The Europa was born out of one of Colin Chapman’s typically esoteric ideas, in this case a bid to build what became the GT40. When Ford went elsewhere, in typical style, he decided not to waste all the work and turned the designs into the Europa. 

It took six years before the Europa got the engine it deserved, namely the Lotus-Ford 1.6L Twin Cam. Finally, the car had the performance and provenance to match the rest of the engineer. Just 1,580 early cars were built between 1971 and 1972, and here we have a very rare survivor. 

The car has been in the same family from its first year of registration, notching up a mere two keepers in its 53 years. Smartly finished in blue metallic with beige vinyl interior, it is a low-mileage, well-kept car with a vast history file. Recent work has included a new master cylinder, brake calliper overhaul and the carburettors have been stripped, cleaned and tuned. The fuel sender in the tank has also been replaced. 

The Europa is one of those typically Lotus-esque one-offs that is an exceptionally rare sight on the road or even at shows. The Twin Cam is the one you want and this car comes with very interesting history. 

Recent work includes:

 

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