Guide price: ??40000 - ??48000.  
- One of 284 RHD Lotus Carltons produced. 377bhp with a superbly-balanced rear-drive chassis
- Imperial Green pearlescent paint retains a deep shine. Unmarked anthracite leather
- Original, unmodified, showing just 73,300 miles. Extensively documented service records
- Problem areas addressed, uprated timing chains and clutch, rear arches professionally repaired
The legendary Lotus Carlton is the kind of car that comes along once in a generation. At a time when really fast four-door saloons were the preserve of BMW and Mercedes, this Vauxhall (Opel) derived super saloon arrived on the scene demolishing the opposition. Oddly, it wasn't its huge performance or masculine good looks that created the most fuss, but the fact that the Daily Mail was so outraged by its stated top speed of 176mph, that it declared it too fast for British roads. Of course, the Lotus Carlton - or Type 104 to Lotus aficionados - was nothing of the sort, and although it shared its major components with a mainstream executive car, its level of development across every aspect of automotive dynamics had resulted in a truly special performance car.It was powered by a twin-turbo version of the venerable straight-six used in the range-topping Senator, which developed a remarkable 377bhp. To achieve that figure, Lotus had put a lot of work into the 3.6-litre power unit, uprating and strengthening the bottom end, porting the 24-valve cylinder head (from the Carlton GSI), and fitting forged 'slipper pistons' made by Mahle atop new Lotus-designed connecting rods tied to a counterweighted, forged steel crankshaft. The gearbox was the same six-speeder used in the Corvette ZR-1, the only transmission in GM's parts bin, capable of handling the car's monster torque. AP Group-C derived brakes - four-pot calipers with 330mm ventilated discs at the front and two-pot at the rear - sat behind specially developed Goodyear tyres.This lovely Carlton is probably best described in the owner's words;“I am a passionate Vauxhall collector with a fleet of six fantastic condition cars. Here for sale is one of my two Lotus Carltons. Build number 0398. Low mileage (73,000) which is fully supported by extensive history. This car has been enthusiast owned throughout and is in fantastic condition externally, underneath and inside. It also drives fantastically well. I have driven a few LCs and this one rides, stops and pulls as Lotus intended. It is not a car that has been garaged and not used for years, which can lead to issues and recommissioning work. This has been used sympathetically and very well maintained throughout its life. As a result, all of the well known major potential weak points of any Lotus Carlton have been properly addressed. The clutch was replaced with the properly uprated pin version. This was done by Vauxhall. The timing chains have also been replaced with the properly uprated versions. Any LC enthusiast will know there are the two main worry areas. So the buyer can have confidence that these are all addressed. The history fully supports this. Rear arches have also been restored prior to my ownership - another classic worry area. This is ready to use and enjoy.In my ownership, I have had the underside professionally steam-cleaned and revealed by Iconic Classics (invoice in history to support). I have also had the car at Lotus Carlton specialist, Agamemnon, to address some minor electrical niggles, have a full service and thorough check. Invoice again in history. So again, the buyer can have confidence that the car is in very good order and ready to enjoy and show.”In summary, an excellent condition and low mileage Lotus Carlton that has all potential worry areas professionally addressed and is ready to use and enjoy.  With its low mileage, great history and excellent condition, and with the price of these cars continuing to increase, this may well prove a sensible investment.