Lotus Launch New Certificate Of Provenance Programme – The First Was Colin Chapman’s Personal Esprit Turbo
Lotus is launching its new Certificate of Provenance programme. The first car to use it is the recently acquired 1981 Turbo Esprit of Colin Chapman. Chapman’s own personal car is quite unique aside from its ownership.
This car is important and quite fitting to get the new Certificate of Provenance, being the last car Chapman had. Luckily Lotus managed to acquire it after it was recently put up for sale.
With an asking price of £100,000 it wasn’t cheap. But the car was unique being the first Esprit to have power steering fitted. The suspension lowered and modified along with the brakes. Rather nice period BBS Mahle wheels were fitted.
The silver diamond car came with some factory fitted extras. The full red leather interior, air conditioning and the very cool overhead Panasonic audio system.
Lotus subjected the car to a light, sympathetic restoration and will remain with the company at Hethel in Norfolk.
The 1981 Turbo Esprit was issued with UK registration plate UVF 464X and was first registered to Lotus on 1 August. The Certificate of Provenance reveals it was allocated to company founder Colin Chapman for his exclusive use. After Colin Chapman’s in December 1982, Lotus eventually sold the car in July 1983. It has remained in private hands ever since. The now classic car has covered just under 11,000 miles from new.
The new Certificate of Provenance has been designed to appeal to Lotus owners of cars from any era. It can be bought as a gift for someone too. It comes delivered in a presentation box with ‘For The Drivers’ emblazoned on the front.
Inside the box there is the Certificate of Provenance. This provides a summary of the car’s details including the VIN, paint colour and specification. The date on which the car completed its production at the Hethel factory and was passed to the Lotus sales team.
The Build Specification Letter – using information directly from the Lotus archive where possible. This contains more in-depth information about the car. The engine, transmission, standard features and optional extras.
Also, a personalised letter to the customer signed by Phil Popham, CEO, Lotus Cars, thanking them for their purchase. Rather a nice touch.
The three documents are presented in a black envelope and placed inside the presentation box. Included are a selection of Lotus collectables. An aluminium plaque engraved with the owner’s name and information from the Certificate of Provenance. A leather Lotus keyring; a carbon fibre bookmark, a Lotus ink pen and a presentation tin of four badges
The Certificate of Provenance is available worldwide through Lotus retailers. In the UK it costs £170 + postage.
This doesn’t seem to be particularly expensive, as someone will be trawling the archives for any information they can find. I can’t imagine Lotus making any money on this.
Back in August 1981, Colin Chapman let a rather high-profile person drive the car. Margaret Thatcher drove the Esprit with Chapman in the passenger seat whilst attending a display function at the Norwich International Airport in in Norfolk. Chapman was showcasing Lotus products and let the UK Prime Minister drive around the private roads on the site.
Chapman chartered a private plane from Heathrow to Norwich for Thatcher and simply handed over the keys to his own car. the car got quite a positive review. According to the Eastern Daily Press newspaper, Thatcher said the car was “lovely to drive” and that she’d been “tempted to drive away in it.”
Many thanks to Lotus Cars for the use of the images.
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