Lotus Esprit Series 1 - Colin Chapman's car - Silver Diamond Metallic

Limited Edition
Product Information
FREE UK Delivery when you spend over £30.
Please allow up to 3 working days for UK delivery following the day you placed your order.
* Club membership packages do not count towards free delivery thresholds
Europe - 3-5 days
Rest of World - 5-10 days
We also offer FREE delivery to selected international destinations
Description
The Esprit modelled, the 278th made, came off the production line on July 18th 1977, having been built to test numerous planned modifications including a new heater, headlight system and dampers. It was road-registered in Colin Chapman's name on August 1st and he used it as his personal transport to evaluate these changes. However, one day he arrived at the Hethel factory with the car enveloped in steam, kicked its door shut and proclaimed, "I never want to see that car again". Vehicle Engineering then used it as a test bed for more Series II improvements, including the wrap-around front-spoiler (from which the Series II moulds were taken), Smiths instruments and Speedline alloy wheels.
Lotus sold it in October 1978 and current owner, Phil Leech, a life-long Lotus enthusiast, bought it in September 2003 after it had been sitting in BBC colleague Steve Preston's garden with a blown engine for six years. Steve didn't want to sell it to a friend because after so many years in the open with a smashed windscreen it was in a very poor state but he eventually listed it on eBay and, aware of its unique history, Phil bought it anyway! He then started a complete restoration which, due to a change of domestic arrangements and a move to Manchester, took twelve years. This historically significant Lotus has since been featured in Practical Classics and exhibited at the Birmingham NEC Restoration Show.
Engine: 1973cc 4IL DOHC 16V Power: 160bhp@6200rpm Torque: 140lbs.ft@4900rpm 0-60mph: 7.3 seconds Maximum speed: 138mph Weight: 1033kgs
Approved and licensed by Classic Team Lotus Ltd www.classicteamlotus.co.uk
Safety Notice
A detailed die-cast scale model for adult collector. Not Suitable for children under 14 years.
Technical Specification & Detail
Scale | 1:43 |
Limited Edition | Yes |
Limited Edition Size | 1,500 |
Length | 99mm |
Age Suitability | 14+ |
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Review Guidelines
To write a great review:
- Focus on the item itself. Why do you like it or dislike it?
- Avoid mentioning any personal information (email address, telephone numbers) and time-sensitive material.
- Just be honest! You're an expert on this item. Share your experience with others. We will never reject a review just because it's negative.
We will reject reviews that contain:
- Customer service issues. Please contact Customer Services instead if you have experienced a specific issue that needs to be addressed.
- Any mention of competitors.
- General issues or discussion. Your review is on this specific item and what you think of it, it's not a place for debate and discussion on wider subject matters.
- Clear signs that you don't own the item.
- Profanities, distasteful language, promotional material and/or external links. This applies to nicknames too.
What happens next?
- We'll check your review and approve it as soon as possible. Should it not be possible for us to approve your review for the website, it'll appear (with a message from our team) in your Account area.
- Other visitors can leave replies to your review and mark if they felt it was helpful.
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