original prices

[rocket]

Can anyone tell me the original list price of a 1972 plus 2130s?

[Elanintheforest]

The UK total price was ?2627

For comparison:

4.2 E Type ?2882
V12 E Type ?3139
MGB ?1130
Morgan Plus 8 ?1789
Gilbern Invader ?2247
Marcos 3 litre ?2514
Lambo Miura ?9578
Ferrari Dino ?5471
Escort Mexico ?1179
Mini ?641

Makes for some interesting comparisons. It was a very expensive car in it's day!!

Mark

[rocket]

Thanks for that,it was an expensive car wasnt it.

[M.J.S]

The UK total price was ?2627

For comparison:

4.2 E Type ?2882
V12 E Type ?3139
MGB ?1130
Morgan Plus 8 ?1789
Gilbern Invader ?2247
Marcos 3 litre ?2514
Lambo Miura ?9578
Ferrari Dino ?5471
Escort Mexico ?1179
Mini ?641

Makes for some interesting comparisons. It was a very expensive car in it's day!!

Mark

Very interesting also to reflect on the current values as an increase on the originals.

The Lotus is approx 3 to 4 times its new cost, as is the Marcos (deservedly)and MGB (God knows why!) . The Mexico will be close to that region, cannot be many left.

The two Jags and the Dino approx 10 to 15 times their new value, and the Morgan is probably somewhere around that region too.

The Mini has probably trebled if its just a basic one, and Gilberns don't seem to fetch a fortune.

The Lambo? Well Classic Cars were comparing one to a Europa a few months ago and vauled a RHD QV at ?350,000, so that wasn't a bad investment eh

If my maths are correct, that would buy a mint example of every different production model Lotus have ever built

Mark.

[tcsoar]

Hi,

Sod the Lambo, put me down for one of those Lotus collections

Chris.

[RichardS]

I bought my 1973 Sprint in 1982 at a local used car dealer for ?4000. There was a Ferrari Dino of a similar vintage in at the same time which was probably ?6000 or ?7000 but my eyes were only for the Lotus!

Perhaps not the best decision if I had been "investing" but I suppose that I can console myself with the fact that I would not be able to restore the Dino myself, as I am now doing with my Elan - and I guess Ferrari spare parts are a tad more expensive than for the Lotus. I presume not many old Triumph parts are interchangeable with Ferrari parts!

Richard

[rgh0]

Hi Richard
When I bought my Elan in the mid seventies I also look at an E type and a Dino. The Elan cost me around $4000 and the E type was $6000 and Dino around $8000. I did not win on investment value but I have run the legs of both on the track in the years since and the costs to run for 30 plus years has been a fraction of what the others would have been. So I figure I made the best decision.

cheers
Rohan

[trw99]

Can anyone tell me the original list price of a 1972 plus 2130s?

From the 1 Oct 72 official price list, released in time for that year's Earls Court Motor Show:

+2 s 130 ?2720.31

Extras
Optional overdrive 5 speed ?120.83
Radio (Phillips) ?43.50
Tinted glass all round ?61.63
Tinted front screen ?33.83
Heated rear screen, tinted
front, clear sides ?48.33
Heated rear screen only ?19.33
Workshop manual ?5.00
Metallic paint (extra) ?36.00
Centre lock alloy wheels ?67.67

All prices are fully built and include purchase tax.

I think Mark's price is from earlier on in 1972. Sorry, I have no US or European prices.

Tim

[M.J.S]

With recent changes and threats in the UK regarding vehicle pollution and road tax, and the increased muscle of the enviromental lobby, it would be nice to have a time machine and look at classic car values in the future.

If the future governments allow us to drive old cars, I can see anyone driving around in a gas guzzling, pollution spewing 3 litre 6 or 8 cylinder car will be looked upon as a leper. As for a V12 Lambo or E-Type, a child killer would get more respect!

Perhaps then our 1600cc cars will be the ones fetching big money.

Here's hoping

Mark.

[M.J.S]

[quote="trw99"]
Extras
Optional overdrive 5 speed ?120.83
Radio (Phillips) ?43.50
Tinted glass all round ?61.63
Tinted front screen ?33.83
Heated rear screen, tinted
front, clear sides ?48.33
Heated rear screen only ?19.33
Workshop manual ?5.00
Metallic paint (extra) ?36.00
Centre lock alloy wheels ?67.67


Hi Tim.

Any idea how much a full length vinyl Weathershield sunroof cost, and was it a factory option or a dealer add on? The one in mine certainly has the look and feel of being very contemporary to the car.

Mark.

[trw99]

'Any idea how much a full length vinyl Weathershield sunroof cost, and was it a factory option or a dealer add on? The one in mine certainly has the look and feel of being very contemporary to the car.'

Mark

Sunroofs were never a factory option but they were often fitted by dealers. Webasto tended to be the roof of choice.

We had one on a Dolomite Sprint at the time. I remember they were well made and integrated well, especially if the car roof had a vinyl cover, a popular early '70s option (but not by Lotus).

Tim

[bill308]

What cought my eye was the overdrive option. Was this for the 4-speed 2000E gearbox?

Bill

[robcall]

What cought my eye was the overdrive option. Was this for the 4-speed 2000E gearbox?

Bill

No-Its the Lotus-Maxi 5 speed
The gearknob is marked 1-2-3-4-O/D (whichi is a Fifth gear)

[Elanintheforest]

Mark, as a potential candidate for being branded a child killer, I have to leap to the defence of the V12 Jag as it?s not much different in consumption and pollution terms than the twincam.

I?ve never achieved more than about 20mpg - 25mpg in an Elan?2 seat or Plus 2?and a lot less when having a good old thrash about the place. I?ve never tried to better it either, it?s just the way it is with the way I drive. My old Lotus Cortinas used to struggle to get to 20mpg, and often single figures around town.

My XJR-s 6 litre always returns 26mpg on a run, no matter how it's driven, and about 17mpg around town?2 tons of car, but a pretty efficient injection system and a very torquey engine? little need for full throttle. So roughly the same as an Elan.

My V12 E type returns about 15mpg on a run, and 6mpg when having fun or running around town. The same as an Elan with a leaky petrol tank! However, many folks are now converting their cars to injection, with parts donated from an old XJS. The E Type only weighs a ton and a quarter, and those having done the conversion are reporting significant performace increase together with low 30s on a run, and 25mpg when used for their purpose / pottering in town?.probably more economical than an Elan.

It costs a couple of hundred quid to convert (using old XJS bits) to injection, so there?s no big barrier to doing it, other that the old ?originality? argument?which is quite a big deal in the E Type world. Some folks have gone the other way, and put a 6 pack of twin choke Webers down the middle of the V?.then they get very thirsty, but oh boy do they sound good.

I can see fuel injection conversions happening more as petrol prices start to head towards ?10 / gallon?.what are YOU going to do to make your Elan as economical and environmentally friendly as a fuel injected V12 E Type, eh?

Mark

[M.J.S]

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