1969 Lotus

This car is in auction on THE MARKET by Bonhams website. The auction is LIVE now. The price shown is the lower estimate.

All bidding takes place on The Market (see photos for web address), plus you will find further text, over 90 photos/video fully illustrating the car and its service history, and the ability to ask questions directly to the seller. The text below is just a brief summary of our full description.

Purchased by our vendor earlier this year as a package deal, the vehicle belonged to the then-sellers late husband, who sadly passed away, necessitating the sale of the vehicle.

Unfortunately, this does mean that the exact history of the vehicle is somewhat unclear, though thankfully the then-owner (who, judging from the written notes, was somewhat of an accomplished home mechanic) detailed his ownership well, meaning we can piece together at least the last few years of history for this particular Banks Europa.

Delivered with a 2.0-litre ‘red top’ Vauxhall-sourced 16v engine (a popular choice for Banks customers) the car was extensively fettled whilst in the care of the previous owner, resulting in a road-legal, motorsport-inspired car that certainly wouldn’t look out of place lapping iconic British tracks such as Brands Hatch or Thruxton. The engine itself is far from standard, featuring twin side-draft carburettors, a tubular exhaust system and an output of around 180bhp at 7,200 RPM, meaning this is definitely a car for those that like to rev out their engines!

Constructed from a 16-gauge steel space-frame chassis using a mixture of square and round-section steel tubing with fibreglass bodywork (an upgraded take on the original Lotus methods) this Europa boasts fully adjustable coil-over suspension with Triumph Herald uprights on the front and custom-made rear uprights, numerous Banks custom-made suspension parts and bushes, and a modified/upgraded Triumph Herald rack-and-pinion steering system with Banks track rod ends.

Braking is provided by an all-disc setup, with on a single circuit system with a master cylinder.

In terms of bodywork, the car apparently started life in red - judging from the HPI check below - but was later painted into Grey during 2018. The standard wing mirrors have been replaced with carbon items, and an outrageous (but arguably, very cool) wing has been custom-fitted to the car, including additional bracing for the panel it’s mounted to.

Since the build was completed, only 400 miles have been put on the odometer, meaning it’s arguably still being run-in, giving one lucky buyer a fantastic opportunity to own a like-new Banks Europa.

For much more description and photos see THE MARKET by Bonhams website.

The vehicle can be viewed with as at The Market HQ, Abingdon.

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