I bought JEX591N from Hendon Way Motors in 1978 for £3,595.
It had a floppy gear change, a silencer which did nothing to silence the exhaust, and the paintwork had bubbles in quite a few places.
I put a new gear change on it, new exhaust, and had it resprayed. They sprayed the gold lines on.
When my 1st son came along in July 1979, he wouldn't fit in it, so I reluctantly sold it for £4,500 to an English buyer.
When I was driving the car down the Marylebone Road once, I was sitting at the lights, lights went green, someone crossing from my right went through a red light, I hit the brakes, and 5 litres of emulsion paint in the passenger footwell fell over, so I drove 15 miles home, took the carpets out and put them in the bath to wash them. I had to change one of the carpets, and all Lotus had was honey coloured carpets, so there was a slight colour change that side.
I have heaps of photos from 1978. If you were ever selling the car, I would buy it back (or swap it for a 1974 LHD black JPS car in immaculate condition with cash to balance).
Alex in Norfolk.