cracks evident.

The most notable wear is to the black anodised window trims. All the decals, stripes and badges on the car present well. Both the front and rear bumpers are in a good condition though there are some marks on them. The glass has all the correct markings and appears to be original. It is in a good condition with no chips or cracks evident. The lights and lenses are also in excellent condition.

The BBS wheels, which are a real feature, are in generally good condition with only some very small marks evident. The left front wheel has some light kerb rash. The front wheels are shod with Pirelli Cinturato P6 tyres, size 195/60/R15 which are date stamped 4418 (week 44,2018) and the rear wheels are shod with Pirelli P600 tyres, size 205/235/60/R15 which are date stamped 4617 (week 46,2017). Both the front and rear tyres are still in good condition.

Inside the cabin everything has been beautifully preserved and it really is neat and tidy. The seats are comfortable and provide excellent support. The leather is still in a good condition with no rips or tears evident. The curved instrument binnacle right in front of you presents well. All the instruments and warning lights in it are clear and all appear to be in good working order. The top of the dashboard is also in good condition. Even the carpets are clean and present well.

When the previous owner acquired the car the factory radio was not working and it was deemed to be beyond repair by a classic car audio specialist. It has been replaced with a modern Kenwood unit.

A really cool feature of this car is that the roof panel can easily be removed which effectively transforms the car from a coupe to a targa. There is also a wind deflector which can be installed to reduce wind noise.

From the moment this Turbo Esprit was delivered to our showroom there has been heated debate about who should get to drive it first! We were all keen to get behind the wheel to find out what it was like to drive. Well, we were not disappointed. Compared to previous models of the Esprit, the ergonomics have definitely improved. It is a lot easier, even for taller people, to find a comfortable driving position in the car. After having adjusted the seat to the right position we take a moment to just admire the interior. It is actually quite luxurious and everything is where you expect it to be. There is that typically Esprit curved dashboard in front of you and just to remind you which car you are driving there is the Turbo Esprit print on the panel with the AC controls just below the radio.

Starting the car is easy. You insert the key into the ignition, wait a few seconds for the fuel pump to prime the system and then turn the key further to start the car. The car starts easily, even from cold, and fairly quickly settles into a smooth idle. We patiently allow the car a little bit of time to warm up before we put it in first gear and gently drove it out of our showroom. To get the most out of the Turbo Esprit you need to drive it gently the first few kilometres until all the fluids have reached the correct operating temperature. From that moment on there is only one word to describe driving this car . . . FUN!!

The car drives superbly and it handles like its on rails. The engine feels strong and revs freely. The turbo smoothly builds up boost and helps the car accelerating quickly. There is hardly any turbo lag. With a quoted top speed of 240km/h and 0-100km/h time of 5.6 seconds, the Lotus Turbo Esprit HCI will easily keep up with its German and Italian counter parts. The gear charges are smooth both up and down the box. The steering is precise and the brakes pull the car up easily and in a straight line when needed.

The Turbo Esprit HCI was the last of the Giugiaro designed Esprits and only very few were delivered in right hand drive. As noted previously, we understand that there were only 11 cars delivered new to Australia, which may well be the total of all right hand drive cars built.,

Accompanying the car is an original tool kit, jack, spare wheel, wind deflector and owners handbook in its original leather pouch.

Oldtimer Australia is very familiar with this car, having tried to acquire it back in May 2019. We missed out then, but good things come to those who wait and are now genuinely excited to offer it for sale.

As a result, we are offering a unique opportunity to own one of the 11 Australian delivered, factory right hand drive Lotus Turbo Esprit HCIs.

Highlights:

- Australian delivered, factory right hand example.
- Low mileage, unmolested and beautifully preserved.
- Fabulous colour scheme.
- Ready to use and enjoy.

Price $124,950.


Background:

Colin Chapman built his first car in 1948. Built on an Austin 7 chassis and with its running gear, the car was known as a Lotus Mark I. Chapman built further specials, however, it wasnt until 1952 that Lotus Engineering was formed by Chapman and colleague Colin Dare. It was at this time that Lotus built its first production car the Lotus Mk VI. The legend was born and Lotus grew to become one of the worlds most respected and successful manufacturers of sports and racing cars. Over the years Lotus race cars claimed many victories and world championships. Their road cars used much of the technology and experience from the race cars and were equally as successful.

In the early years Chapman focussed on race cars, however, he soon realised that in order to be able to afford his racing efforts he would have to be successful in building commercial sports and touring cars. In the mid-1950s Chapman presented his first road car the Lotus Type 14 or Elite which was first shown at the 1957 London Motor Car Show at Earls Court. The Elite was quite revolutionary, featuring a monocoque, fibreglass reinforced plastic (FRP) body rather than a chassis. It was powered by a Coventry Climax FWE all aluminium single overhead cam 1.2 litre engine providing 75bhp. The car was very well received and ultimately very successful with just over 1,000 cars built through until 1963, however, it was not the commercial success that Chapman was hoping for. Not surprisingly the Elite was also a very successful race car, winning its class at Le Mans six times.

In 1959 Ron Hickman, who was brought into the company by Colin Chapman to further improve the troublesome GRP unibody design, started working on a new production car, the Type 26 or Elan. The initial plan was to continue to develop the fibreglass monocoque used on the Elite, however, that proved too difficult for a two-door sports car with an open top. The Elan was ultimately built with a backbone steel frame chassis and a fibreglass body.

The Elan was introduced at the 1962 London Motor Show at Earls Court and stayed in production through until 1975.

The Lotus Elan is one of the most popular and successful sports cars ever built. It is not known exactly how many Elans were built; however, it is somewhere between 15,000 and 17,000 cars.

A few years after the Elan was introduced Lotus became one of the first manufacturers to introduce a mid engined road going sports car, the Lotus Europa. The Europa remained in production from 1966 till 1975 and a total of 9,230 were produced.

Lotus flagship from the mid 1970s was the Esprit. The original Esprit concept car was first shown at the 1972 Turin Motor Show. The car was then developed further and a prototype Esprit was then shown at the 1973 Geneva Motor Show. Development was slow and Lotus finally introduced the production Esprit at the 1975 Paris Motor Show. The car proved to be worth the wait as it was launched to critical acclaim and it soon went into production with the first cars delivered by mid 1976.

The Esprit was made famous through its starring role in the 1977 James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me. Bonds Esprit was like no other and at the push of a button it converted into a submarine!

The first series cars, otherwise known as the S1, were powered by Lotus proven 2 litre 4 cylinder engine. The S2 was introduced in 1978 with lots of subtle cosmetic changes both externally and internally. In 1980 Lotus increased the engine size to 2.2 litres and the new model was aptly designated the S2.2. In 1980 Lotus joined the turbo revolution and the Lotus Esprit Turbo was launched in true Lotus style at a party hosted by then F1 team major sponsor Essex Petroleum in Londons Royal Albert Hall. The first cars were known as Lotus Esprit Essex Turbos and all were finished in the blue, red and chrome livery of Essex Petroleum. The S3 Esprit was introduced in late 1980 and built as both a standard Esprit and as the Turbo Esprit.

Lotus continued its association with James Bond and two Esprit Turbos were featured in the 1981 film, For Your Eyes Only.

In 1987 Lotus unveiled the new Esprit designed by Peter Stevens. Designated the X180 the new Esprits pedigree was obvious but the softened wedge design and new interior was very well received. This series Esprit was perhaps Lotus most successful with over 2,000 cars built in the 6 years of production from 1987 to 1993.

Chapman became famous for his engineering philosophy to add lightness. His cars were incredibly well engineered and always pushing the boundaries of the technology of the day.