In November of 1972, Lotus introduced the Silver Car concept based on the Europa chassis. The design of the vehicle was courteous of ItalDesigns Giorgio Giugiario. Mr. Giugiario led an illustrious career as a stylist, first at Fiat before moving to Bertone, then Ghia. He began his ItalDesign business in 1968.

The idea behind the concept came from Tony Rudd, Lotus's Technical Director who joined the company in 1969. The idea was a mid-engine two-seater vehicle that could serve as a replacement for the Europa. The concept, named the M70 project, evolved into the Esprit a year later when it debuted at the Geneva Auto Show. Originally, the name Kiwi was proposed, but in keeping with the Lotus tradition of having all car model names start with the letter "E", the name became Esprit.

The vehicle was visually stunning with its wedge shape and clean flowing lines. It was hailed as 'Star of The Show' at the 1975 Paris Motor Shows. By 1975 production began for the Esprit S1 with the first customers receiving the vehicle in 1976.

The Lotus Esprit was built by Lotus in the United Kingdom between 1976 and 2004. In April 1986, the final incarnations of the Giugiaro-styled Esprit were announced, with raised engine compression giving rise to the 'HC' moniker. This increased the output of the 2.2-liter inline four-cylinder turbo engine, as seen in this example, to 215 horsepower; this effective unit is paired with a five-speed manual transmission. The Lotus Esprit also has an attractive, functional interior that is befitting of the overall design and presence. Pop-up headlights, factory BBS wheels, dual sport mirrors blend seamlessly with the distinguishing design to create a well-remembered platform backed with a top speed of 152-mph and 0- to 60-mph in 5.5 seconds.

Finished in Jupiter Red Metallic over Beige Connolly leather this Esprit is reported to have been sparingly utilized since new and comes with excellent service history and documentation. Most servicing has been done by Park Place LTD including a recent timing belt, major service, injectors, fuel injection work, plugs, wires ad fluids and a transmission rebuild. This Esprit is sitting in all original condition down to its original Connolly leather and original Jupiter Metallic paint. The car runs and drives beautifully and has seen the proper maintenance over the years. Fresh out of a long term enthusiast ownership, this Esprit comes with its original toolkit, jack, spare tire, owners handbook and extensive service records from past maintenance.

It is reported that in 1986, 454 Lotus Esprits were constructed, of those, 134 were the turbo model making this a quite uncommon machine.