If you were looking for a Lotus in the sixties and seventies, it was a sign that you were ready to sacrifice durability and comfort for stellar handling and utilitarian efficiency. The company built its reputation on producing cars that wouldn’t necessarily appeal to buyers of supercars. That changed when the updated Esprit slid into showrooms. This 1989 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE for sale on Craigslist in Huntley, Illinois is a perfect example of how Lotus moved upmarket in the eighties and nineties. Resplendent in its fire engine red paint and supple leather interior, this pretty woman of a Lotus still manages to exude its supercar greatness 34 years later. Is putting up with the increased maintenance headaches inherent in owning a Lotus plus the $29,500 asking price worth the effort? Thanks to superstar reader Rocco B. for this supercar tip!
One of the things that bothered Colin Chapman, the founder of Lotus, was that his cars were not considered to be the equal of the finest offerings from Porsche or Ferrari. Part of that was that Lotus as a company focused on making their cars as light as possible. Doing so would also affect quality beyond Chapman’s well-known reputation for parsimoniousness. Chapman was a person of extremes. He would go to great lengths to make his cars as light as possible. The idea was that the lighter you go, the smaller the engine could be, and there would be far less need for such things as heavy-duty brakes and suspension pieces. That was all well and good until one of those lightweight parts broke. On a customer’s car that could be a problem, but on one of his race cars, it often cost life and limb.
He also exhibited his extreme nature when building his road cars. Chapman wanted to maximize profits for customer vehicles because that would provide more money to finance the racing side of the house. Thus, quality suffered to the point that a biographer mentioned an incident between Chapman and one of his executives. Chapman expressed a desire to be knighted for his contributions to British industry. The trusted executive laughed and commented that Chapman should be glad that he wasn’t in jail for some of his dubious production and accounting practices. Mentioning this in the biography was not intended to be a slight to Chapman. What he accomplished as a man of extremes was incredible and may have not been possible any other way. It was mentioned to demonstrate Chapman’s failure to understand his own limitations. It also demonstrates why the company’s move upmarket was unknowingly hindered by Chapman himself.
As his firm grasp on the company slowly loosened, those who took over could start making inroads into the highly prestigious and profitable upper ends of the sports car market. The vehicle that was the basis for this change was the long-running Esprit. Produced from 1976 through 2004, this Giugiaro-designed mid-engine sports car was built in the Lotus way. The backbone chassis and fiberglass body were powered by a four-cylinder engine and were an exercise in handling and efficiency. It also became the primary offering for the company and was regularly updated throughout production. Each update marked an improvement in horsepower and a softening of the original version’s angular styling. These changes also brought the car more in line with its competitors in the areas of quality and luxuriousness.
The car you see here is a perfect example of what a Lotus product had become by the close of the eighties with regular changes. From the rich leather interior with its highly glossy wooden accent pieces to the very efficient and powerful for the time four-cylinder engine, the Lotus Esprit had become an equal to its competitors from Maranello and Stuttgart. The all-important performance numbers that we drooled over in Road and Track put the car in the upper echelon of automobiles of the time. The company also found ways to give the cramped cockpit more room and improve the quality and safety of the fiberglass and Kevlar stiffened body. The best part was that the car sold well, validating the concept of Lotus becoming an upmarket brand.
This particular Lotus has been gone through by the present owner to bring it back to showroom condition. Major parts such as the clutch, braking system, and exhaust have been repaired and any needed parts have been replaced. Still, it is a work in progress. The car will need a new windshield due to a small crack in one of the lower corners, a passenger-side window switch, and a few other odds and ends. As with many of its competitors at the time, this car is at an age where it will always be a work in progress. The question is if the beautiful body lines and the luxurious interior complete with a set of aftermarket leather seats are worth the asking price of $29,500 and the constant effort to keep it at its best. Chapman may have fought against a car like this when he had control, but even he would have to admit that this Lotus is proof positive that an upmarket Lotus automobile was a valid concept.
Do you think Lotus should have continued as a maker of light but fragile cars with excellent handling, or was the move upmarket the right one for the company? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Beautiful car. In the early ’80s we were the go to shop for the Lotus dealer. Watched the Esprit grow to a magnificent road and track machine. Think Chapman went the best way. Liked them then. love them now.
The car is very nice. I own a ’94 Esprit S4, and I see the car in the ad has had several upgrades. The interior for one. The seats look like they are from a later (93 or later) esprit – and would be a vast improvement. I think the turbo and intercooler was different on earlier cars as well – but I’m not sure on that. Anyhow – with proper maintenance, these are wonderful cars. You do have to get used to the visibility, and learn to set and rely on mirrors properly.
I’ve always loved Lotus cars, would really love to own one someday and this Esprit with some well thought out additions would look fantastic in my garage. Those seats look incredible and I bet they are comfortable and keep you planted in the proper driving position on any manor or twisty road or track. I also think $29k is more than reasonable for such a fabulous exotic supercar, as everyone knows that Lotus have always been known for their handling and lightweight, which also translates into a fast car that doesn’t need huge power and it’ll get decent gas mileage to boot. The only thing holding it back is the outrageous maintenance costs and the fact that even a mild fender bender can result in the car being deemed a total loss by the insurance company. But I still would love to own one someday.
I have one of these in the exact same year and the fuel injection system is the only problem I have had in the 20 years I have had mine. The shop said it was in reality a GM unit and it had been modified so if anything went wrong it shut down before the engine could get damaged. Now you are low enough to see the lights of the cars or trucks reflecting off the road below a tractor trailer truck. If you draft one you can see milage up to 50 miles per gallon. I have done that many times and if you need to punch it well it moves well that way also. There are some cars that are faster now but not many and when you hit a 4 way stop you can see the Cell Phones of the other drivers come out to photograph your car because they are so beautiful and so rare.
Great price given today’s market. Beautiful car and one that I’ve always wanted to add to my stable. In 2014 a work colleague had 2 for sale, a turbo 4 and a v8 for $20K and $21K. After 9 years, the current price seems right.
If I may… there is no such thing as a four-cylinder “supercar.” I never could understand why these were so expensive.
Well they are hand made for a start and any limited production run car will always be more expensive especially when it gets close to 30 MPG on a long trip and is so comfortable to drive long distances. As for the twisty bits there are very very few cars that drive as well as this and they cost far more to purchase and maintain.
In 1993 a new Esprit did 0 – 60 in 4.7 seconds, 0 – 100 in 12.7 seconds, and had a top speed of 165. The Ferrari 348 did 0 – 60 in 5.4 seconds, 0-100 in 14.5 and a top speed of 171. So a Ferrari could go 6mph faster, but it took longer to accelerate anywhere. A Lambo Diablo in 1993 would do 0-60 in 4.2, 0-100 in 9.3s, and had a 210mph top speed. The Lotus has a 2.2l four, the Lambo a V-12 and the Ferrari a V8. The Ferrari cost $110,000 (base model) in 1993, the Lambo was about $239,000 and the Lotus was just over $68,000. Since the Lambo is the fastest, has the biggest engine with the most cylinders, and is the most expensive, you get what you pay for. With the Ferrari, maybe not – an esprit accelerates faster and is 2/3 the price….but doesn’t have that 6mph. For the American car fans – a 1993 corvette ZR-1 was just under the price of the lotus, but it had a V-8, did 0-60 in 4.9s (faster than the Ferrari, slower than the Lambo or the Lotus), 0-100 in 10.3 seconds (faster than the Lotus or the Ferrari, but not faster than a Lambo), and a top speed of 179mph – again faster than the Ferrari and the Lotus – but not faster than the Lambo. Yes I have an Esprit S4 – and no I don’t think it’s the best car in the world – or even the best manufactured in 1993 – but I’m objective about the numbers.
Great looking and very sweet interior!! Fair price too.
Beautiful car, always loved the looks of these, very striking when seen on the road.
The Lotus of that era was respected for it’s technical prowess. They had a hand in tweaking the suspension systems of some cars, including Isuzu and their Giugiaro designed coupe. They also were responsible for designing the Corvette ZR1 4 valve cylinder head. Some in the know may correct me on this if I’m wrong, but I want to believe they had a hand in the redesigned 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT and Formula front and rear suspension.
I owned a 95:Calypso Red S4. What a truly beautiful, amazing, very reliable car. Comfortable, fast, handled superbly. Only made one mistake with that car……I sold it.