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Editor's note: This is part of a new series at KSL.com featuring some of Utah's coolest cars. If you own a customized vehicle — from sports cars to semi trucks — email fjolley@ksl.com with a photo of the vehicle and a brief description for consideration.SALT LAKE CITY — When you hear the name Lotus, it is a fair guess that the Europa is not the first model that springs to mind. In fact, unless you are a Lotus fanatic (the car manufacturer, not the flower), the probability that you’ve even heard of a Europa is unlikely — but that’s about to change.
For Mark Milligan, he can’t remember a time when a Europa wasn’t a part of his life.
“I don’t remember not having the car really,” Milligan said. “I remember riding along with my dad right there in that passenger seat.”
Milligan’s father, a stuntman by trade, bought his 1973 Lotus Europa Special brand new off the lot in California when Mark was just five years old. Milligan’s father drove the Europa for a handful of years before parking the car, due to fears that it would no longer pass California emission standards.
At first, the car wasn’t carefully stored in the hopes that the Lotus would soon return to the road. But, after making a move to central California, Milligan’s father put the car away in a shipping container.
“The shipping container sealed really well, so it didn’t have any rodent problems,” Milligan said. “And, since it was pretty much stored in the desert, it was super dry, so no rust.”
And there the Lotus sat for the next two decades, preserved in an improvised time capsule. Sadly, in 2006, Milligan’s father passed away. The Lotus, still in relatively pristine condition considering its age, then transferred into Milligan’s possession; a small concession for such a large loss, but one that held fond memories of years gone by.
Milligan brought the car back to Utah so that he could enjoy it with his kids, in much the same way he had with his father. As luck would have it, the Europa would need few repairs to return it to running and driving condition.
The diaphragms in the twin Dell’Orto two-barrel carburetors had either dried and cracked or had been damaged by current ethanol-ladened fuel. Every seal in the braking system also required replacement. But, with relative ease, the Lotus was repaired and returned to where it belongs— on the road.
The Special sports a 1,557 cc Lotus-Ford twin-cam engine, which Lotus aficionados refer to as the “Big Valve” version, capable of churning out 126 ponies. Not much by today’s standards, but when it is only pushing 1,631 pounds, the car can really get up and go. All that grunt is routed through a Renault Type-365 five-speed transmission.
The suspension, while rudimentary by today's standards, was revolutionary at the time, and is still capable of inspiring go-kart-like handling from the lightweight Lotus. In fact, this car was able to pull .9 g of lateral grip in a road test conducted by Car Magazine in 1967; on bias-ply tires no less! And what the little Lotus lacks in modern amenities, such as air conditioning, it more than makes up for in smiles-per-mile.
Aside from the new modern-day rubber, this Europa is almost completely original. There are a few scratches here and there and some wear on the interior bits; but every nick and scratch has a story to tell or a memory to share. And hopefully, if Milligan has anything to say about it, this car will one day be making memories with the third and possibly fourth generation of Milligans.
Chase Christensen is a wildly successful bench racer who believes life is better with regular oil changes. Follow him on Twitter at @ChaseChris8 and email him at chasechristensen8@gmail.com.
