1974 Lotus Europa

We know the car spent much of its life in South Africa before being brought back to the UK in 1996. Our seller, a serial car restorer in his spare time, purchased the car some four years ago after the previous owner had restore it comprehensively.

The car had also been painted red at some point in its no doubt colourful life, having originally left the factory resplendent in Monaco White.

Since being completed, the car has of course been stored inside and properly looked after, thus preserving that near showroom finish. Road miles covered have been modest too, at just 500 in total and always in the dry.

The bumpers were rechromed to a good standard and other chrome addenda were replaced, as the costs were low.

The wheels, original to the car and irreplaceable, were refurbished to a high standard. Each is now equipped with a premium Avon tyre, costing £280 each. Care taken with the choice of rubber is always a good indication of careful and considered classic car ownership.

All told, an eye-catching car and one which is such a rare sight on the road today.

Much of the interior is brand new. Seats, carpets, headlining etc. None of this would matter if it all wasn’t fitted properly, but our seller, being the perfectionist that he is, took his time to ensure everything was installed correctly.

The seats are comfortable, the driving position traditionally sporty and sitting inside we can imagine how the lucky first buyer of the Lotus would have felt some 46 years ago. Excited to be at the wheel of such a distinctive and desirable British sportscar.

The wooden dash has been nicely preserved and is fitted with an old-school push button radio. But with such a tuneful engine sitting directly behind, we suspect that is all the sound you really want.

The one change we should point out is the fitment of a digital speedometer that works from satellite positioning. This was done as the original item was severely underreading, resulting in our seller receiving a speeding ticket! The original comes with the car and can be easily reinstated if required.

The powerful Twin Can engine was completely rebuilt - pictures in our gallery of the work in progress. Again, much time and care were taken to ensure a return to glory for this most special of motors.

Once completed, and the car out back together, our seller carefully drove the car for around 500 miles to allow everything to bed in.

A new clutch was fitted, paired up to the original five speed gearbox. Our seller does report the very slightest of leaks but thought it best not to dismantle the gearbox as parts for it are exceptionally hard to come by. He also mentions that there is a knack to engaging reverse gear, not a fault, just a foible he says. He will happily share the knowledge for the uninitiated!

A look under the car shows the mere traces of road dirt, but it is easy to see the standard of this long-term restoration. Check out the multiple photos in our picture gallery.

Amongst the brand new parts on display are the suspension components. Our seller chose to upgrade these and so we can report that the system is now fully adjustable to taste.

A peep under the rear-hinged cover reveals that powerful engine in all its glory. Beautifully presented, a testament to our seller’s hard work. There’s also a small luggage space, so travel light is our advice.

One other upgrade made to the car is the installation of a fully electric water pump. As such, the car now does not use its original pump. The thinking behind this is that should the original item fail, then its an engine out, head off sort of job.

The new pump ensures cool running and included is an instruction manual explaining its operation.

We cannot tell you a great deal about the Europa prior to our seller’s ownership, other than the car spent time in South Africa and was then restored by the person he bought it from.

This matters not a jot as the standard of restoration is really quite exceptional. Almost all the work was carried out by the previous seller, and you can see copies of the parts invoices in our picture section. It is worth taking some time to examine these in detail. So many new parts were fitted, we will not attempt to list them here.

We are pleased to be offering for sale a 1975 Europa Twin Cam Special, and one that has been subject to a painstaking full restoration, with an estimate in the range of £20,000 - £30,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.