The Lotus Grand Tourers

Back in the early eighties I had a JPS Europa Paid £4000 for it ,had it for four years and sold it for £4000 so I could buy a house. Other than servicing the only money I needed to spend on it was fitting a new oil pump, try doing that with the engine on the car, It was the best car I have ever owned and would see off an Excel around the bendy bits, did I ever have a grin when I drove it. Now that I have reached the stage (old age)where I can afford to have a fun car, I can afford an Excel but to get an Europa in the sort of condition mine was in I would need to spend £15000 plus, no chance. So the Excel it is and I love it, more importantly so does the wife. When I first got the car I let my 20 year old son have a go, he loved it, he has now bought a Triumph Spitfire for himself, cheaper insurance than a Lotus, and drives it at every opportunity, he thinks modern cars are boring to drive, the only reason he kept his Focus Estate was you cant get a drum kit in the Spitfire. He has first refusal on the Excel, catch them young and they are hooked. As for laying down in the Europa the best and most relaxing driving position you will ever have, the only thing wrong with my Europa was the colour Roman Purple, it does grow on you. Cheers Keith

royal wrote:Back in the early eighties I had a JPS Europa Paid £4000 for it ,had it for four years and sold it for £4000 so I could buy a house. Other than servicing the only money I needed to spend on it was fitting a new oil pump, try doing that with the engine on the car, It was the best car I have ever owned and would see off an Excel around the bendy bits, did I ever have a grin when I drove it. Now that I have reached the stage (old age)where I can afford to have a fun car, I can afford an Excel but to get an Europa in the sort of condition mine was in I would need to spend £15000 plus, no chance. So the Excel it is and I love it, more importantly so does the wife. When I first got the car I let my 20 year old son have a go, he loved it, he has now bought a Triumph Spitfire for himself, cheaper insurance than a Lotus, and drives it at every opportunity, he thinks modern cars are boring to drive, the only reason he kept his Focus Estate was you cant get a drum kit in the Spitfire. He has first refusal on the Excel, catch them young and they are hooked. As for laying down in the Europa the best and most relaxing driving position you will ever have, the only thing wrong with my Europa was the colour Roman Purple, it does grow on you. Cheers Keith

Got given my excel aged 24... used it as my wedding car at 25 my daughter went out in it first aged 5 weeks old, and she now regularly asks to go in "the lotus car" instead of mummys car! shes nearly 2 now and is a lotus fan

On the other hand, if you try introducing teenage girls to a Lotus they rebel, and now loathe it

(I should point out that they are my two daughters, not just any teenage girls you happen to meet )

royal wrote:Back in the early eighties I had a JPS Europa Paid £4000 for it ,had it for four years and sold it for £4000 so I could buy a house. Other than servicing the only money I needed to spend on it was fitting a new oil pump, try doing that with the engine on the car, It was the best car I have ever owned and would see off an Excel around the bendy bits, did I ever have a grin when I drove it. Now that I have reached the stage (old age)where I can afford to have a fun car, I can afford an Excel but to get an Europa in the sort of condition mine was in I would need to spend £15000 plus, no chance. So the Excel it is and I love it, more importantly so does the wife. When I first got the car I let my 20 year old son have a go, he loved it, he has now bought a Triumph Spitfire for himself, cheaper insurance than a Lotus, and drives it at every opportunity, he thinks modern cars are boring to drive, the only reason he kept his Focus Estate was you cant get a drum kit in the Spitfire. He has first refusal on the Excel, catch them young and they are hooked. As for laying down in the Europa the best and most relaxing driving position you will ever have, the only thing wrong with my Europa was the colour Roman Purple, it does grow on you. Cheers Keith

keith i thought jps cars were black with gold pinstriping not [roman purple]

^^^ Yep true, but the pin striping sort of took over as the signature for a JPS Lotus IIRC?

I think I can see in my minds eye a purple pin striped Europa (and possibly an Elan?)

I had a Europa Special in the 70's which was Roman Purple and had as standard the "JPS" gold pint stripe coach lines. I don't think it was ever referred to as a JPS though. Memory fades but I thought that all Europa Specials had the lines.

Ah yes it was probably the "special" bit that I recall.