Description
Hilton and Moss are absolutely delighted to bring arguably one of the finest if not the finest Lotus Europa to the market. This vehicle has undergone a proper and thorough nut and bolt restoration resulting in a finished vehicle that’s as good as if not better than when the car first left the factory. This particular Lotus Europa is an incredibly special and rare example having had just one very careful and loving owner from new (currently showing 0 former keepers on the log book) who bought the vehicle new in kit form from Grange Motors Brentwood in November 1972. Carrying an engineering background, the owner and his five colleagues built the car from a kit on the driveway in a weekend into the car we see today. The vehicle did however start life in Maroon Red but was later changed to beautiful black and gold during the restoration. This Europa although not a JPS car is a genuine factory ordered special with a big-valve engine, exactly as the first and only keeper ordered from the factory. The vehicle was used as the owners every day vehicle from the day it was assembled in 1972 up until October 1981 (Which ties up with the owners fastidious petrol/mileage booklet) when the owner became conscious of the mileage being covered and no longer wanted to take the car to various work sites. It was at this point the car went into the garage and was used sparingly before going into storage. It wasn’t until 2013 that the car was brought out of the garage and estimates for the restoration begun. This Lotus Europa special was fully restored with a ‘no expensive spared’ attitude in house at Hilton & Moss. The team were delighted to take on such a special project and work begun in March 2016. Not a single element of this classic Lotus was left untouched. The shell was completely stripped and our in-house fibre-glass specialists prepared the bodywork to perfection. The hard-work and hours spent at this stage massively reflect in the end quality and finish of the bodywork. The car received a new chassis and along with this every nut bolt, rubber bushing and line was replaced to ensure long-term reliability and an overall pristine finish. The car received all new door rubbers, mouldings and fresh chrome all round. The car is faultless with every possible serviceable part replaced. The wheels were professionally refurbished including the full-size spare stowed in the front access panel. The engine was sent off prior to the bodywork to CTM performance engineering a real specialist in the field. At this time a full engine rebuild was undertaken along with a sensible upgrade to achieve more power and a better fast road experience. The full specification of the engine can be seen below. The engine was dyno run for confidence in its performance and durability. The cockpit of the car received equal attention with a full re-trim, brand new carpet set and colour change to the beautiful cream you see photographed. This was once again carried out in house by our trimmer to the highest standard. The history folder and documentation with this car is like no other we have ever seen. The one very fastidious owner has kept every single piece of paperwork from the day of collection in 1972. Every MOT, parts receipt and bill has been retained giving this car fantastic unrivalled provenance. Spanning across five large folders this cars entire life is documented and filed from period 1970s photos of what was then a Maroon Europa up until the most recent bills and restoration images by Hilton & Moss. The collection of parts invoices present with this Europa from the restoration process is too extensive to list. If you are looking for the best Lotus Europa Special finished to the very highest standard look no further. You really will not find a finer example. Just one owner from new, almost unheard of, this is a very rare opportunity to own an incredibly special Europa, opportunities and cars like this do not regularly present themselves. Contact our sales team for further help. This car benefits from a modern track and alarm system discreetly hidden to preserve originality. Engine specification -Port and polished head to fast road specification -Unleaded conversion -3 angle seats -Repofile cams to CPL2 specification -Weld the water ways -Race spec valve springs -Sprint size stainless steel valves -Bronze valve guides -Steel tappets -4 new block liners -Bore to 83.4mm -Full balance -Light flywheel -Re-grind crank -Stress relieve rods -Forged 83.5mm pistons -Heavy duty bearings -ARP con rod bolts -New ring gearSpecification
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Make Lotus
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Model Europa
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Year 1972
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Colour BLACK
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Transmission Manual
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Price SOLD