One Of The Best Handling Cars Of All Time Is Ignored, Why? Lotus Europa

The Lotus Europa has always lived in the shadow of its prettier cousin, the Lotus Elan.. but could it be that all this time we were celebrating the wrong car? This was Lotus' first mid engined car and one of the first mass produced mid engine cars in the world.

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[Number]

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[fortijr]

I had a 1969 Renault powered one. Everything you said about the handling is 100% spot on, but being 30 years old I put good rubber on it and literally freaked out my car guy friends. Mine had a wonderful gearbox feel once I changed to very good gear oil. I had a Renault specialist build a copy Gordini engine for significantly more power. 2 coolest memories; you can literally pick up the engine or transmission in your arms and it was so low I could drive under parking garage gates … again great reactions from my buddies.

[argoargo]

Drove a Europa Special in JPS colours out of Hethel 50 years ago in 1973. Still have it in original paint and it still puts a smile on my face whenever I drive it.

[parrotraiser]

It was actually a tough little beast. A drunken acquaintce of a friend lost it at speed and demolished a substantial length of a low decorative wall. Though the passenger was unconscious for some time, they both survived. The chassis had taken the brunt of the wall, while the body essentially exploded to absorb much of the energy. (Glass-fibre bodies tend to sacrifice themselves in that way, to the benefit of the riders.)

[richardsellers]

The Lotus/Ford engine variants look vastly better to my eyes, particularly in dark colours, the JPS Black and Gold scheme is particularly nice.

[vernonbennettiii]

I grew up in a very modest working class neighborhood on the East Side of Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. Back in 1969/1970, one of my neighbors up the street had a red Lotus Europa, that I thought was the coolest thing that I had ever seen. That is until I saw, 2 blocks away, another neighbor's TVR. WOW! In hindsight, I cannot imagine how either of those guys could have afforded either of those cars, at least living in my neighborhood. But, man, Those vehicles had a huge impact on my taste in automobiles.

[andyelliott]

That steering, handling and control on the bumps is Colin Chapman's influence, the man was a genius. It took other (super) car makers decades to get to his level.

[Telssa]

I had a 1970 S2 for about 15 years of madness. Handling was unbelievable. I came off a (then) murky roundabout at nearly 50, but (mistakenly) into a 90 degree turn with a stone wall straight in front of me, instead of the gentle main road exit I was expecting. Hardly any other car in the world would have taken that turn, though I was on two wheels, at about 30 degrees until it banged down back to earth.

[fmhb]

From Malcolm Bell, my father after watching your video:
So I didn’t waste my time sorting out the handling of this little beast. In original twin cam form it was a nightmare but Roger Becker and I eventually sorted it out. The picture on the banking at MIRA flat out shows its serious understeer and a backend losing interest.




On the bumpy Norfolk roads it was lethal over about seventy and we spent a lot of time making it ride properly as this man discovered.
I was always disappointed with the Press reports, we thought it was brilliant and all the journalists did was knock its appearance and said it wasn’t as good as an Elan. This was in my view much better. As this man says, a good long distance car.

I ran one with a half race big valve engine which would do an indicated 130mph and Mum went to sleep in it on the old A1 at something over 100 from Scotch Corner to Stamford!

[AB-dxhd]

Many thanks Jack for a well prepared and engaging video review. The Europa was designed by Ron Hickman (Black and Decker Workmate inventor) as a Grand Prix based mid-engined road car with a backbone chassis, but the aerodynamic (Cd 0.29) body was styled by John Frayling. The S1 (type 46) with 78bhp 1470cc Renault 16 engine and four speed transaxle first went on sale in France in 1967. It had no opening windows, push button door releases, and an integral chassis. The S2 (type 54) introduced in 1968 had electric windows, Jaguar XJ6 door handles, and a removable chassis. The Federal S2 (type 65) went on sale in America in 1969 with 82bhp 1565cc Renault 16TS engine. The twin-cam (type 74) with 105bhp Elan engine replaced the S2 in 1971. The big valve 126bhp Elan Sprint engine and five speed Renault 17TS transaxle were fitted in 1972. There are no Chapman (McPherson) struts on a Europa; rear suspension is trailing arms with lower links, upper links (the driveshafts), and coil over dampers. Although there is less roll in a Europa, a 2-seater Elan is just as fast from A to B. A Europa is the same width as an Elan+2, ride is a little better than a 2-seater Elan (longer wheelbase), and on a motorway there is less interior noise at speed.

[johnfalkenstine]

There was no chapman strut at the back and the add-on 5th gear on the Renault box was instantly destroyed when you backed up into a curb.

[georgecronin]

Loved these cars when doing my apprenticeship on cars. Helped build a lotus elan to save purchase tax in 1970. The man you spoke about was Ron Hickman, I worked on his house in Jersey in 1985. A true eccentric genius, and lovely gentleman.

[stevenmitchell]

I had a '69 S2 with the Renault engine, bright yellow as you show. I aquired mine with a complete factory assembly manual, which was valued by many as worth more than the car itself! I upgraded the suspension and installed coilovers. After the Renault engine blew its headgasket catastrophically, destroying the cylinder head in the process, I replaced it with a balanced, blueprinted, and ported and polished Lotus Twin-Cam Ford w/Weber carburetors. The Twin-Cam made it a beast that would show the taillights to Porches, Corvettes, and more than one Ferrari! I sold it to a collector/racer who harassed me for years to sell it. I finally gave him a number almost twice its market/auction value in order to dissuade him. He didn't bat an eyelash or say a word. he simply turned and left. He returned an hour later and handed me my price in cash! I REALLY miss that car!

[jimbojunior]

In the early 80s at an scca solo event a Lotus Europa was the only car to finish clean on a very tricky section. Every thing else took out the last cone or had to slow to such an extent as to be be not competetive.. Very impressive.

[shahnawazvlog]

Lotus are the Best a car every youngman should own one time in his life! I glass I did long ago but it is a life time memoried of fun and joy. Looking back nowday, the best car that I have ever own.. Lotus Esprit that was...

[neilpiper]

I worked on the Europa assembly line in 1969 1970.
The Renault engines came in from France with the bigger valves.
Lots of the special pastel colour versions went to Japan, right hand drive.

[paulnicholasen]

A brilliant design for ultimate cornering and feel, but you left out it's major flaw: you probably are safer on a motorcycle. That Europa body is eggshell thin fiberglass, and I do mean eggshell thin. Between that and the backbone chassis, there is absolutely no protection from anything. Hit a squirrel and the squirrel will probably come out better.

[jimestall]

I've owned my Europa Special virtually from new. I'd say it has the edge over it's peer, the Elan Sprint which I also own. More rubber on the road giving slightly more grip. Acceleration identical. Steering even better. At 5ft 8in I have to move the seat forward. Mike Kimberly redesigned the Europa with the Twin Cam so that he could fit in it. Mike is well over 6ft plus.

[TimBentley]

Nice summary of a great car. I've had an early Renault car (but upgraded to the crossflow unit from a 16TS) for about 7 years. I'm biased, but I reckon an early car with a crossflow transplant is the one to have - similar power to a Twin Cam, but lighter. The Twink is a great engine (love it in my Elan), but it's installed backwards in a Europa and everything is hard to get at. The gearshift does take some getting used to, but it makes an enormous difference if all the linkages (there are multiple heim joints and pivots) have been renewed and the original rubber socket for the gear lever replaced with a heim joint. The footwell is very narrow - I wear racing boots to drive it and that makes a big difference. The steering is unbeatable - there is literally nothing on the road that can come close. You can also bolt some modern sticky tyres on and get incredible road holding - easily the equal of any modern sports car - but at the cost of ride quality and steering feel. I prefer to drive it with period style tyres, keep the great ride, and have fun at road legal speeds. And even on period tyres my car has kept up with Exiges and 911s on a twisty road - an important factor is the small size, which even on a narrow road lets you place the car on an ideal line in corners.

[missogyny]

It’s a Lotus Europa, which you appreciate if you understand Lotus and its history, particularly if like me you remember them coming out and drooled over them when your Dad’s car was a Vauxhall Victor or something similar. Any criticism of the styling is of little interest to those who know - ‘nuff said…!