White S2 at U.K. Sportscars

[JonSE 11]

4 minutes ago, Paul Coleman said:

That white S2 was changed from black to white in 2018 and at some point has had the plate changed according to carbaba.co.uk and it's had 17 owners. That's changed hands quite a few times.

Thanks Paul,

Think it’s my old car, ten years owned from 2002 to 2012, dealer was going to restore it but flipped it himself a month after I traded it to him. I can still see some of the leather repairs in the images and the alarm LED someone had mounted in the binnacle before my ownership.

Passed a message on if the new owner wants to contact me to discuss the period of my ownership, as it was an interesting car (in a good way) and I have old photos of it I can send them plus other assorted details.

Would have loved to own it again, but it’s grown in value 10X since my days, not sure I could justify it now!

 

[Paul Coleman 455]

Just now, JonSE said:

Would have loved to own it again, but it’s grown in value 10X since my days, not sure I could justify it now!

I once bought an S2 for £800 - complete and driving just needed recomissioning. I paid £2,000 for my original white/tartan S1 but those days are long gone now.

[Mark Blanchard 1,560]

S2’s were £4K all day long when I was looking in 2001.  Looked at a nice S2.2 for £4500 and the owners wife pleaded with me to buy it.  But however much I tried I just could fit in the bloody things.

[Nelly 180]

The silver S2 which sold recently (Dave referred to on one of his earlier posts) is now subject to a restoration blog.  Stumbled upon this today:

 

 

[stephenwhyte 1,832]

The S2 appears to have found a good home Dave - let’s hope he sees the restoration right through to the end

[Paul Coleman 455]

17 minutes ago, stephenwhyte said:

The S2 appears to have found a good home Dave - let’s hope he sees the restoration right through to the end

Yeah why should he be happy!

[LOTUSMAN33 1,234]

Well certainly looks like it’s found a good home, so that’s the £14k car, who bought the other silver one for under £8k on eBay? I’m sure it’s owner will be along at some point.

Wow that white car certainly didn’t hang about, shame it wasn’t reunited with Jon but no meant to be. 

It just shows the bond thing probably sold it so a marketing success and didn’t de-value it more the opposite which could be good news if you plan on modifying a S2.

Dave  
 

 

[JonSE 11]

5 hours ago, Paul Coleman said:

I once bought an S2 for £800 - complete and driving just needed recomissioning. I paid £2,000 for my original white/tartan S1 but those days are long gone now.

Turned down an S1 for £1500 at the turn of the century, I think I’d have still been in for £50K with everything it needed!

Maybe Esprits were grossly under valued at the time, but the difference between a very average car and some of the top level restorations on here I expect is still not reflected in the asking prices of the top tier. It does make me think how Lotus themselves could make them for what they did, but they only had to put them together. 
 

Hope the S2 blogger does the video car proud, always great to see another car being brought back.

Does Mark from the midlands with his S1 build still frequent these parts?

[JonSE 11]

On 30/05/2020 at 16:10, LOTUSMAN33 said:

Well certainly looks like it’s found a good home, so that’s the £14k car, who bought the other silver one for under £8k on eBay? I’m sure it’s owner will be along at some point.

Wow that white car certainly didn’t hang about, shame it wasn’t reunited with Jon but no meant to be. 

It just shows the bond thing probably sold it so a marketing success and didn’t de-value it more the opposite which could be good news if you plan on modifying a S2.

Dave  
 

 

Agree!

I was just discussing with my partner if I’d have traded the latest 911 I have for the Esprit (she used to drive the Esprit) or bought it back outright if the price had been right, but it’s moot now.

Glad to see it went eventually to a good home, someone needed to take it by the scruff and lift the body, sort everything and make it good for another decade and it looks like it’s been done. I think while I wanted to be that person reading the blogs on here, deep down I was happier driving it than being under it (don’t get me wrong, I did a load of work such as tank swaps etc on both cars). I kept it better than just MOT level but it was really a rolling resto.

The cars that replaced them also have great memories attached, such as blasts down to the South of France in the 911 (its an older car but hasn’t missed a beat since it replaced the Esprit).

What got me looking again was the softening of 308 prices, there are ones for sale now at less than the top end Esprits.

They come with a lot of liabilities of course and the Esprit is more of a known quantity to me, so ended up dreaming of the elusive S1 again!

I’ve attached a shot of them both when they lived off site at a friends house while we had an extension built, plus another type of S2 I had from Blackpool before the SE it shared garage space with for a few years. Happy memories!!

Good to see the SE Esprit still lives and is MOT’d also....

Edited May 31 by Bibs