The Lotus Esprit Story

Big Car

The mid-70’s were an optimistic time for British transport. We got the Triumph TR7 and Rover SD1, the Intercity 125 took us across the country at 125mph, and the thunderous Concorde took us over Mach 2. Britain was proving it could still do amazing engineering. Then there was the Lotus Esprit, turning heads with its crisp, folded lines and supercar styling. By using a tiny engine, it would go on to have the largest power output per litre of any car. And it would clean up so effectively in American motor racing that it was effectively banned from competition. It’s been a Bond car, twice in its amazing 28-year long production run, and Lotus keeps tantalising us with glimpses of what it will be in the future.