Lotus

The Lotus Esprit was unveiled in October 1975 at the Paris Motor Show and entered production in June 1976, replacing the Europa at the top of Lotus’s range. These early cars became known as the Series 1 (S1) Esprit and featured Giorgetto Giugiaro’s striking wedge-shaped fibreglass body mounted on a steel backbone chassis. Power came from the 1,973 cc four-cylinder engine, which delivered excellent balance and handling but was widely considered underpowered, particularly in the United States where emissions regulations further restricted output. The S1 Esprit is easily identified by its distinctive snow-shovel front air dam, Fiat X1/9-sourced rear lights, lack of side air ducts, and Wolfrace alloy wheels, and is still remembered for its exceptional steering feel.