1978 Lotus Esprit Market Value & Price History
The 1978 Lotus Esprit has a market value of $28,600, based on 7 verified auction sales tracked by DriveIndex, with all 6 verified USD sales between $10,000 and $36,400. No sale since Jan 8, 2026, so this value may not reflect today's market. 1 has sold in the past 12 months.
Data: DriveIndex. 7 verified auction sales for the 1978 Lotus Esprit (6 in USD, the basis for every dollar figure here), latest sale Jan 8, 2026. Methodology
What members see for the 1978 Lotus Esprit
The value above is the headline. Members get the full picture behind it.
- All 7 sold prices, and where each one sold
- The live Value Signal, and how confident it is
- A 1–5 year value projection
- A Buy / Hold / Sell call
- An alert the moment one lists or sells
- The best and worst months to buy and sell
- An estimated market-bottom date
- Whether a for-sale ask is fair, the moment one lists
- Deal Radar: underpriced listings across the market
- Search Agent: describe the spec you want and hear when one lists
- Rad's Picks: cars for sale hand-picked by Rad, with an email when one is added
Not ready? A free account shows the current value and recent sale dates.
Pro unlocks this car's Value Signal (appreciating, stable, bottomed, approaching bottom or depreciating) and its 1–5 year projection. Collector adds the best months to buy and sell.
See the Esprit's Value Signal with Pro →Recent 1978 Lotus Esprit Auction Results
| Sold | Price | Mileage | Gearbox |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 8, 2026 | $31,900 | — | Manual |
| Jan 16, 2020 | $36,400 | — | — |
| May 31, 2018 | $10,000 | 23,714 mi | Manual |
| Apr 6, 2018 | $22,000 | — | — |
| Sep 7, 2017 | $16,500 | — | Manual |
| May 14, 2014 | $13,750 | — | — |
| Oct 31, 2012 | 23,520 GBP | — | — |
Verified results from the world's leading collector-car auction houses and marketplaces.
All Lotus Esprit auction results →See the full picture on the 1978 Lotus Esprit
Browsing is free. Upgrade to unlock the Value Signal™, projections, and the tools collectors use to buy and sell at the right time.
- Full Value Signal™ + confidence: appreciating, stable, or depreciating
- 1–5 year price projections
- Buy / Hold / Sell call per car
- Complete sales & listings feed + up to 10 yrs of history
- Analyst notes & compare up to 4 cars
- Price & custom alerts (make, color, options)
- Garage analytics + benchmarks (the garage itself, and discreet offers, are free)
- Everything in Pro, plus:
- Portfolio Outlook (a hold, watch or review call on every car you own)
- Watchlist Intelligence (act-now calls on the cars you follow)
- Head-to-Head Verdict (compare cars, the data crowns the buy)
- Market Deal Radar (every live ask under market value, catalog-wide)
- Search Agent (describe the car you want, hear when one lists)
- Rad’s Picks (cars for sale hand-picked by Rad, with an email when one is added)
- Market Indexes (marque and segment price indexes no single sale can swing)
- Best & worst months to buy and sell
- What each option adds to the price + separate manual vs automatic values
- Listing analyzer with fair-value deal scores
- Rad’s Market Update (Rad’s market read and buy targets, sent when the market moves)
Lotus Esprit by Year
1978 Lotus Esprit: Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a 1978 Lotus Esprit worth?
A 1978 Lotus Esprit is worth approximately $28,600, based on 7 verified auction sales tracked by DriveIndex. No sale since Jan 8, 2026, so this value may not reflect today's market. All 6 verified USD sales fall between $10,000 and $36,400. Condition, mileage and options move an individual car within that band.
How much did a 1978 Lotus Esprit cost new?
The 1978 Lotus Esprit carried an original MSRP of $16,395. Its DriveIndex market value is $28,600. No sale since Jan 8, 2026, so this value may not reflect today's market.
How much has the 1978 Lotus Esprit depreciated?
It hasn't depreciated. The 1978 Lotus Esprit is worth about 74% more than its original MSRP of $16,395, with a DriveIndex market value of $28,600. That compares the DriveIndex value with the sticker price, not adjusted for inflation. No sale since Jan 8, 2026, so this value may not reflect today's market.
How many 1978 Lotus Esprit sell per year?
1 has sold at auction in the past 12 months. DriveIndex has tracked 7 1978 Lotus Esprit sales in total.
Are 1978 Lotus Esprit sale prices higher or lower than a year ago?
There aren't yet enough recent sales to compute a reliable 12-month price direction for the 1978 Lotus Esprit. The full Value Signal classification (appreciating, stable, bottomed, or depreciating) and its 1–5 year projection are part of DriveIndex Pro.
Where can I buy a 1978 Lotus Esprit?
DriveIndex tracks for-sale listings and auction results for the 1978 Lotus Esprit from the world's leading collector-car auction houses and marketplaces.
More Lotus Models
All Lotus models →Pro unlocks its Value Signal, every sold price, a 1–5 year projection and an alert the moment one lists or sells. Collector adds the best months to buy and sell and where the market bottoms.
Get Pro →