Esprit Turbo by Lotus founder Colin Chapman
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The car where Margaret Thatcher was arrested
Want to have a car driven by Colin Chapman and Margaret Thatcher? Then get this Lotus Esprit Turbo, which is sold in England.
Colin Chapman rode the lotus. OK, but where is the surprise? However, the fact that Margaret Thatcher also ran this Esprit by Colin Chapman is hardly known to many. This car is currently sold by a dealer in Farnham, Surrey, an hour's drive southwest of London and nearly three hours from the Lotus headquarters in Hettel.
Colin Chapman's Lotus Esprit Turbo was released in February 1981 and registered for road use on August 1, 1981. But they didn't drive much - the speedometer shows 11 miles or about 000 kilometers. The metallic silver has been updated over time, and the interior is well-preserved, says retailer Mark Donaldson. The displacement of the four-cylinder turbo engine is 17 liters, so it first appeared in 000. Timing belt was recently replaced.
Special equipment for Chapman
The Colin Chapman Esprit was slightly modified with an additional air conditioning system, power steering and a pollen filter installed in the car - Chapman suffered from hay fever. The hull has been optimized to reduce aerodynamic noise and improve sealing. More attention has been paid to the engine and braking system than usual for standard products. As already mentioned, the Esprit is lacquered in metallic silver. The interior is richly decorated with red leather. But this is not the only feature - most likely, Chapman personally ordered the installation of a high-quality Panasonic RM 6210 music system with a control panel on the ceiling.
A fascinating story, several kilometers
The founder of Lotus was not destined to manage his Esprit for long. The center-engined sports car had covered 4460 miles - about 7100 kilometers - when Lotus sold the car at auction in 1983. Chapman himself had already died at the age of 54 from cardiac arrest in 1982. Esprit was bought at auction. from a merchant in Leicester who then sold it to a private client. The buyer used the car for a while, then after a seven-year stay, took it to the factory in 1997 for serious service - the handwritten bill is 5983,17 British pounds. After that, the Esprit seemed to perform without problems during the technical inspection. Lotus visited the car again over the next two years, with the petrol line replaced in 1998 and the ignition retuned in 1999. Esprit has gone through several owners since 2000 and eventually returned to a fourth owner. The merchant who sells this does not report the current price. In Germany, Classic Analytics notes very well-preserved Esprit Turbo prices between 30 and 600.
Margaret Thatcher liked Esprit Chapman
On August 5, 1981, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher traveled with Chapman's Esprit when she visited Norfolk. Chapman showed her several more Lotus models and briefly brought her with some of them. One photo shows Thatcher driving an Esprit. She looks skeptical, but obviously delighted with the car. Her comment was: "Drives well." They even claim that she tried to leave with him.
Hack and predictor Aviator
Buying an Esprit led by Colin Chapman is probably as exciting for a Lotus fan as it is for a Porsche fan to buy a 911 driven by a Ferry Porsche. The fact that Margaret Thatcher was driving is a rather amusing side effect for motorists. But with or without Thatcher, the early Lotus Esprit is a special car.
