1987 Lotus Esprit Turbo appears on Australian Auction Block
The Lotus Esprit has always looked like it was sketched on the back of a napkin by someone who grew up reading sci-fi comics. Long, low and razor-sharp, it became one of Britain’s most recognisable exports long before the Spice Girls hit global radio. And thanks partly to James Bond, the Esprit earned a pop-culture profile far bigger than its production numbers ever suggested.
A white 1987 Lotus Esprit Turbo is now crossing the block in Arndell Park, NSW. It is tired but complete, scruffy but interesting, and very much carrying the aura of the decade that styled it. Before we get into this specific car, a quick refresher on how the Esprit gained legendary status.
How the Esprit became a Bond co-star
If you grew up on 70s and 80s Bond films, the Esprit was practically a character in the franchise. The first to appear was the 1976-77 Esprit S1 in The Spy Who Loved Me. That was the white submarine car that torpedoed a helicopter and then calmly drove back onto the beach. An estimated 15 different bodies and props were made for the production, and the real working cars were famously minimalist.
A few years later, For Your Eyes Only featured an early Turbo Esprit (1980 era). One was white and explosively short-lived, detonating itself in a scene involving a burglar alarm. The second was copper and played transport for Bond’s A-to-B moments.
The car in this auction is neither of those, but it shares the Giugiaro wedge shape and the red-hot 80s attitude that made the Esprit a hero car long before the supercar boom arrived.
What changed by 1987
By the mid-80s, Lotus introduced the Turbo HC variant. The HC stood for high compression. It brought stronger throttle response and a little more punch from the 2.2 litre Type 910 four cylinder. Lotus claimed around 215 horsepower, and while that number will not terrify anyone raised on modern V8 utes, the Esprit weighed less than a Mazda 3 and stuck to corners like Velcro.
Period tests from Car and Driver reported sub six second 0 to 100 km/h runs for the earlier turbo models, and the HC was regarded as the sweet spot before Lotus redesigned the Esprit in 1988 with smoother Stevens styling.
So if you wanted the pure wedge era without the fragility of the early cars, 1986 to 1987 was the sweet spot.
Decoding this car’s identity
The VIN on this example reads SCC082910KHD13464. Once you break that into chunks, the story becomes clear. SCC means Lotus, 08 means Esprit, 2 means coupe, 9 confirms the 910 turbo engine, 1 shows it is a manual, and the tenth character H tells you the model year is 1987.
The H in the eleventh position also shows it was built at Hethel in the UK, which is where Lotus has lived since the 1960s. The final digits, D13464, are its individual production sequence. This aligns with the Giugiaro bodywork, the red leather interior, and the turbo engine tagged GP910.
In short, you are looking at a genuine 1987 Lotus Esprit Turbo HC. That is the last of the origami styled cars and a model that enthusiasts consider increasingly collectible.
Condition of the auction car
This example is white over red. The odometer shows 85,512 miles, so roughly 137,000 kilometres. Age has not been entirely kind. The listing notes dents, marks, interior wear and clutch bearing noise. The engine turns over, but the driveline and suspension need attention.
It comes with one key, no service books, and no registration plates. It is sold unregistered. The condition fits the profile of a long stored import rather than a pampered local car. Noting Gray’s condition report, the car needs a full inspection to determine an appropriate bid.
A 2023 Hagerty report placed fair condition Esprit Turbo values around 30,000 US dollars, while top flight restored examples have hit 70,000 US dollars or higher. UK figures are similar, with strong examples advertised around 55,000 to 70,000 pounds. Australian results vary widely due to rarity and sourcing costs, but 80,000 to 120,000 Australian dollars is a rough guide for a clean, original, ready to drive HC. This one will sit below that until a willing enthusiast rescues it.
Auction details
This Esprit Turbo Manual Coupe forms Lot 0001-10054493 at Grays.
It opens on 27 November at 5 pm AEDT and closes on 2 December at 8.05 pm AEDT. The car is stored at the rear of 5 Holbeche Road, Arndell Park, NSW. Inspection is available onsite under the usual WHS conditions.
For the right buyer, this is a chance to revive a rare piece of British motoring history. It is not a Bond film survivor, but it belongs to the same family tree that gave the secret agent his most memorable automotive gadget. And once restored, an Esprit Turbo looks right at home carving through coastal roads or parking outside a retro cinema screening the very films that made it famous.
