1984 Lotus Esprit S3

On the 16th April 1984, the lovely Lotus Esprit S3 was registered and sold to the seller, where it has remained ever since. Yes, this is a one owner car!

Finished in paint code L42 Calypso Red, the car all looks to be in original condition, both externally and internally. It does have some signs of patina, but this all adds a nice amount of character to the Lotus. It has clearly been owned by an enthusiast, who has ensured the Esprit has received regular servicing, proven by the huge number of service stamps in the book.

The car has been used little and often covering just 95,492 miles. It has been given an MoT every year, with the current one valid until the 9th December 2021.

The paint and bodywork on the Lotus looks to be all original with no evidence of any paintwork. It is in excellent condition with no noticeable damage to the fibreglass body which we could see.

To the front of the car there are some stone chips to the lower valance, bumper and the leading edge of the front panel. Moving up, and the ultra cool 80’s pop-up headlights are working as they should, with no cracks to the lenses. Further up to the windscreen, and the trim is in good condition with no pitting to the finish. The windscreen itself does have a straight crack in the passenger side top corner, but this doesn't affect your vision.

Around to the sides and the fantastic wedge shape shows itself in all its glory. The doors align nice and straight. The glass is all free from any heavy scratches, there are just an odd couple of age related marks. The window trim and rubbers show some light signs of patina, but the rubbers have escaped any perishing. There are a couple more stone chips to the leading edges of the air intake cover, but this just shows even more originality.

To the rear of the Esprit S3, everything aligns as it should. The rear window is in good order, along with the trim and seal. The light lenses are free from any splits or cracks, there are just a few light scratches and chips to the bumper. Just below is the rear diffuser which is in excellent order.

The BBS Mahle wheels fill the arches nicely and the condition of them is excellent, with no corrosion that we could see to the faces. The tyres are Pirelli to the rear and Goodyear to the front, both of which have a good amount of tread remaining.

Inside the Lotus has worn extremely well and you can tell it’s not been abused by the owner. The seats are finished in beige leather and do show some signs of patina which is nice for such an original car, as there is no damage to either the driver or passenger side. The door cards are in the same condition. The electric mirror switch is broken and there are some light scuff marks, often caused when getting in and out of the low seated Lotus.

Sitting in the driver's seat the instrument binnacle curves towards you with the all important gauges. These are all reported to be working as they should. The odometer is showing a reading of 95,492. There is some light wear to the fascia and some of the switches, but again, like the seats and body, it’s all expected with an original car. The dashboard itself is trimmed like the seats and looks to be in good order, with no obvious damage. Lower down there has been an Alpine cassette head unit fitted. The wooden gear knob has some light wear to the varnish and the surround is in good order.

Down to the carpets, and these are in excellent condition with no excessive wear to the driver’s heel pad. Having had mats in there for most of its life has certainly paid off. Up above, and the headlining is nice and clean with no sagging.

The front boot area houses the spare wheel which has a good tyre, and there is also the jack and wheel brace present.

Inside the engine bay of the Esprit, the 2.2 litre sits there looking all very clean and original with no oil leaks that we could spot, and the original engine cover is in place.

Looking under the vehicle, again no leaks could be seen and everything is looking just as it should be.

There is some corrosion to be seen, on some of the suspension components, and odd parts of the chassis, having some surface rust, but nothing which you wouldn't expect on a car of this age. The worst part, we would say, is the anti roll bar, but in general the car is in very good order for the age.

The 2.2 litre turns over nicely and it takes a few moments for the twin carburettors to clear their throats. The engine sounds as it should with no untoward noises there that shouldn't be. The Lotus is reported to drive and handle well, as you would expect. It pulls strongly through all of the gears with the change smooth. The brakes bring the 80’s wedge to a halt nice and smoothly, with no juddering or pulling to either side.

With a service book that looks quite complete, a rare Lotus Service Notes Manual for the Series 3, the original handbooks and two sets of keys, you don't really get more of an original car than this.

The Lotus has been enjoyed by one owner who’s not been afraid of driving it. The mileage for the year is low, but it’s also a car that’s not been tucked away and not used, as you can see looking back through the MoT history and service stamps.

At just over 37 years old, this Esprit is nicely worn in, and has been done so by one owner. It’s certainly quite special finding a one owner car, but this is also a car that’s retained its originality. It does show some signs of age as you would expect at 37, but it’s the type of age that shows character rather than being worn out.

Definitely one for the purists in such original order.

We estimate this 1984 Lotus Esprit will bring in the region of £19,500 - £30,000.

This car is being sold from the trade. Viewing is always encouraged and as stated this car is located at THE MARKET headquarters near Abingdon; we are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.