Lotus Esprit left in barn for 30 years up for auction

A moss-covered 1982 Lotus Esprit Turbo left in a barn for 30 years is to go under the hammer.

The iconic sports car has been entered into an auction of classic and vintage cars at Haynes Motor Museum, organised by the Dorset-based auctioneers Charterhouse.

The vehicle, which is red with a magnolia leather interior, has been valued at £10,000.

Director Richard Bromell said: "Some talk about patina adding value, but I'm not sure by this they mean the green moss, lichen and slime which has grown on this Lotus for the past three decades."

He added: "It was not easy to get into the barn through the brambles and whilst walking around the car I must admit to putting one leg into a badger set as I was not looking where I was going."

The Lotus, built at the company's factory in Hethel, Norfolk, was bought in 1990, but needed some repair, with its owner restoring it over the next couple of years.

But by 1995 it was being stored in a Dutch barn - a type of open-sided structure - after a "change of direction from driving cars to training dogs".

Charterhouse said the car "spent the next 30 years stationary, gradually going from red to green", and due to the owner's "advancing years" he had decided to sell it.

The Lotus Esprit was James Bond's car of choice in the Roger Moore films The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only.

Drivable models of the 1982 Turbo in good condition have gone on sale for more than £30,000.