VIN: Lotus Esprit Turbo Essex Commemorative chassis 10859
History of chassis 10859
Chassis 10859 was one of three Esprit Turbo development prototypes built ahead of a small series of pre-production examples.
Shortly before the new model was launched, Lotus signed the Essex Overseas Petroleum Company as title sponsor for their 1980 and 1981 Formula 1 campaigns.
As part of the deal, the first 100 Esprit Turbos were to be built as Essex Commemorative editions.
Essex boss, David Thieme, was instrumental in deciding the specification: Monaco blue paint with chrome and red graphics, a scarlet leather interior, Sundym glass, air-conditioning and a roof-mounted Panasonic stereo. These early cars also came with split rim Compomotive wheels.
Chassis 10859 was registered KAH 540V in March 1980.
Soon afterwards, it was photographed as depicted here at Hethel alongside Colin Chapman’s five-seat Bell 206B-2 Jet Ranger. Chapman’s helicopter had been painted in Essex livery to match Thieme’s seven-seat Bell 206L-1 Long Ranger II.
Chassis 10859 was road tested by Mel Nichols for the May 1980 edition of Car magazine. Nichols summarised:
“Lotus set out to build a car that would take them into the Ferrari class. If capability is the keynote, and the 308 GTB the pick-up point, then they have done it. That alone is a superb achievement, for the 308 GTB is a paragon of desirability, tremendously well-balanced and beautifully-mannered.
Yet Lotus have gone even further than that. I cannot recall a mid-engined car, even including the Urraco and 308 GTB, in which the traditional traits of the mid-engined car were less obvious. I do not know of a mid-engined car, let alone with this level of performance, in which you gain such absolute confidence so quickly.
I do not know of a car of this performance that lets you play with it so easily. Perhaps the reduced weight of the Lotus four compared with the V6 of the Merak or the V8 of the 308 and the Pantera or the inline six of the M1 or the 12s of the Boxer and the Countach, helps here. None has less bias towards the rear but you are aware, when they oversteer, that there is a considerable weight behind the seats and you wonder, to greater and lesser degrees, whether you can contain it. If I think about it, I find that you are all but unaware of such a weight behind you in the Esprit Turbo. Perhaps that’s why it feels ’easy’, so tamely potent. Or is it that Lotus have simply found a way to hone the mid-engined car to a fine new level?
Can I, sitting here, think of a reason not to say that Lotus have indeed taken the mid-engined car another step up the ladder, and that they have done the same for the turbocharged four-cylinder engine? I don’t think I can.”
Notable History
SCCDC20A0AHD10859
03/1980 registered KAH 540V
05/1980 road tested by Car magazine
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Lotus - https://www.lotuscars.com
