Esprit S4S for hire !

[hotrodwizard 2]

After trawling the Internet browsing at esprits for sale I couldn't believe my eye's when I found my old esprit S4S for hire !! I was glad to see it but not sure how I feel about it being hired out !!!

I suppose if it gets more people to appreciate them then that's good !! But I would worry it wouldn't be treated like one of the family like I'd always treated it !! Ie with loving care !!!!!!

[Mark Blanchard 1,646]

Looks like it's going to join all the other miss treated S4s's out there.  There's a load of them for some strange reason.  They're supposed to be the most highly regarded, but some Owners don't look after them.

[hotrodwizard 2]

Yep it's very sad !! I just keep thinking would I have ever hired it out in order to be able to keep it !! But I just couldn't have done it ! I would rather sell to someone who would hopefully look after it properly than hire it out !! I don't think anyone looks after a hire car like their own !!!

I suspect most people on here would feel like that !!

[jonwat 422]

Where's the link?

[hotrodwizard 2]

Sorry I didn't put one on !!

It's here :-

http://www.classiccarhirenorth.co.uk/

[hotrodwizard 2]

They haven't even got the right year of manufacture !! It's a 1996 not a 95 !!

[The Pits 4,408]

Group hire?

 

I wouldn't mind driving that like I'd rented it!

[jonwat 422]

Very nice, reminds me of my old one which looked identical & makes me wonder where they get the "only 2 made in this colour combination" from

 

 

[hopo 154]

indeed more like "only 2 S4s not made in this colour".....

[fflyingdog 56]

I'm struggling to see that this car is a 1996,mines a 1995 and I cant see any difference,mines on a 'N' reg too.

 

 

 

 

Of course it could be my eyes.

[hotrodwizard 2]

Probably no different !! The 'N' reg ran from August 95 till July 96 and if I remember correctly it was registered in the Feb of 96 !!! I may still have a copy somewhere ....

[Zolder 11]

Mine was built in 95 but registered in 96 (Nreg). 

[fflyingdog 56]

Ok I feel better now ,mine was registered in October so must have been built fairly close to that .Thought I was being a bit thick not being able to identify anything discernibly different to mine.  

[AdamDE 7]

I spent years looking to rent an Esprit before I bought one! I would have paid a small fortune too. I don't think it's too bad renting one out. I hope they have a nice selection process to weed out the idiots though, over 30s, must be wearing a Bond suit, that type of thing. But in general it would probably be genuine enthusiasts trying to get their hands on their dream car. Just tell them to wait until it's warm and take it easy with the crappy gearbox and all should be fine.

At least I now know where to look if I ever sell mine and need an Esprit fix.

[hotrodwizard 2]

I hope so too !! At least they've said over 25 and a £1500 Deposit !! Plus approx £300 per day !!!!

[lotusespritse 44]

I'd pay that on a vacation trip to the UK.  It's nice that it includes 200 miles per day.  Around here, they don't give you many miles, so unless you just park it in front of the mall and sit it in, it gets very expensive for exotic rental.

 

As someone from Texas with big open straight roads, I'd like to experience an Esprit in its native country, so it would be worth it to me.  The relatively small Esprit is dwarfed by the huge SUV and pickups around here.

 

The only problem is that I would have to fight the urge to fettle the car while I had it to fix all the little things that are bound to be ignored by someone renting it out.

Edited December 19, 2014 by lotusespritse

[GordonMasson 128]

I wouldn't rent mine but must admit I have toid with the idea of wedding hires etc

Not sure what it woul be like with insurance etc

[psl 0]

Hi, I see you’ve found our Lotus S4S for hire, and also see you have mixed feelings about whether it should be hired or not. The general view seems to be that because it’s hired it will be mistreated, won’t be properly maintained, and is destined for an early grave.

The reality is somewhat different. An important part of the economics of Classic Car hire is maintaining the value of the cars, so it’s important to keep up maintenance. Also, a customer paying £300.00 for the privilege of driving it for a day expects a high standard – maintenance again.

As regards treatment by hirers, they are car enthusiasts and treat the cars accordingly. I know there’s always one, but they are the exception not the rule. We had one customer who took our Morgan for a weekend, and according to his wife, washed and polished it twice!

I may be wrong, but reading between the lines you appear to think that classic car hire is like any other car hire, but it’s not really car hire, it’s an experience day where customers have a brilliant day out in the car they’ve always wanted.

Whilst hiring the cars is a business, it’s equally about car enthusiasts sharing their cars with other enthusiasts. And just to get the plug in at the end, if you don’t believe me come and hire it!

[Chillidoggy 4,343]

Dear Richard,

I'm looking to hire a Lotus Esprit to feature in a television programme. Please get back to me ASAP.

Kind regards,

J.Clarkson.

[Grahaml 33]

What would be the views on buying an ex-hire Esprit ?

would it be a lower value car?

Or an outright no-no?

 

or - maybe no difference?

 

Graham

[rocket63 137]

How would you know its an ex hire car is where you would probably start ?

[lotusespritse 44]

How would you know its an ex hire car is where you would probably start ?

 

Here in the US, the CarFax report shows the history of a car, including if it was a company lease vehicle or a rental.

 

I for one would not want to own a car that was previously a rental.  Even with the Esprit, which probably gets 9 out of 10 renters that treat it well, that 1 out of 10 can put a lot of wear and tear on one of these cars.  

 

The "previous owner syndrome" is bad enough with Esprits that are owned by only 3 or 4 owners.  

[Simon350S 192]

A significantly large percentage of the used car stock in the UK is either ex rental, or ex lease. wirhour them thoug, we'd not have enough used stock to service the demand.

Car search over here doesn't differentiate.

Would you prefer an ex-rental Esprit which has been meticulously maintained, or an ex-privately owned car that's been kept going on a shoe string and despite looking shiny, due to the amount of regular polishing, has had its dirty bits neglected significantly.

[internets 472]

Here in the US, the CarFax report shows the history of a car, including if it was a company lease vehicle or a rental.

 

I for one would not want to own a car that was previously a rental.  Even with the Esprit, which probably gets 9 out of 10 renters that treat it well, that 1 out of 10 can put a lot of wear and tear on one of these cars.  

 

Does that include the Hertz 'rent a racer' 1966 Shelby Mustang?  

 

[mayevora 1,184]

That is Rick Edwards old S4s.