Lotus : Other John Player Special

1   General Information and Background.

A rare 1973 John Player Special Limited Edition #128 of 200 in the black and gold JPS Formula 1 Trim complete with Formula 1 winners plaque on the cockpit exterior. To commemorate winning their fifth Formula 1 Trophy Lotus is understood to have decided to make a Limited Edition run of 200 (100 for North America and 100 for Europe) of their new Twin-Cam model Europa in the black and gold JPS racing trim. The initial run had decals added to the dash board of the vehicles (apparently by dealer in the US and not by Lotus themselves) to further distinguish the edition. This Europa JPS is number 128 of 200.  

Apparently the demand for the John Player Special trim was so great that Lotus decided it was financially prudent to extend the production line so that in total some 4. 00 Twin Cam Europas Type 74 were delivered in the JPS as well as in other colours.

Vehicle is left hand drive.

Our Europa was purchased out of North Carolina in 2005 and upon receipt it was determined that it  required considerably more work performed to make it roadworthy than had been anticipated from the on-line description provided. In particular the car required extensive work to the suspension system. steering and safety areas before it could receive a Nova Scotia Government Roadworthy Safety Certificate. Some $3000+ was spent on making the car roadworthy and such detailed descriptions of work performed and invoices will accompany the vehicle or scanned copies can be sent on request .

This work was undertaken by a specialist in British vehicles and in particular sports cars. One of the problems encountered with the car was the ground clearance which even with the suspension fully repaired was not very great. This was solved by obtaining a kit from a Lotus approved supplier in the UK that allowed the clearance to be increased which with new larger tyres allowed a higher ride. Even so no Lotus Europa is designed for back roads or bad road surfaces.

Once the car was on the road driving it was a great pleasure as it sticks to the pavement like a limpet and because of its extreme lightness the twin-cam engine provides excellent performance for a 40 year old vehicle.

According to legend the original Europa was designed by Colin Chapman around his own physique and he was not a large man. Initially he refused to allow any changes to be made to provide greater space and comfort in the cockpit. however. he relented enough so that in the twin-cam model the cockpit area was redesigned to allow more space inside the car and to improve visibility by altering the rear window area. The redesign apparently allows someone over 6 foot tall to drive the car. however. even for smaller persons getting in and out of the vehicle is rather tight.

2   Condition (Additional Information).

The space allowed above for description is fairly limited so the following clarifications are also noted:

·         As stated the car. when received in 2005. required considerable work to make her and fully operational and roadworthy. Once complete the car ran and performed well.

·         Making her operational and roadworthy did not include renovation on the bodywork and interior which was to be phase II of the restoration activities. The intent was to have the bodywork. in particular. dealt with by fibreglass and paint specialists to try and retain as much of the original JPS paint as possible. The main areas of crazing and paintwork flaking are on the front left wing and around the driver's door which should be seen from the photos. For the interior the intent was to initially repair the seams and  seat sections that required it together with repairing the centre consul and glove box fascia and general tidying up. This unless more extensive works were deemed preferable for ROI.

·         Unfortunately due to being assigned overseas for several years followed by a severe illness upon returning home the car was garaged and not driven since 2007. As this was not anticipated the car was not prepared for long term storage (e. g. engine inhibited. etc)  and therefore the mechanics will require a full re-inspection before start up.   

·         The vehicle has hard and soft copies of the Europa Manual. an additional spare wheel (without tyre) and a few other small parts.

3)   Sale and Shipping.

The Europa is sold without warranty although inspection and questions are welcome.

Shipping to be the full responsibility of the buyer from the cars presently garaged location in the Metro Halifax area of Nova Scotia. Halifax has good road. rail and sea connections and is home to an Autoport where bonded vehicles are received on import and customs cleared.

The vehicle is therefore sold on an “As is. Where is” basis.

Unless otherwise agreed between the parties. regarding form of payment and time. full payment is required as stated herein.  

The vehicle is also for sale locally. Subject to EBay regulations Owner therefore reserves the right to end the auction early unless the reserve price has been met.  

Also published at eBay.ca

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