A 49-year-old Lotus Europa, which its first owner converted from a street-legal sports car into a pure track tool, will be put up for auction in a few days’ time, and the seller expects to get up to $100,000 for it.
Apparently, the original owner of the coupe purchased it in Miami, USA, and immediately proceeded to hit the track. However, he was left dissatisfied with its performance and had it upgraded under IMSA regulations.
Pick’s Racing Engines produced a one-off, purpose-built engine for the car based on the Cosworth 1.6 block, reinforcing the pistons, increasing the compression, adding a Weber carburetor, and overhauling the exhaust.
The stock transmission made room for a Hewland five-speed gearbox, and the suspension and brakes received their share of attention, too. 13-inch wheels were put into extended wheel arches.
Interior modifications boiled down to original bucket seats, a racing-ready instrument panel, a removable steering wheel, and a fire extinguishing system.
Despite the comprehensive tuning, the Europa racer never climbed above the 39th position in the 24 Hours of Daytona (it hit that high point 43 years ago). The car fell into obscurity and was rediscovered in 2016 by car collector Christof Jantzen. He handed it over for full restoration, which was finished in 2019. The coupe has only covered around 100 miles (160 km) since then.