Also owning up to having just 1600cc under the bonnet can be embarrassing requiring defending the TC merits - perhaps impressions and prices would be different if there was a V8/12 or three litres plus.
True I feel, in the case of all Lotus. Even contemporary sporting Triumphs boasted 6 cylinder units, as did the Reliants, and even the MGB eventually boasted 8 in top spec. This will always count against any Elan or Europa. It justs adds an extra
Je ne sais quoi .
When Chapman choose to go 'upmarket' with the launch of the Elite and Eclat, virtually every other exotic 2+2 GT from the Italians, Germans and even from the likes of Jaguar, used 6/8/12 cylinder engines.
Badge snobbery aside, in the world of exclusive 1970's wedges, an Elite/Eclat could never seriously be expected as a rival to an otherwise similar Dino 308 GT4 or a Khamsin, each with a glorious quad cam v8 bubbling away. Yes admittedly they were cheaper than the Italian wedges, but the aforementioned are now worth five to ten times the value of even the best Elite, and you don't have to be a mathematician to work out the better investment.
Not having an engine to match the looks will always play against their standing in the classic car world. Even a modern Elise has a truly naff engine compared to a rival Boxster, and I think the V8 Esprits are held in higher esteem, both financially and critically, to the 2.2s.