Lotus Europa first generation model Club

CAR #Lotus-Europa-GS / #Lotus-Europa / #Lotus /

Year of manufacture #1972
Recorded mileage 77,015
Asking price £20,000
Vendor Martin Ricketts, Herts; tel: 07768 310333

WHEN IT WAS NEW
Price £1995 (Europa) + £1500
Max power 105bhp
Max torque 108lb ft
0-60mph 7.7 secs
Top speed 121mph
Mpg 30

This is one of a handful of cars built by #GS-Cars using a #William-Towns and #Mike-Rawlings -designed body adaptation. It featured in C&SC in November 1991. Ricketts already owns the first one, with all of the available extras, so with the arrival of another Europa this GS has to go.

It’s in good order, obviously restored a while ago. There are a few scrapes and blemishes in the body and paint – as you’d expect with any older Lotus – plus some light cracking around the rear lock, but no serious star chips or voids. Its wheels are unmarked and the tyres are barely worn 10 year old Firestone F590s, 10mm wider on the back, though there’s no spare. The chassis all looks good, the rear exhaust box is stainless and while underneath you’ll also spot adjustable coilovers.

Inside, it’s very smart – and standard Europa – with good carpets and leather, no cracks in the dash timber or plastic centre console, and a GS Cars Bristol sticker on the back window. Both electric windows function. The motor is tidy, with the usual oil mist below the line of the head gasket. The original airbox is in place and there’s a new starter. The coolant is almost full in the header tank/swirl pot, the oil clean and to ‘Max’.

It starts easily with hardly a pump of the Webers on a warm day, and this is possibly the nicest-driving Europa we have encountered. All of them ride well but this is really supple, possibly due to the extra weight, though it moves around more on the road than a standard car – perhaps due to the slabbier sides on a windy day, maybe the older tyres. There’s even the chance of looking over your shoulder through the buttress when joining a dual carriageway. The clutch is initially sharp, the brakes smooth and the gear synchros strong. Everything works, including the electrically retractable headlights. Oil pressure is a strong 60psi at any revs (30 at warm tickover) and the coolant temperature 70ºC. At 4000rpm it’s doing 75-80mph, so it’s refined enough to actually go places – Ricketts has toured France in it.

SUMMARY

EXTERIOR Fine, with usual few blemishes
INTERIOR Excellent; trimmed in leather
MECHANICALS Feels up together; drives well
VALUE 9/10
For You’ll almost certainly have the only one at a show
Against Very much of its period
SHOULD I BUY IT?

As an interesting footnote in Lotus history, or the jumping off point for the Lagonda, it’s definitely a conversation piece. And it just happens to be a great drive, too.

Some special and rare #Lotus-Europa-S2 / #Lotus-Europa / #Lotus

LOTUS EUROPA SPECIAL
Year of manufacture 1972
Recorded mileage 83,100
Asking price £24,995
Vendor Sussex Sports Cars, Lewes,
East Sussex; tel: 01273 477778; www.sussexsportscars.co.uk

WHEN IT WAS NEW #1972 #Lotus-Europa / #Lotus / #Lotus-Europa-Special /
Price £1996 (1971)
Max power 126bhp
Max torque 113lb ft
0-60mph 7 secs
Top speed 123mph
Mpg 30

This possibly isn’t an original JPS (the livery remained an option after the first 100 commemorative cars were made), but it wears the paint scheme well. The cabin has been retrimmed in leather the same colour as the original oatmeal vinyl and velour, and the BigValve motor was overhauled by Terry Hoyle at a cost of £4000. The previous owner kept a record of all the detailed fettling he carried out from 2006, too. Prior to that, there are lots of bills from Banks Service Station and from Paul Matty Sports Cars. The Europa was rebuilt at some point on a new galvanised chassis, which is still excellent where you can see it. The paint is fine, with no stars or chips in the gel coat. Chrome is mostly good, bar the ’screen trim fading a bit. The alloys are unscuffed, shod with Goodyear NCTs having plenty of tread, though they date from 2002. There’s an older SP7 on a steel as the spare.

Inside, the hide is taking on wear and colour, and there’s a battery cut off switch on the bulkhead. The dash wood is smart, with no cracks in the veneer, and there’s a digital odometer indicating a replacement speedo. The engine bay is tidy, and there’s even a Big Valve cam cover – and both of the lid stays remain in place. The bill from 1998 includes £600 for a steel (EN19) crank, so the owner was pretty serious. Its coolant is a good level in the custom swirl pot/header tank, with oil mid-brown at ‘Max’.

It takes a few goes to start, having stood, and idles in that typically lumpy Twin Cam way, but, once the misfire clears, it spins sweetly to the 6000rpm orange zone, and no doubt some way beyond. This unit has L1 cams that give power to 7500rpm, so it’s probably putting out at least 130bhp. The chassis is sublime: supple, taut and as responsive as a wired cat – probably due to the amount of care that was lavished on it. The gearchange is unusually slick, plus the brakes have easily enough feel and power to bring the front rubber controllably to the point of squealing. Oil pressure is 55psi warm, water temp a reliable 90ºC. The MoT runs to mid-April.

SUMMARY
EXTERIOR No stars or chips; nice paint; windscreen trim has dulled
INTERIOR Leather just taking on character
MECHANICALS All new or fettled not long ago

VALUE 5 stars of 8
For Well kept; drives beautifully
Against Getting in and out

SHOULD I BUYIT?

This is an exceptionally well-sorted Europa at less money but at least as good as a ‘real’ JPS edition. If that’s too grey an area, you could always peel off the pinstripes…