Why is the Lotus Esprit not appreciating in value??
Discussion
Shifter1 said:
Cliches!
If a super car is not complex, hard to work on and full of issues, it's not a super car.
Look how everybody says the NSX is too good, boring etc.
But seriously, I didn't even touch on the reliability issues as reasons for the lower prices. Because every super car has them.
The De Tomaso Pantera is a piece of junk then! It has so many issues and on top of that it rusts like there is no tomorrow. Something Esprits will never do. Yet, Panteras are high like crazy now.
I knew somebody who had a Jalpa and that piece of junk gave him so much headache that he just gave up on it and literally gave the car away. The V8 engine in that is crap and low powered and the car was full with issues. I bet today he regrets selling it for so cheap to get rid of it. At that time though you couldn't pay someone to take your Jalpa away from you. Now they are high!
Any old Lamborghini is as much of a headache as an Esprit or pretty much any limited production older super car. Or even some new ones.
So I don't understand why people complain about that. It's like wanting an old American Muscle car and then complaining about high fuel consumption.
Because maybe when the Pantera or old Lambo are working it makes all the pain worthwhile in a way the Espirit doesn't. If a super car is not complex, hard to work on and full of issues, it's not a super car.
Look how everybody says the NSX is too good, boring etc.
But seriously, I didn't even touch on the reliability issues as reasons for the lower prices. Because every super car has them.
The De Tomaso Pantera is a piece of junk then! It has so many issues and on top of that it rusts like there is no tomorrow. Something Esprits will never do. Yet, Panteras are high like crazy now.
I knew somebody who had a Jalpa and that piece of junk gave him so much headache that he just gave up on it and literally gave the car away. The V8 engine in that is crap and low powered and the car was full with issues. I bet today he regrets selling it for so cheap to get rid of it. At that time though you couldn't pay someone to take your Jalpa away from you. Now they are high!
Any old Lamborghini is as much of a headache as an Esprit or pretty much any limited production older super car. Or even some new ones.
So I don't understand why people complain about that. It's like wanting an old American Muscle car and then complaining about high fuel consumption.
Lotus' core market is for small cars where they excel ( ). It's what most people know them for; their smaller stuff is sought after (like Mk1 Elise) and rising. Engine type or bodywork construction has nothing to do with it (e.g. 1960s Renault Alpines - small, light, four cylinder, fibreglass - values rising).
). It's what most people know them for; their smaller stuff is sought after (like Mk1 Elise) and rising. Engine type or bodywork construction has nothing to do with it (e.g. 1960s Renault Alpines - small, light, four cylinder, fibreglass - values rising).You also have to recognise that the situation is totally different elsewhere in Europe. Countries where there is no previous culture of comedians making jokes likes "loads of...... The trend on Autoscout has shown prices double in the last 12 months and more and more UK cars are being shipped abroad:
https://www.autoscout24.com/offers/lotus-esprit-tu...
https://www.autoscout24.com/offers/lotus-esprit-tu...
MarshPhantom said:
Because maybe when the Pantera or old Lambo are working it makes all the pain worthwhile in a way the Espirit doesn't.
I think any Esprit owner will tell you they do! Even Clarckson who can be pretty asinine said the Esprit handles great and is a lot of fun etc.By the way, the Jalpa with it's V8 only had a few more ponies than the contemporary Esprit.
The contemporary Turbo Esprit has more HP per weight than the Jalpa and is a lot more fun. The Jalpa doesn't put the smile on your face the Esprit puts when you are driving it. So at least in the case of the Jalpa, an old Lambo when working does not make all the pain worthwhile in a way the Espirit doesn't. It's the other way around.
The Jalpa is heavy, slow, and handles like a canoe next to the Esprit.
Le TVR said:
You also have to recognise that the situation is totally different elsewhere in Europe. Countries where there is no previous culture of comedians making jokes likes "loads of...... The trend on Autoscout has shown prices double in the last 12 months and more and more UK cars are being shipped abroad:
https://www.autoscout24.com/offers/lotus-esprit-tu...
Exactly! As I said before, in mainland Europe the Esprit is very respected. It doesn't have the cheap aura it does in the UK. LHD Esprits are much more expensive than RHD ones for a reason.;)https://www.autoscout24.com/offers/lotus-esprit-tu...
MarshPhantom said:
The Triumph Spitfire sells for a lot more in France than they do here, does that make it a good car?
We are now discussing what is a good car and what is not? I thought the thread was about why Esprits don't appreciate.
If we are going to discuss what is a good car, not only we won't get any place (even less so than we are now) because lots of it will be subjective, but also most of the Esprit alternatives mentioned in this thread will have to be tossed out too.
The Pantera is not a good car. The Jalpa is absolutely not a good car. The Countach is not a good car. If I go on we can basically close the thread. Not many good cars in the old super car collection.
swisstoni said:
As someone already mentioned, this thread has been running for so long that Esprits are actually appreciating. I wished I checked the start date before pontificating
Perhaps it's now time to change the thread name to: "Why is the Lotus Esprit now appreciating in value??"? swisstoni said:
That's probably the real reason. Some cars have all the makings of a great classic but get overlooked.
I think we have the image of classic car buyers as shrewd connoisseurs. Some of them are but most of them are narrow minded and looking to jump on any disappearing bandwagon.
I agree. The Esprit is an iconic car. It does suffer from being a 4 pot but as more and more modern cars become 4 pots then I think that effect will weaken. The real problem is the image of the modern Lotus brand. If those fortunes change then the Esprit is going to rocket in value. I think we have the image of classic car buyers as shrewd connoisseurs. Some of them are but most of them are narrow minded and looking to jump on any disappearing bandwagon.
But at the moment it's a phenomenal classic car for anyone who has missed the boat on everything else and a car that won't drop far if the market collapses.
Leins said:
I know they don't have an extensive race history, but I still think of the Esprit as the car which Martin Donnelly went racing in again, after his near-fatal F1 crash
Whilst this adds nothing to the thread, i can remember seeing the Esprit race at Le Mans.A long while ago now but i seem to remember hugh chamberlain asking spectators (via radio le mans) if they could borrow a bonnet as the car suffered some damage in the race and they hadnt got a spare.
That could be b
ks though, a fair amount of beer was consumed.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff