GOODBYE TO GREATS

It’s the end of an era at Lotus as the final Elise, Exige and Evora models have rolled off the production line with the last of each being put into Lotus’s growing heritage collection.

The Elise was introduced in 1996 and then the Exige and Evora followed on the same platform, which was also used for the Vauxhall VX220 and Tesla Roadster. The Elise ushered in a new era for Lotus, not least because it was the first really reliable car that the Norfolk company had built. I had one for a couple of years and covered 50,000 miles without it breaking down once.

These three models are being replaced by the Emira sports car which will go on sale this year with prices starting at £59,995.