A 1982 Lotus Esprit Turbo, covered in moss and left in a barn for 30 years, is set to be auctioned.
This legendary sports car is included in a classic and vintage car auction at Haynes Motor Museum, organised by Dorset-based auctioneers Charterhouse.
The car, which is red with a magnolia leather interior, has been valued at £10,000.
Director Richard Bromell commented: "Some people talk about patina adding value, but I doubt they mean the green moss, lichen, and slime that has accumulated on this Lotus over the past thirty years."
He added: "Getting into the barn through the brambles was difficult, and while walking around the car, I accidentally stepped into a badger sett because I wasn’t watching where I was going."
The Lotus, manufactured at the company’s factory in Hethel, Norfolk, was purchased in 1990 but required some repairs, which the owner carried out over the following years.
By 1995, it was stored in a Dutch barn – a type of open-sided building – after the owner shifted focus from driving cars to training dogs.
Charterhouse noted that the car "remained stationary for the next 30 years, slowly changing from red to green," and due to the owner's "advancing age," he decided to sell it.
The Lotus Esprit was famously driven by James Bond in the Roger Moore films The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only.
Well-maintained, drivable models of the 1982 Turbo have sold for over £30,000.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0p7ye0xlqo.amp
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0p7ye0xlqo.amp
