The Lotus Grand Tourers

Too many cars mean that I really ought to move on my Excel now, so it's now for sale: £4750.
It's a run-out model in Silk Red and full gold tan perforated leather. (92MY, completed Jan '92.)

The engine was rebuilt in 2016. Standard spec, partly built by a Lotus technician and finished off, tested and dyno'd (187 bhp) by the guru, Phil Davison (Ravic Engines, WRC championship-winning engine builder). It is a gem, and was built at considerable expense.

New parts fitted as part of its recommission in Jan 2016 and since include clutch plus slave and master cylinders, brake discs + pads, tyres, throttle cable, speedo cable, battery, diff seals, otter switch + housing, steering rack gaiters, exhaust centre + other sections, oil cooler pipes, carpets.

The paintwork has suffered the infamous lacquer peel and is therefore not perfect.

The leather also could do with some attention; the driver's seat shows the wear of 140,000 miles, the rear seat back has splits on the top seam as does the dashboard.

AC has not been touched so condition is unknown.

Original, complete tool kit plus owner's manual still with the car.

I have owned the car for fourteen years, and I know the previous owners back to 1998.

Pictures here from 2017, nothing has changed since then:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/clouddrive/sha ... _link_copy

14.06.20: I have now taken a deposit on the car. Sold via this forum!

Would love to know where she goes as this is the seemingly exact twin in spec to my 91 in Silk Red with the Beige Connolly interior.

I think the interior is a slightly different colour, Bill, otherwise the same.
I thought you chaps over the pond liked to refer to your cars by model year, by the way, which would make your car a 92. I know it was built in '91, though, so it's not wrong as such.

Well, after a little research, i just got an interesting discovery. My "91 excel SE" has a VIN with model year N. which makes it a 1992 model and closer, in theory, to the end of the production run. chassis number is 3122.
the build date is 27 09 1991 on the TUV form from Germany. so was this a late 91 build intended for 92 sales but maybe sold prior to the 92 year turnover???
Here in the u.s. you could buy a new model "2020" car right about now (Mid September) though it's still 2019. could it be that type of thing and the model transferred as the mfg date vs. the model yer date from england to Germany when it was first imported/exported?

It's definitely a 1992 MY car. Silk Red was only available for that one year (similar but different shades were used in earlier years). There were fourteen 92MY cars built before yours.
Your 'build date' is the date of first registration in the UK, the actual build date will be somewhere between July (when your engine was built) and September; Lotus archives can tell you.

My car is still available, I haven't made too much effort to sell it but it is not getting used so would be better in a new home.

I can e-mail more pictures to anyone interested, or follow link below:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/clouddrive/sha ... 8MeUlcsrFK

Hi,

Does the car have an MOT, and where are you located?

Yes, MOT until October and currently taxed as well. Gave it a 50-mile run just yesterday.
Am in Yorkshire near M62/M18.

are you nr Doncaster , im only Sheffield if car is still for saale

I've tried to PM you but unsure if it's going through ( Shows up in outbox, not in "sent").
Can you confirm you have my contact details.
Tony

Messages from both of you received last night; will reply this morning.
The car is still here.

I have now taken a deposit on the car from a fellow forum member.