Lotus Esprit Prototypeicture

[threespires]

I've just found this picture that I took in in Sutton Coldfield in 1976 of what I believe could be a Lotus Esprit Prototype, can anybody confirm this ?

Sadly the full number plate is missing, but a 'P' reg must be rare.



I'd appreciate some info.

[Stevesprit]

threespires said:

I've just found this picture that I took in in Sutton Coldfield in 1976 of what I believe could be a Lotus Esprit Prototype, can anybody confirm this ?

Sadly the full number plate is missing, but a 'P' reg must be rare.



I'd appreciate some info.

DVLA website lists it as MCL 100P (only had to search half way through the alphabet) registered 19th Dec 1975. Done a bit of searching on Lotus Esprit forum and found this :-

"I sold my beloved red Series 1 Esprit - MCL 100P - in 1979, and have regretted it ever since. Chassis number 003. It was the first one off the production line at Hethel - 001 and 002 having been built at Ketteringham Hall. The last registration on the DVLA website is 1982. Please, does anyone have any knowledge of where the car is now or what happened to it after 1982?"

"MCL 100P was built at Ketteringham Hall and it was built by Lotus Engineering and was built a long while before they came off the production line and it was never a production vehicle.

The car was made with self a coloured body ie: it did not need painting when it came out of the mould but the paint went very dull after a short while and finished up being painted any way (red).
After the car was first used at the Hall it then went to the R & D department at Hethel and was used and tested and was constantly being updated with up to date production parts untill it was no longer required, and from memory it was purchased by Tony Jones of Powertrain and I think he owned the car for a while before he sold it."

Hope this answers your question.

Edited by Stevesprit on Monday 6th July 20:03

[threespires]

Steve,

What a brilliant reply !!

It was 1976, I was driving past a local hotel and noticed the car parked in the car park. For once I had my camera with me and so naturally, as a Lotus fan, I took the pic. I had a Europa at the time.

I think it was in late winter / early spring looking at the trees and other pix on the roll of film.

About six years later, I ran a JPS for a while and loved it. Might it have been no.82 ? I could be wrong.

Thanks for going to the trouble, it seems this proto was an important car. I'm glad this picture has survived.

[Bibs_LEF]

I hope you don't mind but I've added your pic to the Lotus Esprit Forum topic about this car.

http://www.lotusespritforum.com/forums/index.php?s...

[threespires]

Bibs_LEF said:

I hope you don't mind but I've added your pic to the Lotus Esprit Forum topic about this car.

http://www.lotusespritforum.com/forums/index.php?s...

Thanks Bibs, I'm glad to share the pic of this interesting car.