Lotus · 1980
Esprit S3
Manual · RWD · United Kingdom
AutoIndex value · good UK car
£35,000
Researched from UK sold prices and auction results. How we value cars
Estimated price by condition
Project
£21,000
Restoration candidate
Driver
£35,000
Good usable example
Concours
£52,500
Show standard
Indicative condition bands · not a valuation of a particular car
Price check
Looking at a Esprit S3 for sale? Is it a good price?
Buyer’s notes
About the Lotus Esprit S3
The Esprit S3 arrived in 1981 alongside the Turbo Esprit, keeping a normally aspirated 2.2-litre four. Esprit chassis were galvanised from 1981, and the S3 was built until 1987.
What moves the price
- Chassis condition: galvanising helps, but replacement chassis are very hard to find.
- History: cambelt changes and engine work on record.
- Condition of the glassfibre body and the interior, where retrims are costly.
Before you buy, check
- The outriggers that carry the radiator, the front chassis box section, the front wishbones and the fuel tanks.
- Cambelt changes on time, and the cooling system: hoses and the pipes to the front radiator.
- The gearbox for worn bearings, and the steering rack, which wears faster on the S3’s wider wheels and tyres.
Facts checked against: Wikipedia · classicsworld.co.uk · practicalclassics.co.uk · lotusespritworld.com
Vehicle data
Specifications
From 1980
Performance
Production
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Lotus Esprit S3: value questions answered
- How much is a Lotus Esprit S3 worth?
- A good, usable UK example of the Lotus Esprit S3 is worth around £35,000 on the AutoIndex index. A project car that needs restoration is nearer £21,000, and a concours-quality example around £52,500. Condition moves the price more than anything else.
- What makes one Esprit S3 worth more than another?
- Service history and paperwork — complete, stamped, explained
- Mileage against the norm for the model
- Originality — matching numbers, original paint and trim
- Specification — gearbox, colour, factory options
- UK-supplied versus imported
- Is the Esprit S3 I'm looking at fairly priced?
- Enter its asking price and condition in the price check above. It compares the price with the index for that condition and tells you what to ask the seller about.
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