CalElan wrote:That Cortina is very different to the Lotus in that you just don't see unrestored unmolested examples of these things anymore.
He's probably not waited quite long enough to put the Lotus on the market - maybe he should have let it bake for another 15 years?
But then it will be very old technology indeed and a bit of a dinosaur - the V8 Esprit is another matter of course.
I had/have an Eclat (Lots Of Trouble etc) and ordered an Elise as soon as they were announced (Oct '95) but then told I was 108 on order list and it would be 2 years before they built it. Decided Esprit Turbo would entertain me but found same size as Eclat, only seated 2, rear visibility awful and I couldn't 4 wheel drift it like the Eclat so went back from the test drive disappointed but parked next to an M100 Elan for sale and took that out for a drive. Scared the 'used food' out of the sales guy in the passenger seat finding out how quick they can be even on a wet road. Now on my 3rd Elan and can't understand why such a usable Lotus doesn't command much higher prices but glad it doesn't.
Now here's another old box with a silly price -
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1969-Ford-Lotus-Escort-RARE-/380450221690was known as the Escort Twin Cam and built by Ford AVO at Boreham, near Chelmsford, who mated the Lotus supplied twin cam engines with a 2000E gearbox all fitted into a type 49 Escort shell. Lotus were too busy sorting themselves out after moving from Cheshunt to Hethel to continue with the Lotus Cortina Mk2 so Ford decided to build it in house as the Cortina Lotus and to my knowledge did the same for the Twin Cam Escort. Ford never mentioned Lotus and not a Lotus badge to be seen but Roger Clark won a few rallies in one and production was then continued at Halewood but not for long as the Cosworth FVC 16 valve engine soon replaced it & it became the RS1600 Escort, a vastly better car.
Just found this ....
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2094303 - 'turned down £55,000' for it before January 2012... ha ha . Idiot!