1978 Lotus Esprit S1

This 1978 Lotus Esprit S1 is one of 718 examples produced between 1976 and 1978, and it was registered in California and Nevada before the seller’s purchase in 2021. The car was refurbished in black over gray and red upholstery circa 2001, and it has been modified with Turbo-style fiberglass bumpers, revised headlight mechanisms, aftermarket upper and lower rear suspension links, Spax adjustable front and rear shock absorbers, 14″ GKN Wolfrace alloy wheels, Wilwood front brake components, twin Dell’Orto carburetors, a Turbo-spec radiator, heavy-duty engine mounts, and a MOMO steering wheel. Powered by a mid-mounted 1,973cc inline-four mated to a five-speed manual transaxle, the car is equipped with an independent suspension, pop-up headlights, twin single-piece bucket seats, power windows, an aftermarket stereo, and a heater. This Esprit S1 is now offered with a binder of service records since 1996, a service manual, spare parts, and a clean California title in the seller’s name. The wedge-shaped fiberglass body was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and is mounted to a steel backbone chassis. This example was refinished in black circa 2001, and it has been retrofitted with Turbo-style fiberglass front and rear bumpers. The seller tells us that a linear headlight actuator upgrade has been installed on the pop-up headlights. Exterior equipment includes a rear hatch, dual fuel-filler caps, dual side mirrors, tinted windows, and a single pantograph windshield wiper. Paint cracks are visible on the headlight housings, a paint blemish is shown above the left rear corner marker, and additional photos of the paint and trim condition are viewable in the gallery below.