Gorgeous TCS listed on Bring a Trailer

[jbcollier]

It's good not to be in a rush.

[Certified Lotus]

I’m an ocean sailer. I learned a long time ago not to plan on your trip working according to plan. It’s less stressful that way.

[surfguitar58]

The final bid was a record on BaT - $41,355!!! Well done! The previous record was for $35,973 (https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1973-lotus-europa-special-3/). They are pretty similar but this car was a 5-speed where the previous record holder was a 4-speed. Certainly that's worth a bit but not the entire difference so maybe this could be a evidence that prices are starting to move up for a pristine fresh restoration.

I agree BDA. I think the Webber head is a desirable novelty here in the US and helped drive the price up. (Also bodes well for certified’s sale.) The “$100k spent” claim is misleading since it sounds like the restorer took the open checkbook owner to the cleaners.
If it were mine, the first thing I’d do is swap out those wheels and tires.
t

[jbcollier]

Get rid of genuine Minilites?  Agree on the tires though.

[surfguitar58]

Get rid of genuine Minilites?  Agree on the tires though.

I guess minilites are perfectly good, okay, better wheels, but I like the look of the original Cosmics. To my taste, the gold wheels are a tad glitzy.

I also just noticed the black windshield gasket. The OEM approximation sold by RDent looks correct on the Special, though a little plasticy up close. My favorite windshield trim is whatever our own Pfreen used on his car: thin, smooth radiused chrome plastic mitered at the corners. So I guess that’s the second thing I’d change, along with lowering the front.

[BDA]

The final bid was a record on BaT - $41,355!!! Well done! The previous record was for $35,973 (https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1973-lotus-europa-special-3/). They are pretty similar but this car was a 5-speed where the previous record holder was a 4-speed. Certainly that's worth a bit but not the entire difference so maybe this could be a evidence that prices are starting to move up for a pristine fresh restoration.

I agree BDA. I think the Webber head is a desirable novelty here in the US and helped drive the price up. (Also bodes well for certified’s sale.) The “$100k spent” claim is misleading since it sounds like the restorer took the open checkbook owner to the cleaners.
If it were mine, the first thing I’d do is swap out those wheels and tires.
t

Surf, I would prefer the Weber head too but both cars I was comparing had a Weber head so that was a wash. I agree with you that the $100K is misleading (unless labor was included in the price of some of those parts - I admit that I didn't study the invoices that closely - but even more than, to my mind, it was irrelevant. If I were considering buying that car. the cost of the restoration would not be considered. I'd be buying the car at it sits. It wouldn't make any difference if he spent $10,000 or $100,000. All that is nice to know but it is in the past. I think the $100,000 figure seemed high and I thought the the listed prices of some of the parts were very high, but as I say, would be irrelevant in my decision to buy the car.

I'm really glad we got a new high price. I think that being a fresh restoration was a big part of that price. Taking BaT history, good drivers haven't made as big a move up the price range as I would hope. Big prices for a Europa will hopefully bleed down to cars that are not so pristine. We'll see...

[jbcollier]

Agree that the gold wheels are off-putting.  I like the look of the Cosmics as well, and have a set on mine, but they are not light.  In fact they are heavier than the stock steel wheels and the design, mated with the small bolt circle, is susceptible to cracks.

The minilites are a good, light and strong design but, unfortunately, they suffer from being the ubiquitous choice for British cars.