Saleofcar.com :Lotus

Lotus Elan elan (1991)
for sale

Price: US $6,666.66

Description:

You are bidding on a beautiful 1991 Lotus Élan M100 that is in car show quality condition, as you can see from the pictures it is in amazing condition and is also mostly original, (more about the originality in each section)

When I first bought the car I contacted Lotus in the UK and ordered what they call a certificate of vehicle provenance, which is a detailed breakdown of the production information on your particular car, as well as information on exterior color, interior colors, production date, engine, gearbox and chassis numbers and original selling dealer (Kensington Motors in Long Beach) and location of the original owner (customer in Rolling Hills, CA) Lotus breaks down production numbers and it turns out that this car was -
151st of 554 cars for all 50 States
30th out of 104 in Monaco White
19th out of 113 cars for California
3rd out of 15 cars in Monaco White for California
As you can see from my pictures I really wanted to show what this car is like on the underside and inside the wheel arches (the important stuff) and waste less of my pictures showing slightly different angles of the outside as most eBay sellers seem to do.
Paint
The exterior of the car is in amazing condition and is very smooth and shiny with only a few minor touch-ups, the paint is original with the exception of the recently repainted front bumper (had stone chips to lower edge) and is in amazing overall condition.
Convertible top and seals
The convertible top is brand new and was professionally installed last summer, I decided on the more expensive twillfast material that comes with the 6 year warranty, to keep the top in perfect condition (which it is) It has never been folded back.
Many of the window seals are new (SJ Sportscars in the UK) and were replaced with the top.
Interior
With the exception of the steering wheel that came from a UK Élan and a new leather gear shift knob the interior is all original and in amazing condition, the seats have no cracks and show gentle use, the dash is in excellent condition and the carpets must have had mats on them from new because they are original with no marks and are still fluffy.
All of the electrics work (steering, windows, mirrors, aerial, all gauges, air conditioning) with the exception of the central locking on the passenger side, (passenger lock activates drivers side but drivers lock does not activate passenger lock) the solenoid on the passenger side makes a noise but does not unlock door.
Underside of car
As you can probably see from the pictures the underside of this car is in absolutely incredible original condition, none of the suspension arms or chassis or anything else for that matter has been re-painted and is 100% from the factory, as you can see from one of the pictures it still has some original black marker information on the underside from the factory.
When I purchased the Lotus I was very surprised to see just how immaculate and clean the underside was and even the parts of the underside that you can see but can't reach were super clean, I can't be sure and it is only speculation but in my opinion I don't believe that this car has ever been used in the rain, which is possible as we don't get too much rain in California.
Engine, Gearbox, and clutch
The engine and gearbox are matching numbers and operate like new, the engine always starts first time is very smooth and pulls very well and has excellent oil pressure, the computer chip has been upgrade with the Everest computer chip which increases the standard horse power from 162bhp up to 195bhp, the gearbox operates perfectly with no strange noises and shifts just like new, (which is to say a little vague compared to a modern car but it is how it left the factory) the clutch is light and smooth and engages at the mid-point just as it should.
The engine and gearbox have had a full service that included engine oil, oil filter, spark plugs and wires, gearbox oil and new Evans coolant, the timing belt and was also replaced by the previous owner.
As you can see from the pictures the engine (top and bottom) and engine bay are insanely clean and looks great, the cam cover and turbo heat shield have been powder coated and many of the nuts and bolts have been re-yellow zinc plated or replaced with new yellow zinc plated fasteners.
Wheels, tires and brakes
The standard 16 wheels were replaced with new 16 aluminum wheels and standard size 205/45x16 Kumho tires.
The brakes are standard and operate as they should but again no match for a how a modern sports car can stop.
Documentation and additional items
The pink slip is in hand in my name at my current address, as you can see from one of the pictures the car comes with the original Lotus owners folder that includes the owners handbook, warranty information folder, warranty booklet, tire booklet, soft top care booklet, maintenance schedule booklet, many receipts, a copy of the window sticker, vehicle provenance information and 3 sets of keys with Lotus key rings.

If you would like to show the car (as I do), the new owner is more than welcome to have all of my show items including a framed custom poster board, original laminated Lotus showroom booklets, Lotus Élan book, original 1991 magazines and two white Lotus Élan model cars.

The 4 original 16 aluminum road wheels, original steering wheel and original gear shift knob will be included in the sale if the new owner would like them.



Like many Lotus Élan M100 owners I am passionate about these cars and I tried to get the best example I could find when buying it (as many other Élan owners do too) so I am sure that there are many other excellent examples still in the US but these car's are rare and the really good ones don't usually come up for sale very often so if have been looking for a good one this could be it.

Well I think that that's about it, if any bidders would like to drive or inspect the car before the auction ends I have no problems with that at all, if you would like us to take it to your mechanic to get it checked out before the auction ends then that's fine too (the roads must be bone dry), I have a set of ramps that we can use if you would like to take a good look underneath also.

I would prefer to sell to a local buyer but if the auction winner is out of state the shipping is the responsibility of the buyer but I will be more than happy to make sure I'm home when the car is to be picked up and I will also help with any loading that may be required.

Many Thanks
Dave.

_{update: 2015-04-27}