Me And My Car

Rare 1981 Lotus Eclat turns heads

Business development manager Koh Hiok Kai puts on his best behaviour in his Lotus Eclat because it draws so much attention

Mr Koh Hiok Kai bought the 1981 Lotus Eclat for $30,000 in 2013. PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG, KOH HIOK KAI
Mr Koh Hiok Kai bought the 1981 Lotus Eclat for $30,000 in 2013.
What’s in the boot? PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG, KOH HIOK KAI
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Mr Koh Hiok Kai drives a rare Lotus Eclat - a fastback variant of the Lotus Elite. If the names do not ring a bell, there is good reason.

The duo are far less well-known than the Esprit (immortalised in the 1977 James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me) or the Elise (a latter-day mid-engined lightweight two-seater which is the most successful Lotus yet).

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 02, 2019, with the headline Rare 1981 Lotus Eclat turns heads. Subscribe