1978 Lotus Esprit by: Hot Wheels
SPECIFICATIONS First Produced: 1979 Exterior: orange, white Interior: tan Manufacturer: Mattel Features: tinted windows Scale: 1:64 Produced in: Malaysia Collector Number/Name: #2501, Lotus Esprit Original Price 1979: $1.00 Value 1998: loose, mint: $5.00
DESCRIPTION Hot Wheels has only done one Lotus and this is it. The Esprit was a popular 1970's sports car that has remained with us into the 1990's. This first generation Esprit featured a four cylinder engine and five-speed gearbox from the Citroen SM. Hot Wheels made the British connection clear with a large Union Jack on the white version. Several other paint colors were produced. It is curious that even though the Esprit has remained in production for 20+ years, Hot Wheels did not continue to produce the Esprit beyond the early 1980's.