167-Mile MSO 1988 Lotus Esprit Turbo Commemorative Edition
Vehicle Details
- Year: 1988
- Make: Lotus
- Model: Esprit Turbo
- VIN: SCCFC20A0JHF62345
- Mileage: 167
- Transmission: Manual
- Title Status: MSO
- Color: Pearlescent White
- Seller: Lotusx
- Seller Type: Private Party
- Location: La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
- Lot #: V-0024539
We are pleased to offer this 1988 Lotus Esprit X180 Commemorative Edition finished in Pearlescent White over a tritone Blue and Grey Connolly leather interior. For the 1988 model year, Lotus produced a limited run of 88 freshly redesigned Esprit Turbos to commemorate the first race car of marque's founder Colin Chapman in 1948. The Commemorative Edition cars feature a unique pearlescent paint finish, distinctive upholstery and trim, and a numbered limitation plaque. This example, #68, was originally delivered to Robert’s Lotus of Meriden, Connecticut, and remained with the dealership’s owner until 2022 while being kept in climate-controlled storage and driven less than 200 miles in total. Having never been titled, remaining on its Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin, this rare and exceptionally well-preserved Lotus is now being offered for auction by its seller out of California.
For the 1988 model year, the Esprit was redesigned by Peter Stevens who was also responsible for the legendary McLaren F1. A new method patented by Lotus called VARI (Vacuum Assisted Resin Injection) was used to produce the body panels with kevlar added to the roof and sides for increased rollover protection. This Commemorative Edition is finished in Pearlescent White and features a removable roof panel, pop-up headlights, a rear wing, heated side mirrors, and rocker panel aero vents. It rides on a set of body-colored 15″ Lotus Design OZ wheels which come dressed in original Goodyear Eagle NCT tires from 1988.
The cabin is trimmed in a unique tritone theme with Blue Connolly leather, grey pigskin inserts, and blue carpets. Along with the exterior refresh, 1988 brought changes to the Esprit's cabin resulting in more spacious accommodations for occupants. Details include wood grain dashboard trim, tinted glass, air conditioning, power windows, a Sony AM/FM cassette player with a graphic equalizer, and a CD changer. The seller confirms that all gauges, electronics, and accessories remain functional.
Power comes from a mid-mounted Type 910 2.2-liter 16-valve turbocharged inline-four cylinder engine with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection. As much as 215 HP and 192 lb-ft of torque are sent to the rear wheels by way of a 5-speed manual Citroën-sourced transaxle. The Esprit features four-wheel independent suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, and four-wheel disc brakes with ventilated front rotors. The seller notes a fuel system flush was performed earlier in 2022.
This sale will include the owner's manuals and window sticker.
Auction Results
- Highest Bid: $107,750
- Auction End: Dec 01, 2022 09:26:56PM UTC
- Number of Bids: 22
Comments (39)
Bid in the amount of $107,750
Bid in the amount of $107,500
Bid in the amount of $107,000
Bid in the amount of $105,000
Bid in the amount of $100,000
Bid in the amount of $98,000
Bid in the amount of $97,000
Yeah I probably shouldn't have said anything. I am a Lotus dealer and yes the car is amazing!
Bid in the amount of $94,000
@fcort7 Why? Just curious. Car is incredible
Bid in the amount of $92,500
@fcort7 ? You do realize this car probably worth north of 100k?
Bid in the amount of $86,000
Jumping the bid that much concerns me. GLWTS
Bid in the amount of $85,000
Bid in the amount of $63,000
Bid in the amount of $62,500
Bid in the amount of $51,250
Bid in the amount of $51,000
I guess this will be dropping into the deal tank unless it's near the BAT price. I would like this in my collection so we shall see who has deep pockets today for a rare oppertunity.
Bid in the amount of $50,250
Wonderful Car...People should not have to be afraid to say " I am doing it to take advantage of a rare collector car market " I intend to make a profit!
Bid in the amount of $50,000
amazing car, but candidly the interior looks like something out of an early 1970’s custom van……..
Bid in the amount of $31,988
I did want to add a little bit of information to the listing. When the Esprit was delivered, there was very little for us to do because the car was so perfect.
There was no paint correction necessary so 100% of the clearcoat is intact. I also decided not to ceramic coat the car because in 1988 the only ceramic coat on the market was PermaPlate. I am pretty fanatical about only using products on a new old stock vehicle that do not change the way the color looks.
We did remove some dust from the engine bay but nothing has been polished or coated. When you see the bright red/orange powder coat that is the actual color. Every photograph is as taken. None of them have been color corrected.
Lastly, I have put 2 miles on the car so the current mileage now is 169 miles. No additional mileage will be added.
@Plancaster The plan was to put my X180R next to the X180. On the other side would be my preproduction prototype 340R.
In all honesty, I can’t bring myself to put any miles on this car, and I’m certainly not willing to remove the window sticker from the windshield.
I would imagine whoever ends up acquiring this car will keep it as a perfect time capsule still on MSO. But then again, maybe somebody would just like a brand new lotus Esprit, to be the first owner and actually put some real mileage on.
Either way, sitting in my collection being started once a week but never driven is not ideal for the car. This Esprit is just too wonderful.
What’s the reason for selling such a beautiful vehicle after just months of ownership.
@JJ I have previously shipped a historic vehicle into Canada that also had never been registered. And on top of that, the vehicle I sent had a short VIN number because it came from Europe.
I ran into absolutely no issues, but it would have been very difficult to get the car from Canada into the United States. It was under the 25 year rule for entry into the US.
I would imagine the Esprit, if it was going to Canada, would be going via single use cargo container. I would heavily recommend Schumacher transport out of the port of Long Beach.
If the car does end up going to Canada, I would be more than happy to help work with my contacts at Schumacher to assist in an effortless transport.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to let me know.
Anyone know what issues the lack of title may cause if a buyer were to import the car to Canada?
Bid in the amount of $27,300
@CarNutinMiami Thank you for the question. All fluids have been replaced and that’s the first thing I do on anything that comes into my collection.
Even on cars that are driven in my collection, I change oil every 100 hours which normally equates to about 1900 km of my driving. You can never change brake fluid or coolant often enough especially on a car that’s not used.
The Esprit operates exactly as it should and at the correct temperature. If you have more detailed questions, please let me know.
Thank Arnie Johnson (RIP) at Lotus for always recommending to me the extra service work. My first Lotus was/is an X180R that we purchased new in 1991.
Bid in the amount of $27,007
This car did well on BaT in April of this year. It will be interesting to see how it does in the current market. Esprit prices seemed to peak earlier this year. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1988-lotus-160-mile-40th-anniversary-edition-esprit/
I see where it says the fuel system was flushed. I would imagine that all the fluids in the car have to be flushed and changed for fresh fluids. Has that been done?
Bid in the amount of $25,000
Bid in the amount of $20,000
Additional content has been added to the gallery for this listing.
I want you to say hello to all the people viewing and bidding on my new old stock Lotus Esprit.
I am available to answer any questions, no matter how small or how detailed the request.
To emphasize, this is the last known Esprit of any year that is still on MSO and has never been sold or titled. The window sticker has never been removed from the front windshield. For the last 35 years, this Esprit has been hidden away without even the ability for people to see it or sit in it.
It is pristine and perfect in every possible way. Please feel free to reach out if I can help with any questions or additional photographs.