RE: Bond's Esprit up for sale
Discussion
To answer the original question posted on Wednesday about who would by this car... someone with more money than sense who is also a Bond fanatic. To think they call Trekkies sad!
Mind you, I've got to admit, if I had a few million sitting in the bank, I'd buy it. Might as well have a car you can enjoy than mountains of money that you could not possibly ever spend, just collecting dust.
As for Lotus being for Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious... I've heard that a thousand times but not found it to be true yet. I've got 2 Esprits, an early Giugiaro shape and a later Stevens shape Turbo. I've had one of them for over 6 years and that one didn't put me off getting a second one. They have both had Lots of Trouble, Usually Simple (to fix). They are a joy to drive and providing you like tinkering with cars, they are relatively easy to look after. They are not forgiving of neglect, but then what Supercar is? I know a guy with a Porsche, he has had it less than a year and its been at the garage more than he has been driving it, lots of problems and bills of several thousand each time it goes in. The engine is more specialised and so he cannot do anything on it himself... unlike the Esprit SE that he swapped to get the Porsche. The main niggle with the Esprit has always been to do with the fact they have a plastic body and so could do with a better wiring loom. But I'd take that problem over the tin-worm (rust) problems of a metal bodied car, any day.
Happy motoring.
Bill
Mind you, I've got to admit, if I had a few million sitting in the bank, I'd buy it. Might as well have a car you can enjoy than mountains of money that you could not possibly ever spend, just collecting dust.
As for Lotus being for Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious... I've heard that a thousand times but not found it to be true yet. I've got 2 Esprits, an early Giugiaro shape and a later Stevens shape Turbo. I've had one of them for over 6 years and that one didn't put me off getting a second one. They have both had Lots of Trouble, Usually Simple (to fix). They are a joy to drive and providing you like tinkering with cars, they are relatively easy to look after. They are not forgiving of neglect, but then what Supercar is? I know a guy with a Porsche, he has had it less than a year and its been at the garage more than he has been driving it, lots of problems and bills of several thousand each time it goes in. The engine is more specialised and so he cannot do anything on it himself... unlike the Esprit SE that he swapped to get the Porsche. The main niggle with the Esprit has always been to do with the fact they have a plastic body and so could do with a better wiring loom. But I'd take that problem over the tin-worm (rust) problems of a metal bodied car, any day.
Happy motoring.
Bill
dsf3g said:
Finally a chance to see the ski-racks up close!
Alas it looks like they were simply bonded/bolted on permanently for the film. I used to own a 1986 Esprit, and a lot of fellow Esprit owners expressed an interest in the ski racks if only to take the car to a ski-resort just once.
Alas it looks like they were simply bonded/bolted on permanently for the film. I used to own a 1986 Esprit, and a lot of fellow Esprit owners expressed an interest in the ski racks if only to take the car to a ski-resort just once.
i know the feeling. within the first month of ownership i took the car to a local ski resort, despite plenty of advice against. i also have a ski rack orginally made for a porsche 944 which would bolt on without problem. looks nicer empty than the bond film effort. still undecided about ever installing it.
as an option, snowboards shorter than 165cm go in out of the cabin very easily if you don't take a passenger.
I worked at lotus when they cleared out their personal collection - it was basically to raise some quick cash - about a month later 100 of us were laid off - as I was a post graduate student I was unfortunatley on the redundancy list!
the collection included a white esprit - I seem to remember it being fitted with slot-mag type wheels - a Lotus cortina - as used by Ronnie Biggs to do the recce for the great train robbery - bought by Chapmann from the police - and a lotus carlton - I think it was the first one off the production line.....
I remember taking a good look at them all while they were in the workshop while being "spruced" up for sale - the esprit hadnt been started for donkeys years as it was just wheeled out for shows and stuff - but they got it running for the actual sale.
the collection included a white esprit - I seem to remember it being fitted with slot-mag type wheels - a Lotus cortina - as used by Ronnie Biggs to do the recce for the great train robbery - bought by Chapmann from the police - and a lotus carlton - I think it was the first one off the production line.....
I remember taking a good look at them all while they were in the workshop while being "spruced" up for sale - the esprit hadnt been started for donkeys years as it was just wheeled out for shows and stuff - but they got it running for the actual sale.
They has an auction at Coys a year or so back, all the stuff from Ketteringham Hall when the Chapman Family decided to have a clear out. There were things like rear spoliers from F1 cars, Colin Chapmans Desk (which i was surprised they got rid of), various tools and even some of the cars that were on display apparently. They still have the list on Coys website www.coys.co.uk
From what i gather, they still own the Hall as its now let out to several companies. Shame they didn't turn the barns into a Lotus Museum with the collection they have, between them and Lotus Cars there must be some fascinating vehicles there.
From what i gather, they still own the Hall as its now let out to several companies. Shame they didn't turn the barns into a Lotus Museum with the collection they have, between them and Lotus Cars there must be some fascinating vehicles there.
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