Publisher Description

The Essential Guide to buying the Lotus Europa of your dreams, this book will guide you through all you need to know.Originally intended to be a cheap and basic Lotus Seven replacement, during its development the Lotus Europa morphed into a miniature supercar, described by Colin Chapman as a "working man's GT40," which sat alongside the Elan in the Lotus line-up. Its mid engined configuration gave it exceptional balance, and its handling and roadholding were second to none. Initially produced for export to Europe in late 1966, the Renault-powered car evolved into the Series 2 in 1968 when it was released to the UK and US markets, and, in its final iteration, gained the Lotus' own Twin Cam engine in 1971. Production ended in 1975 with around 9200 cars completed.This book has been written to provide the prospective owner with all the information they need to establish if the car is for them, and what to look for when viewing an example. All aspects of the cars are examined, including paperwork, mechanical issues, bodywork and interior with many photos of example cars to assist in the assessment of an individual car, and understand the implications of many of the common problems that a car can exhibit. The author is a Lotus enthusiast, and has been working on and writing about classic Lotuses for a number of years.

Author Biography

Matthew Vale has been writing books on classic British motorcycles and cars since 2004. Now retired from the day to day work in the IT industry, where he was a Chartered IT Professional specialising in computer security, he is devoting his free time to classic car and bike restoration, writing classic motoring books and articles, and spending time with his wife and family. In the past he has run such diverse classic cars as a Triumph Spitfire Mark III, MGB,Triumph Stag and a Lotus Elite as well as restoring and riding classic bikes, including the Triumph Bonneville, Norton Commando and BSA Lightning.With a lifelong fascination for glass-fibre bodied cars stemming from early holiday jobs at various glass fibre factories, and ownership of many rusty cars, he is currently carrying out a nut and bolt (and glass-fibre) restoration of two Lotus Elan Plus 2s.

Table of Contents

Introduction & ForewordContentsIs a Lotus Europa right for you?Cost considerationsLiving with a Lotus EuropaRelative valuesBefore you viewInspection equipmentFifteen minute evaluationKey pointsSerious evaluationAuctionsPaperworkWhat's it worth?Do you really want to restore?Paint problemsLack of use problemsThe Lotus Europa communityVital statisticsIndex

Review

I think this book is excellent and good value. The photographs are informative and well reproduced. - Historic Lotus Register. there's a great deal of easy-to-understand expert written knowledge here as well, which should prove to be invaluable if you're in the market for a Europa - Classic Car Weekly

Long Description

The Essential Guide to buying the Lotus Europa of your dreams, this book will guide you through all you need to know. Originally intended to be a cheap and basic Lotus Seven replacement, during its development the Lotus Europa morphed into a miniature supercar, described by Colin Chapman as a "working man's GT40," which sat alongside the Elan in the Lotus line-up. Its mid engined configuration gave it exceptional balance, and its handling and roadholding were second to none. Initially produced for export to Europe in late 1966, the Renault-powered car evolved into the Series 2 in 1968 when it was released to the UK and US markets, and, in its final iteration, gained the Lotus' own Twin Cam engine in 1971. Production ended in 1975 with around 9200 cars completed. This book has been written to provide the prospective owner with all the information they need to establish if the car is for them, and what to look for when viewing an example. All aspects of the cars are examined, including paperwork, mechanical issues, bodywork and interior with many photos of example cars to assist in the assessment of an individual car, and understand the implications of many of the common problems that a car can exhibit. The author is a Lotus enthusiast, and has been working on and writing about classic Lotuses for a number of years.

Details