My Esprit GT300 racer

[Exploded]

No offence but you claim this to be an original GT2 race car, but to my memory the original GT2's had central wheel nuts and even less interior. Could this be the best replica then?

It looks a very stunning car though, good luck with the sale.

[andecorp]

No offence but you claim this to be an original GT2 race car, but to my memory the original GT2's had central wheel nuts and even less interior. Could this be the best replica then?

It looks a very stunning car though, good luck with the sale.

What I claim is true and fully verifiable by the Lotus factory, by the Lotus importer, by the Lotus mechanics shipped from the UK to chaparonne the car, etc.

The car raced in GTP(roduction). Which meant it was not allowed to race with central wheelnut wheels. In fact, during the first season, it used the standard road Esprit wheels.

Again, since it raced in GTP, the interior had to be "production", meaning working electric windows and mirrors, etc.

The whole history of this car has been detailed in this thread from the start.

This car is far from a replica.

[Bibs]

It's jumped over £50k pretty quickly!

[mike_sekinger]

No offence but you claim this to be an original GT2 race car, but to my memory the original GT2's had central wheel nuts and even less interior. Could this be the best replica then?

It looks a very stunning car though, good luck with the sale.

It is a genuine GT300, but clearly not one of the Le Mans racers. The images of the Le Mans cars in the advert and the fact that it is now made to look like the #44 Le Mans car, may be the root of the confusion.

Edited December 2, 2010 by mike_sekinger

[Guest surferphil]

It is a genuine GT300, but clearly not one of the Le Mans racers. The images of the Le Mans cars in the advert and the fact that it is now made to look like the #44 Le Mans car, may be the root of the confusion.

He's right, the livery is something added after and perhaps it belongs to a different car. This one could be bought for the wrong reasons, I'd hate for you to get into trouble as collectors can be very specific about why they value a car.

It's a Genuine GT2 Race car but maybe not the one in the LM library picture?

Or is it a different setup for LM?

There were at least 2 white LM cars with those sponsors. I guess the question is : Is it Number 44 for sure?

[mike_sekinger]

It is all spelt out at the beginning of the thread.

This car was built specifically for Lotus Austrialia. I absolutely love the 1993 Le Mans livery - so much more striking that the following year.

Still a very, very special car, but not one of the original Le Mans racers.

[andecorp]

He's right, the livery is something added after and perhaps it belongs to a different car. This one could be bought for the wrong reasons, I'd hate for you to get into trouble as collectors can be very specific about why they value a car.

It's a Genuine GT2 Race car but maybe not the one in the LM library picture?

Or is it a different setup for LM?

There were at least 2 white LM cars with those sponsors. I guess the question is : Is it Number 44 for sure?

As Mike said, this is NOT the #44 car. I have been very clear about it.

It is one of the genuine GT300 racers, built in "LeMans Spec" by the factory. It is the Australian GTP champion car. Both '93 LeMans cars (#44 and #45) have been destroyed from what I have been told. Since this car was painted white for Lotus Australia (like the '93 cars) and since it was the only other one built in '93 (the '94 cars were more "advanced" I've been told), and I think the '93 LeMans livery, especially on #44 was the best looking of all liveries by far, it's the reason why I made it that livery. It was for no other reason, but personal choice.

I've been told by various sources in the UK and USA, as well as Australia, that this is the last known survivor. If one wants a genuine GT300 GT2 racer built by Lotus, this is their only choice. It's up to them to put whatever livery they want on it. They can even put the livery that the car won the Australian championships in (although I think it's meh).

Also, I don't think I've mentioned this anywhere. This one has never been crashed either. Not even something minor. Larry Perkins did blow up the first engine though, while leading Bathurst by multiple laps, setting lap record after lap record. That's why Lotus shipped a new engine over for the '94 season, which is in the car now. I do have the original blown engine though in the spares.

It's jumped over £50k pretty quickly!

Yes, but if you look at the bid history, only the last two bidders are serious. The rest were just playing around - 1,000, 2,000, etc pound bids.

It still has a long way to go though.

[Guest surferphil]

It is all spelt out at the beginning of the thread.

This car was built specifically for Lotus Austrialia. I absolutely love the 1993 Le Mans livery - so much more striking that the following year.

Still a very, very special car, but not one of the original Le Mans racers.

As Mike said, this is NOT the #44 car. I have been very clear about it.

It is one of the genuine GT300 racers, built in "LeMans Spec" by the factory. It is the Australian GTP champion car. Both '93 LeMans cars (#44 and #45) have been destroyed from what I have been told. Since this car was painted white for Lotus Australia (like the '93 cars) and since it was the only other one built in '93 (the '94 cars were more "advanced" I've been told), and I think the '93 LeMans livery, especially on #44 was the best looking of all liveries by far, it's the reason why I made it that livery. It was for no other reason, but personal choice.

....

I know that and so does everyone whos read this thread, but your Ebay ad says:

1993 Lotus Esprit GT300 GT2 LeMans Race Car

Genuine Le Mans Racer - NOT a replica!

And gives the impression it is the actual number 44 as pictured and the text says 'Fully restored in every aspect to concours condition in the 1993 LeMans livery'

Personally I'd be the happiest man in the world if I could afford it, just thought I'd mention the dangers as I care mate.

[andecorp]

I know that and so does everyone whos read this thread, but your Ebay ad says:

1993 Lotus Esprit GT300 GT2 LeMans Race Car

Genuine Le Mans Racer - NOT a replica!

And gives the impression it is the actual number 44 as pictured and the text says 'Fully restored in every aspect to concours condition in the 1993 LeMans livery'

Personally I'd be the happiest man in the world if I could afford it, just thought I'd mention the dangers as I care mate.

Thank you for the advise. But I thought I was rather clear in the ad. It has been restored to concours condition in the LeMans livery, not in any other livery. And it is clearly mentioned as the Australian winning car, not as a LeMans entrant. It's more prestigious to win the Australian Champs rather than bomb at LeMans.

And also this thread is linked in the ad, so anyone serious enough to bid would have read the links first.

BTW, I am not arguing with you, I am just mentioning how I view/ed the ad.

I am trying to change the ad to say LeMans Spec to make it even clearer but for some reason that functionality is not working right now. Tried for several minutes. It's way past bedtime anyway. I'll do that in the morning.

[Guest surferphil]

It's more prestigious to win the Australian Champs rather than bomb at LeMans.

Hopefully you'll sell it to someone in Britain and I'll get half a chance to see it in person.

It's worth £200k in my eyes any way I look at it.

[red vtec]

Would it not be better to sell through a high end car auction such as coys?

I understand that the car was built for Australia and not Le mans but the ad is a little confusing. But then I'm sure anyone bidding serious money will check it althrough to start with,

Good luck on the sale.

Chris

[Vulcan Grey]

try http://race-cars.com as well.

good luck with the sale

Edited December 2, 2010 by Vulcan Grey

[andecorp]

Would it not be better to sell through a high end car auction such as coys?

Of course!

But as I mentioned, I am in no rush. I just put it on Ebay on a whim. And it's on UK Ebay as well, as I figured most interest would be from there, although top bidder right now is from Germany. I set the reserve at just above what the UK dealer offered.

[Russell Mills]

Over £105,000 now and still climbing.

Still worth much more in my eyes

Good Luck and personally I hope you decide to keep it after all of the hard work that you have put into it, otherwise I hope that you get a great price for it.

I'm quite tempted myself

[Corban]

Stumbled across this thread when I was doing a search for something totally different.
The thread ended quite abruptly some 5 years ago.

What happened to that amazing car? 

[Ben.A]

It is an Australian GT spec car. It won the sports cars championship here in Aus.

However it's a long way from the UK spec GT2 cars.

It has a UN 1 gear box not the Hewland DG300 straight-cut 5-speed manual the UK cars had

No Air jacks

No Center-lock wheels....................etc

The cut out front bar and lights were fitted by the owner here in Australia.

Don't get me wrong still a fast car and it looks magnificent!