This 1970 Lotus Europa S2 was acquired by the seller’s spouse in 2001 while in Florida before being relocated to North Carolina in 2011 and was subsequently disassembled as part of a planned refurbishment initiated around 2015. The 1,565cc Renault inline-four is said to have been rebuilt in 2022 before the partially disassembled project was put into storage. Finished in Lotus Yellow, the car is fitted with 13″ Cosmic-style alloy wheels and retains a Mountney steering wheel, Smiths instrumentation, and black vinyl–trimmed seats. The engine and transaxle have been removed and are mounted to an included test stand. The chassis sits atop rolling dollies, and the car is said to require overhauls of the exterior, interior, electrical system, suspension, and brakes. This Type 65 project is now offered by the seller on behalf of the estate of their late spouse out of North Carolina with a car cover, spare parts, and a clean Florida title.
The Europa debuted in 1966 and featured a fiberglass body mounted over a steel backbone chassis that was developed from the earlier Elan. This example left the factory finished in Lotus Yellow (L07). It is equipped with decklid vents, flying buttresses, and front and rear trunk compartments. A bullet-style mirror is affixed to the driver-side door, and chrome bumpers are retained at the front and rear.
The silver-finished 13″ Cosmic-style alloy wheels are wrapped with older tires that require replacement. The chassis retains front disc and rear drum brakes, and the rear suspension has been partially disassembled.
The fixed-back bucket seats feature integrated headrests and are upholstered in black vinyl. They are joined by a color-coordinated center console, door panels, and carpets. The woodgrain dash is cracked and is fitted with an aftermarket switch panel.
The split-spoke Mountney steering wheel is paired with a Lotus-branded wood shift knob. The wheel fronts Smiths instrumentation including a 140-mph speedometer and an 8k-rpm tachometer. Readouts for amperage, oil pressure, coolant temperature, and fuel level are centrally mounted in the dashboard. The five-digit odometer shows 42k miles, approximately 2k of which were added under current ownership.
The engine and transaxle have been removed.
Additional underside photos are presented in the gallery.
The removed 1,565cc Renault inline-four and four-speed manual transaxle are mounted to a test stand. The seller tells us that the engine was rebuilt and last ran in 2022. The factory Solex downdraft carburetor has been replaced with a Weber sidedraft unit.
Vehicle identification number +65/2188 appears at the base of the windshield and on a tag in the front trunk, while the tag on the driver-side door bears the sequence +65/1288. The former is listed as the VIN on the current Florida title.
Source: 25-Years-Owned 1970 Lotus Europa S2 Project at No Reserve
