Evaluation: Not much history represented, but as a Europa Special in John Player Special colors and with the Big Valve engine, it’s an ultimate spec car. Significant wear on the seats. Otherwise the interior looks good, including a clean wood dash, which is so often cracked on other Lotuses. Paint flaking off the valve cover but mostly tidy engine bay. Light road wear underneath but no cause for alarm. Orange peel in the paint. A driver.
Bottom Line: One of the first ever mid-engine sports cars but certainly not the prettiest, the Lotus Europa is an absolute joy to drive. Owning one is another matter, and buying any Chapman-era Lotus sight unseen on the internet is an exercise in bravery. This one at least looks solid and ticks all the right collectability boxes, so the bidders exercised little caution and bid it to a fair, slightly generous market price that took off in the final moments of bidding to this Euros 22,000 hammer result from only Euros 15,000 in the waning hours of the day prior to closing.
