Distinguished Pedigree: 1971 Lotus Europa S2 Type 65

I don't like posting cars that are on the expensive end of the typical DT price range ($1-$20,000) but occasionally a car comes through that could be offed for $50k...if not today, then in a few years.  If this next car was a similar condition Porsche 911, Austin-Healey 3000, or Fastback Mustang it would certainly demand more money...but this car has all the class and is half the price.  Find this 1971 Lotus Europa S2 Type 65 offered for $19,500 near Santa Cruz, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!

Dig Those Mirrors: 1970 Lotus Europa S2 RaceCar

This next car comes from Erik202 who writes: I know this one is slightly above the DT budget but maybe there are some readers who've been saving that Christmas money from grandma up for the last i dunno, 30-40 years and can to afford stretch a little for something cool. Find this 1970 Lotus Europa S2 offered for $25000 in Westside Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.

Estate Sale: 1960 Bentley S2

The Bentley S2 was only built in low volume, something less than 2000 ever left the factory between 1958 and 1962...so it seems mildly implausible to find one offered for less than $10k..but it is offered from an estate sale and the car does need considerable work...so maybe it isn't a scammer? Seems like money well spent if you ask me. Find this 1960 Bentley S2 offered for $8000 in Naples, FL via craigslist.  Tip from Dascpcu.

Wassergekühlt: 1990 Porsche 944 S2 Convertible

The Porsche 944 was another chapter in the watercooled front engine Porsche sport coupe saga that started in the late 1970s with the 928...but the 944 is in essence a beefed up replacement for the 924.  The 944 is actually one of the better cars of the 924/944/968 extended family to pick up from a cost/drivability/fun perspective because they have been (mostly) shunned by the hipsters over at Lufthgek...Lufget...Looofgeekcult....Luftwafflehouse...Luftgekühlt...because of the lack of luft in the gekuhlt.  Find this 1990 Porsche 944 S2 Convertible offered for $16000 in Mercer Island, WA via craigslist. Tip from JB1025

Mid Engine Project: 1970 Lotus Europa S2

The Lotus Europa has always been a favorite car over around these here parts -- we DT writers love its lightweight composite chassis, mid engine high revving powerplant and cheap entry price.  Time has driven the nicer examples to higher prices, but you can still get nice cheap Europa for the price of a 911 rear bumper mounting flange and we think the Europa is sweet. Find this 1970 Lotus Europa S2 offered for $7450 in Long Beach, CA via craigslist. Tip from Hugh.

Relatively Complete: 1966 Lotus Elan S2

Most of the automobiles features on these pages are inexpensive classics or late model maniac machines...with an emphasis on cars you can drive and enjoy on the cheap for years on end.  However...there are sometimes cars that cross our path that offer a combination of exclusivity and cool factor at an economy car entry price...BUT you might need to put thousands of dollars and hours into a restoration. Ehh...what else are you gonna do with your weekends? Find this 1966 Lotus Elan S2 offered for $18,500 in Worcester, MA via craigslist.

Needs Fixin: 1969 Lotus Europa S2

The Europa was a sporty two seater built by Colin Chapman's Lotus Cars in Norfolk, UK.  Only 9300 of these high-butted gems were built between 1966-1975 and in today's world of overpriced junk (see Porsche 912 prices...ahem) the Europa is still surprisingly affordable as long as you avoid over priced examples for sale on various interweb auction sites. Find this 1969 Lotus Europa S2 offered for $12,500 CAD ($9,431 USD or 649,440 Indian Rupees) via Kijiji.ca. Tip from Erik202.

The Clock Works! 1989 Porsche 944 Turbo

I know what you are going to say.  You guys have been featuring too many watercooled front-engine Porsches on DT recently, can't we get back to Volvos?  First, CFlo has been on vacation, so the Volvos will return, but second (and more importantly) -- there is no such thing as too many inexpensive German sports cars.  Are they expensive to repair and not that fast by modern standards?  Yes.  But so are dozens of other crummy cars from the 80s that cost 3X as much, so get yourself into a 924/944/968/928 while you still can.  Like this 1989 Porsche 944 Turbo offered for $5,500 in Rock Hill, SC via craigslist.

Auction Watch: 1966 Lotus Elan S2

Find this 1966 Lotus Elan S2 here on eBay bidding for $14,100 reserve-not-met with auction ending Friday at 11:32AM Pacific.

Auction Watch: 1970 Lotus Europa S2

I like this 1970 Lotus Europa S2 with an assortment of upgrades here on eBay bidding for $6,800 reserve-not-met with auction ending on Sunday.

35 Year Owned: 1965 Lotus Elan S2

The original Lotus Elan is one of those classics that on paper should be extremely expensive, but is actually not that expensive.  You won't find them for the price of a Datsun SP311, but for a European classic with low production numbers, nimble chassis, twin-cam engine, and Colin Chapman seal of approval -- they are cheap.  Dirt cheap when compared to a big Healey or Porsche 911...and while you might claim it can't compete with those 6-cylinder powered cars, you might have forgotten about the 1500 lb curb weight.  Find this 1965 Lotus Elan S2 here on eBay bidding for $18,700 reserve-not-met with 3 days to go, located in Fulshear, TX.

15k: Safety Cone Orange: 1972 Lotus Europa S2

The Lotus Europa was an oddly shaped sports car from Lotus, that combined mid-engined driving pleasure with an oddly high rear end that looks almost like a pickup bed or maybe a boat deck made from fiberglass.  The reason for the odd shape is because the driver sits so low that the inline mounted engine/transaxle is above and behind the seated driver's shoulders.  The resulting car, although oddly proportioned in the rear, is a absolute pleasure to drive.  Find this 1972 Lotus Europa S2 here on craigslist, offered for $16,000 in Bronxville, NY.  Tip from FuelTruck.

5k: Moldy Cone Killer: 1969 Lotus Europa S2

Barn finds may or may not be your thing, but the sight of an unrestored vintage racecar has a particularly strong pull. Don't let the Ferrari guys have all the fun. Find this 1969 Lotus Europa S2 barn find for $3,383 reserve not met with 2 days to go.  Words and tip from DT commenter & contributor  slowcarSLOW-MPGlol.  

5k: Pair of Projects: 1970 & 1974 Lotus Europa

It is a good time to be in the market for a Lotus Europa project as there are a few cheap examples on ebay right now.  First is 1974 Lotus Europa Twin-Cam for currently bidding for $4,400, reserve-not-met in San Tan Valley, AZ with 3 days to go.  Next is a 1970 Lotus Europa S2 for sale in Fairfield, OH currently bidding for $2,297 with less than one day to go.

19 of 50: Diane: 1970 Lotus Europa S2

We originally specified that Diane should be a Lotus Europa big-valve twin-cam, but we've recently featured a big-valve and found a really nice S2 instead.  The S2 Europa used the 1.6 liter Renault engine used in the S1, but offered additional creature comforts, like roll-up windows and adjustable seats.  Find this 1970 Lotus Europa S2 for sale in Pittsburg, PA for $14,500 via craigslist.

5k: Red Red Wine: 1989 Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet

The Porsche 944 falls in the no-man's-land between appreciating classics and depreciating new cars.  This is exactly what we look for in a weekend car, as the maintenance costs won't kill you because you won't drive it much and should be able to own one for a few years and basically sell it to the next guy for the same price.  This is a much better financial arrangement than doing something stupid like buying a new car, the only exception being when you commute a lot and gas/maintenance costs will eat up the depreciation difference, but you will be driving an awesome classic instead of some electronically neutered econobox...but that is another story.  Find this 1989 Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet for sale in San Diego, CA currently bidding on ebay for $2,026 reserve-not-met with 2 days to go (buy-it-now $6,900).

5k Flash: StrokeS: 1987 Porsche 944S with 3.0 swap

The Porsche 944 lives in the small gap between the slower Audi powered 924 and the more expensive to own and drive 968.  Speed freaks tend to prefer the 944 turbo version, but we think the 3.0 liter engine (from the S2) makes more sense than the blown version and almost as much power.  Find this 1987 Porsche 944S with a swapped 3.0 liter engine for $6,000 via autotrader in Albuquerque, NM.