Under Colin Chapman, Lotus was nothing if not innovative and the Europa was a prize example of the company’s art.
Built to follow Chapman's philosophy of automotive design: "Simplify, then add lightness", the Europa was the company’s first mid-engined road car design and used a lightweight, folded and welded "minimalist" boxed-steel backbone chassis with a fibreglass moulded body, a combination that was first used in the 1962 Elan.
Unlike the Elan, the Europa had no front-mounted engine or gearbox to accommodate, and so the main chassis member ran straight forward to intersect a large box-section cross-beam running across the car between the front suspension points – a simple yet wonderfully balanced piece of engineering.
The earliest cars came with a Renault OHV engine, but from 1971 onwards switched to the Ford-based Lotus Twin Cam found in the Elan and Cortina, giving far better performance and torque. These are the most sought-after Europas today as a result.
This example comes from long-term ownership and has recently been given a cosmetic restoration by Tiger Racing, which manufactures its own cars as well as restores classics.
THE HISTORY AND PAPERWORK
UK V5C
MOT and tax exempt, but comes with advisory-free MOT valid until March 2024 for peace of mind
Previous owner for over 30 years
Service handbook
Folder full of receipts and invoices back to the 1980s
Lots of old MOT certificates and tax discs
Invoice from 1991 documenting full engine rebuild, with minimal mileage covered since
THE INTERIOR
Retrimmed seats in black
Otherwise original order
Wood-trimmed dash
Mountney three-spoke sports steering wheel
When Tiger acquired the Europa, the car had very tired-looking beige seats, and with the car itself undergoing a colour change the decision was take to recolour the upholstery in black. It’s a smart job and the interior is in good condition, retaining its original painted door cards and new carpets. The roof lining is dropping slightly but there are very few other issues.
The dash has a few small cracks to the veneer, but nothing major, and a period Motorola push-button radio is a nice retro feature, but is not currently functional.
THE EXTERIOR
Excellet galvanised chassis
Body resprayed in Red
Brand-new Dunlop alloys and tyres
Original chrome and glass
Originally finished in Midnight Blue, the Europa was stripped back and resprayed by Tiger Racing in a fresh bright red. The new colour scheme gives the car a big lift, and the paint finish is excellent having been repainted in Tiger’s own advanced spray booth.
Of utmost importance, though, is the chassis and the good news here is that the Europa has at some point benefitted from a galvanised set-up. It’s still in remarkable order, having been stripped, inspected and painted.
All of the chrome, glass and trim is original and in good order, but with some small amounts of pitting to the bumpers and mirrors.
A brand-new set of authentic Lotus Dunlop alloys complete the exterior appeal, shod with new tyres all-round.
THE MECHANICS
Lotus Twin Cam engine
Completely rebuilt by previous owner
Excellent gearbox
Suspension, steering and braking systems thoroughly checked over
In 1991, the Europa was given a comprehensive engine overhaul, which is thoroughly documented in the car’s history file. While this may sound like an extremely long time ago, the car has seen only leisure usage since and a comprehensive check-over by Tiger Racing showed it to be in excellent order still, with very good compression and no signs of any problems. Likewise, the transmission was inspected and tested and found to be similarly good.
There are no evident issues with the suspension, steering or brakes and the vendor describes the Lotus as very good to drive.
SUMMARY
A few years ago, the Europa was very much the forgotten Lotus – but in recent times that has changed quite considerably and today the very best examples are becoming quite sought-after.
This one fits that bill – it looks great and comes with the reassurance of having been comprehensively overhauled by a well-regarded sports car specialist. It has been sympathetically restored cosmetically to maintain as much originality as possible and is presented in very smart condition.
