Lotus
Europa (1966-1975)

Why it matters

The Europa (Type 46) was Lotus's mid-engined road car of the late 1960s. Its handling was praised by the press.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Photos

Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.

• Lotus Europa (1966-1975) (Wikimedia Commons search)
  Photo: DeFacto · CC BY-SA 4.0
• Lotus Europa (1966-1975) (Wikimedia Commons search)
  Photo: DeFacto · CC BY-SA 4.0

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

The Europa went into production soon after Lotus moved to its Hethel factory and launched the Type 45 Elan S3. A second version, the S2 Europa, was also launched.

After success in the UK, Lotus decided to sell the car in the United States, which required it to meet federal standards.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   Lotus Europa register (site in French and English) Level B Lotus Europa register (perso.club-internet.fr)

   • cars in register today
   • to register the maximum of these Lotuses still existing all over the world

   Accessed 2026-11-13