Limited edition 1987 Lotus Esprit Turbo HC up for auction

This beauty is one of only 21 made with just 54k miles and no reserve

Check out this absolutely stunning 1987 Lotus Esprit Turbo HC up for sale with online classic car auctioneer, The Market. The auction runs till Monday 13th April at 7:30pm and there’s no reserve. It’s estimated to fetch £40,000-50,000.

I think I need to start a crowd fund to help me buy this!

Only 21 of these limited edition cars were made to celebrate 21 years of Lotus production at the Hethel factory in Norwich. Of those only five were in this two-tone ‘Essex Blue’ finish. It is utterly gorgeous!

This car only has 54,600 miles on the clock and is said to be in ‘exemplary condition with not blemishes to its bodywork and with its original upholstery and interior trim.

Leaving the factory in Hethel on 27th February 1987, the car was sold new by the Norfolk Motor Company in Norwich to a company in Corby. The Esprit later travelled to Portugal where it spent around 14 years in a private collection. It wasn’t driven in this time, hence its condition and mileage.

Having returned to the UK in 2018, the car has now been in the hands of an Esprit enthusiast since April 2019. It had been intended to be the owner’s ‘forever car’ and was subsequently treated to over £10,000 worth of extensive recommissioning.

Features of the limited edition car include a sterling silver plaque inside the vehicle plus unique decals on the exterior, again proudly displaying the car’s unique number.

The exterior badging is present and correct too, including the side-mounted ‘Limited Edition 10’ scripts.

The car is offered for sale complete with its factory toolkit, two-tone briefcase and three-piece wheeled luggage (complete with Concorde luggage tag!), which is finished in the same materials as the car’s interior.

The Esprit also still has the front and rear window stickers and tax disc holder from The Norfolk Motor Company of Norwich, the original supplying dealer.

“This Lotus Esprit Turbo HC is in staggeringly good condition – one of the best, if not the best, example of its type,” comments Tristan Judge, director, The Market. “As such a rare car and in such fantastic condition, it will be ideal for gentle use or as the centrepiece of a classic car collection. These rare models are one of the ’Holy Grails’ of any modern Lotus collection.”

The car is also accompanied by the original dealer folder, owner’s handbook, original service history booklet and a schematic of the electrical system.

“For collectors, this limited edition car has all the original additional items you’d want and expect. The fact that these have survived with the car since 1987 is a small but important insight into how well it has been conserved over the past 33 years,” concludes Tristan.

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