Presenting Lotus Esprit S1, Chassis 134H

Introducing a very special Esprit S1 to the collector community. The original of this car put a few thousand miles on it in the first few years of its life, and then instead of selling it like he normally would, grew attached to it and held on to it.

Being a real estate developer, he had no shortage of climate controlled storage for the car. Away it went, under a cover, for years at a time.

In June of 2008, with a long-expired registration, the car had only seen the light of day a few times in almost 30 years (only to be moved between storage facilities two times). The sentimental original owner was finally ready to let it go . . . to a good home.

With only 4009 original miles and barely a wrench ever turned on this car, it is just as it left the Lotus factory in 1977.

The original tires are fresh and soft.
The orange "gelcoat" finish is as close to flawless as exists.
The brown marcasite velvet interior has no fading.
The fluorescent red seatbelt decals and gauge markings are saturated with their full color.
The trim is unmarked.
The car looks, feels, and smells as new.
On top of all that, it is a very rare color in left-hand-drive; only four federal cars in the orange "gelcoat" finish, plus two "J" models for Europe (and another two orange federal cars in conventional paint finish).

This is the best-preserved Esprit S1 I have ever seen.


UPDATE: 134H now lives happily as part of a great collection of cars. It has been kept totally original, but received a thorough detailing and tune-up to make it look and run like the day it left the Lotus factory. It is absolutely the mintest and most original S1 I have ever seen or heard of.

I was very happy to see 134H on display at the 2009 Celebration Exotic Car Festival, parked alongside of the best restored Esprit S1 in the world (the yellow car that was featured in Octane magazine). What a treat!

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Lotus
• Esprit
• S1
• S2
• 1976
• 1977
• 1978
• 1979
• wolfrace
• 007
• bond
• hethel
• colin
• chapman
• original

[Pintac87]

Stunning car. I've always been a sucker for the S1. Such clean styling and yours looks to be perfect. Congrats, enjoy the car!

[AutomobileAddiction]

@Pintac87 Thanks for the kind words! . . . as an FYI, though, I sold it to a true Lotus nut shortly after this video was made, and it is kept in the kind of environment where it should stay looking new for a long time to come. :) . . . and of course I felt remorse, so I replaced it with another red one, lol! :D

[Sunbeam65]

Beautiful car! Any idea the name of the dealership the Lotus was purchased new from back in the day?

[AutomobileAddiction]

It was sold new at the Lotus-Jensen dealer in Medina, Ohio. I believe it was called International Imports, or something to that effect. :)

[jb007rm]

ill take the white one.haha.

[CoolDansta]

@GodricThe would a 302 fit in it??? i have a 302 that i took out of my my 68 cougar and want to know if it will fit

[GodricThe]

@CoolDansta v8. must be american. put turbo in it

[CoolDansta]

do you know any companies that remanufacture the classic engines that these lotus come with

or if i could just buy a new one for it

[CoolDansta]

is this a 1978????

does it have a V8???

or can you swap it with a V8??

please get back to me because there is this guy that might sell his it needs a lot of work buti want to put my time and effort in it and i would like to drop a V8 in it i want to know if it would fit

[cheesebubba]

what a stunningly beautiful machine, and such a perfect

colour for such a beauty! and what a hard life you have! ONLY THREE !!!

[archon808]

Drool

[MrStraight6]

2 weren't enough?!?!