Where have all the Europas gone?

[drunkenmunkey]

I've been looking around for a decent Europa S for over a year and no luck.

The year before there seemed to be several for sale at attractive prices, now none! Any one know of a likely candidate? What's happened to them all?

[Exige77]

Think people have discovered what a Bl@@dy good car they are and at Bargain prices.

The GM motor is easily tuneable and reliable.

The people I know that have them, love them.

Ex77

[rob999]

I didn't think they were 'that easily' tuneable?

[Exige77]

Speak to Hoffmans: http://www.hofmannsofhenley.co.uk/motorsport/engin...

They have developed the engine with fairly std internals to big power.

Couple of my friends are running reliable and well mannered 310~320BHP road cars.

Gearbox is strong also.

TOAD Tv will be reviewing an "S" and a 330BHP Hoffmans car back to back shortly.

Ex77

Edited by Exige77 on Friday 19th October 21:29

[rob999]

Oh I know Lea's Europa Henry, I just thought using the Syvecs ECU wasn't that cheap in the grand scheme of things.
But then again, if you give your car to Chris it'll be good but not cheap

[planenut]

Well I can tell you where mine has gone, Norfolk with its new owner today. Hopefully he will enjoy the Europa as much as I have over the last 3 years of ownership. A great car, sorry to see it go but time for a change.

[J2LOT]

I have had mine for 4 years - longer than I have ever kept a car and I can't bring myself to sell it.
The problem is there were only 458 sold worldwide and after a slow start people now 'get' the Europa and there is demand for them.
Good luck in your search.

[Toaster]

I had a Europa for four years the first reviews and negative 'opinions' did not help sales yet these are great cars mine was a 2007 version of this one http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use... and was sold for around £16,500 personally I think the upper and of 20K is quite high.

However they are great cars

[M5Fan]

Toaster said:

I had a Europa for four years the first reviews and negative 'opinions' did not help sales yet these are great cars mine was a 2007 version of this one http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use... and was sold for around £16,500 personally I think the upper and of 20K is quite high.

However they are great cars

That's interesting, yours looked in A1 condition - I thought previously when they were being advertised @ £16-17k that was a reasonable price, they then started being advertised at £20k+ which I think is way over the odds. They are very rare though so who knows.

The silver one you linked to has been advertised for ages now. There's the black one at £15k approx but it is high-mileage, not sure how much of a concern that is.

TOAD TV are meant to be doing a review soon so looking forward to that

Edited by M5Fan on Tuesday 23 October 14:07

[M5Fan]

M5Fan said:

The silver one you linked to has been advertised for ages now.

Actually, not sure exactly how long this one has been advertised for, a fair while I think, JCT had a silver one that had been advertised for ages but looks like that's gone now

[Toaster]

M5Fan said:

That's interesting, yours looked in A1 condition - I thought previously when they were being advertised @ £16-17k that was a reasonable price, they then started being advertised at £20k+ which I think is way over the odds. They are very rare though so who knows.

The silver one you linked to has been advertised for ages now. There's the black one at £15k approx but it is high-mileage, not sure how much of a concern that is.

TOAD TV are meant to be doing a review soon so looking forward to that

Edited by M5Fan on Tuesday 23 October 14:07

Yup thanks it it was in good condition couple of smallish stone chips on the nose it had done 45,000 odd mile, I think the art is to just wash and wax hoover out the inerior dont feed the leather but just use something like the Autoglym foam cleaner and service regularly they are pretty bomb proof. The problem is/was there were a number of people saying they should be £20k and it looks like the dealers are trying to market them for that I still think £16-£17K is reasonable.

Have to say I love the Evora as well and it seems to be keeping as tidy as the Europa and doesnt seem to be picking up stone chips..........yet

[M5Fan]

Toaster said:

Yup thanks it it was in good condition couple of smallish stone chips on the nose it had done 45,000 odd mile, I think the art is to just wash and wax hoover out the inerior dont feed the leather but just use something like the Autoglym foam cleaner and service regularly they are pretty bomb proof. The problem is/was there were a number of people saying they should be £20k and it looks like the dealers are trying to market them for that I still think £16-£17K is reasonable.

Have to say I love the Evora as well and it seems to be keeping as tidy as the Europa and doesnt seem to be picking up stone chips..........yet

I do think 20k is too much, maybe a mint low miler may go for near that..some of the ones advertised in this range have stuck around for ages.

Even though they are rare I think (or maybe it's wishful thinking ) within 12 months they'll be 12-15k. As for the Evora I'm a fan too - despite my man-maths they need to come down a bit for me

[junks]

Hoffmanns for a top of the range all singing all dancing tune but for a little more power Courtenays can now map the Europa - had mine done & now 232BHP & 249lbs ft for about £600 inc rolling road

[C43]

Not sure 20k is too much. It all depends on what they will sell for and people are shifting cars for that money so looks pretty much spot on. Also if you look at the competition the price looks good to me. I keep thinking of trading it in for an Evora but the price difference is epic for a car that is some areas is no better (and in the case of gearchange is a million miles worse).

C43

[Toaster]

C43 agree the Europa is a cracking car and its a shame it didn't sell in the numbers predicted I would have another if they were still being built, from a used perspective some seem to go for around the high teens-£20,950K for a 2008 one is highish but is being sold via a dealer so I suspect there would be some warrenty etc which has some value but private sale would possibly be £1.5 to £2 k less which I think would still be good money.

[M5Fan]

C43 said:

Not sure 20k is too much. It all depends on what they will sell for and people are shifting cars for that money so looks pretty much spot on.

C43

I'm slightly sceptical though of those private adverts that appear and sell within days, when dealer adverts at similar or less £ stick around for months...hmmm, I wonder what's going on there?!

[planenut]

M5Fan said:

I'm slightly sceptical though of those private adverts that appear and sell within days, when dealer adverts at similar or less £ stick around for months...hmmm, I wonder what's going on there?!

If you have clean, genuine car at a fair price and a buyer that wants a car like that, you get a quick sale. I did and sold my Europa within a day of advertising on Pistonheads. You can speculate on what price is right but for cars like these there is no age/mileage rule, condition is everything. It's a very good and rare car with a limited supply. I don't think good, unmodified Europas will depreciate much now and prices could stablise in the £15,000 to £20,000 range, dependant on condition. A car that holds its value makes for fairly cheap, fun motoring, the Europa was certainly that for me.

Edited by planenut on Thursday 25th October 13:09

[Scuffers]

J2LOT said:

The problem is there were only 458 sold worldwide

do you have a source for this number?

[junks]

Scuffers said:

J2LOT said:

The problem is there were only 458 sold worldwide

do you have a source for this number?

Lotus archives, may not be hugely accurate as they originally told me 465 but that is the latest figure so probably not that far out

[J2LOT]

What he said.
Andy Graham, Archivist at Lotus reckons 458 total- 410 S and 48 SE,the first 27 cars sold were all dealer launch cars in Graphite with black and tan interior, all 2007 MY ( although registered from 56 plate on).