Stylish British sports car is now very rare but can be bought for bargain price

A VINTAGE luxury sports car that’s so rare only 133 remain on British roads can now be nabbed for just £6,000.

The bright red 1985 Lotus Excel SE is an uncommon steal that was only in production from 1982 to 1992 by Brit car maker Lotus Cars.

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The very cool Lotus Excel SE is one of the niche Brit car brand’s most recognisable motors and remains a firm-favourite among vintage car fans.

As of 2021, only 126 of the approximately 2,000 Excel models made were still registered for road use, making this listing particularly desirable.

Despite their scarcity, we were able to find a stunning ex-press car on the Cars & Classic website for a bargain price.

According to the listing, this “beautiful” 1986 Lotus Excel SE is in a “lovely condition” and yearning for “a loving home”.

The listing said the car has been owned by the same person since 2010 although the owner admitted the “much-adored” whip has “developed starting issues”.

The head turner still boasts a bright red coat and has been mopped and clay barred to combat previous fading.

The high-profile car has even enjoyed being on the cover of well-known period magazines – and all mags come with the bargain car.

Its predecessor is the Lotus Eclat, whose production ceased in 1982 but the Excel SE is made from some snazzy Toyota parts thanks to a partnership.

A similar 1985 Lotus Excel SE model featured on a Top Gear episode in 2010 when James May transformed it into a motorhome with a roofbox-style sleeping area. 

And in 2012 the versatile car was morphed into a submarine by May’s co-star Richard Hammond.

The car can be picked up at an address in Reading, Berkshire and the seller says there’s “lots of upgrades for sale”.

A spare, highly uprated 220bhp engine is also up for grabs and the hopeful seller says it’s got a powerful engine.

It comes with a recently fitted radiator and fans, a Powerspark distributor and electronic ignition system, a refurbished fuel tank and a new clutch.

The car also boasts new carpets and sound proofing as well as new avo dampers and springs, a year-old PAS system and a stainless header tank.

The owner admits the Lotus Excel SE requires a few tweaks, most notably the faulty cyclinder.

The windows are also laggy at best and the trademark red ink had started to fade but its still been treated with a ceramic coating.

A full description can be found on Car and Classic’s website.

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