PULL ON the familiar-looking door handle, mind the handbrake mounted toward the front of the sill and slide yourself into a time when the sun had been out burning Britain for a good three months and the Andre True Connection were asking for More, More, More...
The 1976 S1 Esprit was all about Wolfrace wheels, green tartan plaid seats and a Tangerine shagpile carpet. Settle back into the comfortable, banana-shaped seat and take it all in.
Your left elbow sits high on the chassis backbone, the right elbow falls onto the armrest on the door. Directly in front of you is a thin two-spoke wheel, the crash pad of which is embossed ‘lotus’ in a very Seventies graphic style.
Wrapped around the wheel is the boomerang instrument pod, looking like a secret command centre from the prop set of Space 1999. There are four rockers to the left, two on the right plus a crude slider and a pointless air vent. At least you had six gauges – attired in green and dressed by Veglia – it’s all a bit Seventies secret agent. Underneath your wrist are switches for the electric windows, an ashtray big enough for a casino lobby and a gearstick with a little walnut ball sitting atop a chrome stem, surrounded by more plaid; a typical Giugiaro trademark of the time. As with the exterior, the maestro penned the interior with enough architectural angularity to shame town planners of the same period.
Ignition on, two pumps on the loud pedal, fuel pump clicking away and the slant four barks before finding its idle. The twin-cam 2-litre was never going to mix it with Italian V8s and 12-cylinders – but there’s a satisfying burble at idle and a guttural bark from the twin upswept exhaust pipes. Check the mirrors – only one door mirror provided on the driver’s side, engage first – lean forward to release the handbrake and you’re then ready for the off.
 |
The S1 Espirit became a childhood Seventies icon thanks to James Bond. Look closely and you'll see Gez in his Prinz 4L making a cameo...
On the move the car feels light and precise. There’s total communication and command feedback from the steering, which is meaty and precise, but never overly heavy; running on older type 205s.... In fact, the steering and general intelligence of the car’s balance typify this as a great mid-engined Lotus. The steering is full of feel, the cornering is as flat as Norfolk, and the grip from a Seventies car on old rubber is still outstanding to this day. It will enable you to push a little too far, and only when you need to be reminded that you are going perhaps a little too quickly will it either lightly understeer or oversteer if provoked. The latter is easy to control and not at all violent, except perhaps in the wet. The brakes too are good but only up to a point – it’s best to remember that the all around discs are solid, and quite small...
black hues, alloy embellishment and
soft-touch plastics... Forget all of that square
nonsense, this fantastic Giugiaro interior is
pure fun Seventies chic. Utterly groovy, baby.
