Thursday 21st November 2019

Lotus Carlton | Spotted

£95k for an old Vauxhall seem absurd? Not when you factor in the Lotus badge - and inflation

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So there is a Lotus Carlton advertised on PH's classifieds for a fiver short of £95k. That's brand-new BMW M5 money for a car based on a 28-year-old Vauxhall family saloon. Sure, it's fine-tuned by the engineering boffins at Lotus and according to How Many Left, just 68 of these yellow-badged four-doors remain on UK roads. But ninety-five grand is ninety-five grand. You'd have to be a real die-hard fan to justify forking out such a large sum on a five-seat smoker.

Or would you? If we take into account inflation, each of the 285 Lotus Carltons produced for Britain (legend has it that 286 were actually built when Lotus made use of a leftover bodyshell) retailed at £48,000 in 1991, which equates to about £102k today. This car, with its 17,600 miles, one former owner and all the kudos of being one of the world's most revered sports saloons in such fine condition, has still not appreciated past its original value.

Unlike other cars from yesteryear, this one's performance has genuinely stood the test of time, too. 382hp from a twin-turbocharged straight-six would not look amiss on a modern specification sheet, nor would a 5.4 second 0-62mph time or 176mph top speed. The Carlton was quicker off the mark and faster flat out than the Ferrari 348; famously causing such a stir that Parliament even debated whether new measures were required to prevent it falling into inexperienced hands.

Not that the Carlton is a rear-wheel drive ticket to the hedgerows, it is - as it was in the early nineties - a brilliant example of Lotus chassis know-how. Early reports that the car was too fast for the road are redundant now in a world where modern turbocharging provides peak torque barely over tickover. A 3.6-litre motor that needs to be spinning at 3,500rpm before its blowers supply their maximum boost is likely to feel tame in comparison - but Lotus's saloon remained a low volume benchmark for decades.

This particular car and its barely used status mean you're getting about the closest thing to a time capsule back to 1991. There's no explanation as to why the owner - the original purchaser - is finally letting go of their Carlton, but there's no doubting they were a careful and considerate custodian. All original paperwork and booklets are included in the sale. If it was this or a new M5, we know where our heart would send us.

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SPECIFICATION - LOTUS CARLTON

Engine: 3,615cc, 6-cyl twin-turbo
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 382@5,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 415@4,200rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1991
Mileage: 17,600
Price new: £48,000
Price now: £94,995

See the original advert here

[sidesauce]

Nice. But not £95k nice IMO.

[sidesauce]

B'stard Child said:

sidesauce said:

If we take into account inflation, each of the 285 Lotus Carltons (legend has it that 286 were actually built when Lotus made use of a leftover bodyshell).

Legend gets it wrong all the time

Not sure where that came from but I didn't say that!