1979 Lotus Eclat 521 Type 76

Highlights

• ‘Pure’ Type 76 car in famous ‘Black Beauty’ colours
• One of only 800 UK-market RHD ‘Series 1’ cars
• Luxury 521 with very well-kept ivory leather interior
• Only four registered keepers from new
• Carefully stored and sparingly used in recent years
• The condition, as you can see in the photos, is genuinely impressive

The Appeal

Oliver Winterbottom’s design for the Eclat was wedgier than a slice of Wensleydale and pushed Lotus in an entirely new, GT-themed luxury direction. Yet it stuck true to Chapman’s ‘add lightness’ ethos, which meant its small-capacity, race-derived engine was sufficient to deliver similar performance to Maranello and Stuttgart’s bigger-engined rivals. The original Type 76, built between 1975 and 1980, is the closest to Winterbottom’s vision. The early cars also retained Ford’s Type E manual gearbox, rather than the later, less desirable Maxi-derived unit.

This Type 76 was built in September 1979 and is a factory 521, so has the GKN alloys, larger brakes and dual-exit exhaust. Beyond that purity, what makes this highly presented 1979 Type 76 so appealing is its evocative ‘Black Beauty’ colour scheme, similar to the Type 79 race car. It also appears to be fitted with the early Ford gearbox, which is equipped with overdrive. If that's correct, it was a common retrofit by early keepers and is considered one of the most desirable specifications for these cars.

The condition, as you can see in the photos, is genuinely impressive. The ivory leather interior is a particular delight and highly original, including a two-spoke wheel and veneer trim. The only obvious deviation from standard is a period-appropriate DAB stereo.

The car has been part of collections in recent years and has been little used. The DVLA records just four keepers, with the current one since 2023. Interest in the Eclat is growing as enthusiasts re-evaluate one of the best GTs of the 1970s with a superlative race-derived 16V engine. Early cars are especially important. For all those reasons, this very tidy, nicely specified Type 76 has strong appeal.

Key Information

• Mileage: 65,946 miles indicated
• Country of registration: United Kingdom
• MOT status: exempt
• Technical specs: 1,973cc Lotus 907 16V 4cyl engine, 5spd manual gearbox
• Paperwork: MOTs, early Lotus paperwork, V5C, 1 set of keys

The Detail

• Desirable period-correct ‘Black Beauty’ colour scheme with gold pinstriping
• Well-kept paintwork with only a few minor points to note in photos
• Factory standard 521 with polished GKN alloys in good overall condition
• Matching Nexen tyres fitted
• Ivory leather interior in very good condition as shown
• Interior shows few indications of its age with many original fittings
• Features well-kept carpets, veneers, switchgear and Smiths dials
• Modern DAB classic-style stereo

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