- Chassis # SCC089912JHS40417
- Engine # 24662
- Believed To Be Original Paint And Interior
- Showing Just 94,777 Kilometers From New
- Recently Serviced And Ready For Enjoyment
Sale Includes Factory Tools, Spare, Owners Manual, Available Service Documents, And Service Manuals.
The Lotus Excel is one of Lotus’s lesser-known cars, often overshadowed by the success of the marque’s other sports cars like the Esprit. The Excel was based on the Eclat, which was based on the Type 75 Elite. Due to the deal that Lotus had with Toyota at the time, the Excel used Toyota’s W58 five-speed transmission in the manual models alongside other mechanical components. Praise was given to the Excel’s 50:50 weight distribution, which gave it impressive cornering and handling. The car was never imported or sold in the US, likely due to the stringent emission regulations that would hamper the car’s performance. One Excel was imported stateside in 1987 for review purposes and was promptly returned to the UK six months later.
During its ten-year production period, the Excel received a number of both aesthetic and mechanical changes like differently-styled body panels, an automatic transmission model, and a high compression version of the DOHC 2.2 L Lotus 912 slant-four engine for the S.E. trim level. This upgraded engine put out 180 hp and 165 lb-ft of torque.
The 1988 model year received a few performance upgrades like a lighter crankshaft, a revised undertray, and a revised fuel system among others. Visually, the 1988 Excel was the same as every model year since 1984. 1989 was the last time the Excel received an update before Lotus stopped producing the cars in 1992. A successor to the Excel in the form of a Lotus Elan coupe was planned but ultimately scrapped due to low sales numbers. Only around 2000 examples of the Excel were made with just a few hundred being left-hand drive. According to the website “How Many Left”, only 126 of them were still registered for road use as of Q3 2021.
This particular example, Chassis # SCC089912JHS40417, is what we believe to be an all-original left-hand drive Excel S.E. finished in Metallic Silver with a red pinstripe adorning each side and a Black leather interior. It was acquired by LBI Limited in 2019 for a client of ours from Mirbach & Seemann in Hamburg, Germany where it was on consignment from a collector in the Netherlands. This Excel spent its life in many corners of Europe including Linköping in Sweden and Walkden in the UK before ending up in the Netherlands and ultimately in Germany.
Throughout its ownership history, the car was carefully and thoroughly maintained, which is evident by its current condition. In Sweden, it received a few gaskets, washers, and a new timing belt from AB Wendels Bil & Motor. In the UK, it received a new front bumper, a bonnet slam panel, a front arch, and some body trim clips from Autofive. Its most recent owner continued that tradition and replaced a few key components as well including the clutch master and slave cylinders, clutch disc and pressure plate, and numerous front suspension and steering bushings at Autotronics in Southampton, PA. It most recently received a new timing belt as well as a full detail, both inside and out, including an engine bay steam clean.
This Lotus Excel presents an excellent opportunity to own one of Lotus’s rare and uncommon sports cars. The fact that these cars were never officially sold here makes seeing one in this good condition in the US that much rarer. With an excellent maintenance record and just the right amount of Toyota reliability, this is one of the better examples available on the market. Upon purchase, the new owner will receive all of the import and maintenance records as well as the original tool kit and spare tire.
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