The angular lines and sharp edges leave you with no doubt that what we are looking at here is a Lotus Esprit. Our feature car is a 1983 Esprit Turbo, and the seller discovered it hidden away in a garage. It had last seen the open road in 2014, but he has revived it over the past twelve months. It appears that it needs little to return it to a roadworthy state, but it’s ready to go to a new home and a buyer who will appreciate all that it has to offer. If you have always longed for a classic British sports car with the “wow” factor, you will find the Lotus located in East Aurora, New York, and listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set a BIN of $40,000, but he does leave the option open for interested parties to make an offer.

Launched to great acclaim in 1976, the Lotus Esprit’s stunning lines flowed from the pen of Giorgetto Giugiaro. Like many vehicles that emerged from the company’s factory in Hethel, Norfolk, England, the Esprit is instantly recognizable. While it shared some design cues with Ferrari’s legendary 308 GTS, the Esprit remained distinct and utterly gorgeous. Our feature car rolled off the line wearing Cherry Red paint, and it appears that this is original. It shines impressively, with no evidence of flaws or problems. The unique “Turbo” decals and gold stripes are in good condition, as is the glass. The combination of Red and Gold is almost reminiscent of the manufacturer’s Formula On heritage when its cars were emblazoned with Gold Leaf sponsorship signage. One standard feature on the Esprit Turbo was beautiful 15″ BBS alloy wheels. These remain intact, and their condition is as impressive as the rest of the exterior. If first impressions count for anything, it appears that potential buyers could be on a winner with this Lotus.

While Colin Chapman’s ongoing mantra had been to simplify and add lightness, the 1983 Esprit Turbo was the heaviest car to emerge from his factory to that point. However, “heavy” is a relative term when the vehicle in question weighs 2,712 lbs. Powering this classic is a mid-mounted 2,1742cc four-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces 205hp. The power finds its way to the road via a five-speed manual transaxle, with this combination allowing the Esprit to cover the ¼ mile in 14.3 seconds before winding its way to a top speed of 148mph. When the seller located this Lotus, it had been parked in a garage since 2014 and had a genuine 27,000 miles showing on its odometer. He purchased the vehicle about one year ago and has worked through the revival process. He has achieved this goal but recommends the buyer replace the vehicle’s fluids, the serpentine belt, and the timing belt before returning this classic to active duty. That is probably a wise move, as a broken timing belt would undoubtedly ruin the next owner’s day.

Slipping behind the wheel of this Lotus means becoming acquainted with acres of supple Tan leather. Interior trim is one of the renowned weak points of any Lotus, but this car is in exceptional condition for its age. It carries all the hallmarks of a vehicle that has been treated with respect because the leather shows no evidence of wear or cracking. This is a significant accomplishment when dealing with seats as heavily contoured as these. The theme continues to the console and door trims, while the carpet shows no evidence of wear or stains. The dash is in excellent order, and there are no signs that the plastic trim is succumbing to UV-induced deterioration. The only flaw worth noting is the headliner that is beginning to sag. However, a competent upholsterer should successfully address this without costing a fortune. The only other fault that the owner mentions are the non-operational backlights on the speedometer. Comfort and convenience features extend to air conditioning, power windows, and a Blaupunkt AM/FM radio/cassette player. These items work as they should, as does the electric antenna. Overall, it appears that the buyer won’t need to spend a dime inside this classic.

Early examples of the Lotus Esprit were a triumph of style over substance. While they looked stunning, their performance failed to match their angular good looks. By the time the Turbo was released, Lotus had addressed this shortcoming. Our feature car presents beautifully and is in exceptional condition for its age. It is not what I would classify as a cheap classic, but its price looks pretty competitive. That may help to explain why even though the listing is in its early stages, it has already attracted sixty-seven watchers. That makes me wonder whether one of those people is preparing to hit the BIN button or make a sensible offer. If they do, I would hardly blame them.