Original TCS

[3929R]

http://www.hiltonandmoss.com/cardesc/lotus-europa-twin-cam-special-88 

This was sent to the Lotus of Utah email list..... I thought it was worth sharing.

[Bainford]

Wow, that's quite a nicely preserved original. The price of 32,950 lbs is justified by the low miles, I suppose. I realise, though, that the Europa's are higher priced on the other side of the pond.

[Roger]

Nice car, but if it's original, where are the crossover pipes?  I'd be asking a number of questions if I were interested.

BTW, "lbs" is an abbreviation for pound mass. The currency is GBP.

[BDA]

Crossover pipe were often the first thing to go in the US. I believe they were used for US emission regulations and probably not needed in the UK even if they were installed. We don't get to see the manifolds but if they weren't, I certainly don't think Lotus would go to the expense to make two different intake and exhaust manifolds. In any case, were I to score the car for originality, I would take off VERY few points if the pipes were not there - but then I'm not a concours judge! 
[oops! I just read the flapdoodle on the car and it is a US car not a UK car. My point still stands.]

There aren't enough pictures to decide that the car is otherwise original and even if it is, 33K GBP (almost US$55000) seems like a lot of money for the car. Europa prices have gone up recently and I hope our cars do appreciate to that level but so far they don't seem to have gone up that far.

[Seeing that it was shipped from California to the UK, I wonder if "original" Europas get such a premium there. Also looking closer, the seats do not appear to be original since they appear to have cloth inserts rather than all vinyl. Also, the window lift switches should be all black rather than have what looks like an aluminum "frame". It's been a long time but I don't believe the console cover was ever covered and stitched. I think they were the same black vinyl ones all the other TCs got. It looks to me like it was dressed up a bit (which in my mind is not a bad thing but it's not "original". If so, this makes me a little uncomfortable with this car. Who would go to the expense of covering the console cover, not drive it, and then call it original, and then ask A LOT of money for it?]

[EuropaTC]

I think it is an original car, although at the time I first saw it I was exactly like you in doubting the centre console.

In the 70s a friend had a '73 TCS which had oatmeal trim but retained the usual black plastic console with an oatmeal pad and there's even a picture of a similar interior on the Europa TC sales literature. So I assumed the covered ones were owner modifications until someone (Tim Engel ?) pointed out that the very last few cars came out with extra trim upgrades. So I'd guess the console plus the storage bin between the seats are OEM.  Personally I quite like them, it's on the list for my car at some point.

The price is strong for the UK, but then again if it is a genuine 5,000 mile car then where else are you going to get one ? I think the seller is trying to ride on the recent surge with Elan prices, which really have gone crazy here over the past year. They also have an Elan S4 up for £30k which despite the rises I think is equally ambitious given the photos of the car, so there's a sizable "haggle factor" in there I reckon.

Brian

[BDA]

I know the last Europas had upgraded trim (oatmeal interior, stitching (fake) on the crashpad, etc.) so it is certainly possible that they might have covered the console cover, but I'm still a bit skeptical. Maybe somebody who has a better memory than I can clue us in.

As for the Elan you mention, I'm less surprised at the price they are asking for it. For whatever reason, Elans have always gone for a premium over Europas. US$50K sounds a bit steep but then I don't keep up with them that closely. I would LOVE to have an S4 Sprint, though! 

[Roger]

As I say, I'd ask questions. IF it's a genuine, unmodified, TCS then it might be worth the high price asked for it.

But how genuine and unmodified? The very first view of the engine shows the crossover pipes are missing, which raises suspicions at least. Then we're told the car has been in dry storage with original tyres and yet it "drives in a most fabulous way with the Big Valve engine producing a wonderful soundtrack and great performance." Do you really exploit the drive and performance of a car that old that's come out of dry storage without any restoration work?  I doubt it, and I'd suggest that the cork camcover gasket looks surprisingly new so I expect some work has been done, as indeed it should. I'd want to know the extent of that work.

OK, I'll accept that it might be advertising drivel, but it makes me wonder.