How To Sell Your Used Lotus Online
Sell your used Lotus Elise, Exige, Evora or Esprit using this Lotus-specific seller’s guide. Advice on where to advertise, how to connect with prospective buyers, and what Lotus buyers are looking for will all be covered.
Join a Lotus Forum or Message Board
The Lotus enthusiast community is an intimate one filled with knowledgable enthusiasts. As passionate car people, they openly share information about their experiences with their vehicles, including a plethora of information in the form of buying guides. Chances are prospective buyers will know exactly what to look for when buying a used Lotus, so best to be prepared.
It would be a good idea to join one of the internet forums specific to your Lotus model and get familiar with the community — buyers will be more likely to buy from (and probably pay more to) someone who is “one of them.” You will want to sign up anyway to eventually advertise your Lotus for sale in the classifieds, or just to check what others are selling for. The largest general Lotus message board appears to be lotustalk.com.
Research Using Elise and Esprit Buyer’s Guides
To get a better idea of what buyers will look for and/or what your Lotus Elise S1 may need done before going up for sale, take a look at this S1 Elise Buying Guide from Performance Car magazine and this S1 Elise Model and Buying Guide from Classic magazine.
For potential Lotus Esprit sellers, there is an excellent buyer’s guide available at espritfactfile.com. The Esprit is generally thought to have gotten more and more reliable throughout its production, making a big step forward in the 1989MY with the introduction of a new GM/Delco Engine Management system. It did, however, suffer some problems between the 96-97MY with its newly introduced 918 V8 engine. These are a few things to keep in mind when trying to understand the demand and market value for your used Esprit.
Lotus Service History and CarFax/VIN Check
Potential Lotus buyers are going to want to see a clean title history and service records. Although the buyer will probably run a VIN check with CarFax or AutoCheck himself, it’s not a bad idea to have it ready on your end. If you don’t have dealer service records, show him receipts or records from an independent mechanic, or have him speak with your mechanic personally. Do your best to show the buyer the vehicle has been well-maintained.
Lotus Classifieds and Marketplaces
Some of the Lotus message boards require a paid membership to advertise in their marketplaces, which may be worth the price to get your car in front of a targeted group. You can also target affluent buyers actively browsing for exotic and ultra-luxury cars by advertising on Exotic Car List. Exotic Car List averages under 30 days from listed till sold and has plans starting at just $49.
