Good Find Friday features interesting vehicles we’ve found for sale while conducting market analysis or appraisal research. They are not for sale by Wolf and Mare and we have no business relationship with the sellers. We just think they’re worth learning about and sharing with our readers!

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At first sight, I thought today’s Good Find Friday car was a Lotus Elan with some kind of body kit installed. As it turns out, that’s kind of like saying a Singer Reimagined Porsche 911 is just a kit car. The Evante is much more interesting than appearances suggest, with a fascinating history and motorsports pedigree. Our hobby is so rich, deep and exciting that I doubt I’ll ever reach the point of “having seen it all.” Today’s new (at least to me) discovery is a 1989 Vegantune Evante.

The Evante is an obscure British sports car I only recently discovered while cruising car listings in Europe. Its origins trace back to Vegantune, a Lincolnshire, UK engineering firm founded by George Robinson. The company built its reputation tuning the Lotus Twin Cam engine used in the Lotus Elan and various racing cars through the 1960s and 1970s.

When Lotus discontinued the engine, Robinson developed his own evolution of the design using Ford’s Kent block and a newly engineered twin-cam cylinder head. Rather than simply sell engines, Vegantune decided to build a complete car around it. The resulting Evante debuted as a prototype in 1982 and entered limited production in 1987 through Evante Cars Ltd. in Spalding, England.

Although the Evante clearly echoed the Lotus Elan in concept and appearance, it was constructed with more modern methods. It used a steel tubular spaceframe chassis with independent double-wishbone suspension and a fiberglass body made from woven cloth rather than the earlier chopped-strand material.

Power came from Vegantune’s 1.6- or 1.7-liter twin-cam engine producing about 140 horsepower, which gave the lightweight roadster lively performance. Contemporary road tests were generally positive; Motor Sport magazine noted that the car captured much of the original Elan’s character while improving on some of its weaknesses. Despite that reception, production remained extremely limited—only 106 cars were completed before the company collapsed in 1991.

Today’s Good Find Friday car is a 1989 Vegantune Evante 140 TC Series 1 listed for sale by a dealer located in the Netherlands with an asking price of €22,750 or around $26,000.

As noted earlier, the exterior featured an overall form highly derived from the Elan, with pop-up headlights, deep front air dam, integrated rear spoiler, one-piece windscreen and retractable convertible top.

Anthracite Metallic paint covers the Kevlar-reinforced bodywork, and it appears to be in overall excellent condition with good gloss. Composite cars frequently suffer from cracks, and some blemishes are noted on the left side of the car though their origin is not described nor are they detailed in photographs. The car has been repainted at least once.

The interior certainly has an air of upgraded Elan about it, with leather upholstery covering the door panels, dash, center console and seats. The material is said to be original Connolly hide, and does show a patina akin to Dad’s favorite old chair. The interior is accented in varnished wood in traditional British fashion. The door seal on the driver’s side has peeled away a bit from the frame, but otherwise the interior appears to be in excellent condition.

The left-hand drive steering wheel adds to viewer confusion by wearing a Lotus badge and the column itself has a very modern appearance, especially the function stalks. I’m pleased to see what looks like a fairly roomy footbox based on the photos.

Some Evantes have lost their original engines, so it’s good to see this car’s Vegantune-branded cam covers still lives under its bonnet. The Evante’s engine is said to deliver 140bhp, which would be a kick in such a light car. The massive Dell’Orto carburetors that dominate the right side of the engine bay suggest a prominent intake sound to go with the aftermarket exhaust’s throaty burble. Unfortunately, some owners say the Ford Sierra transmission lets the car down a bit. Apparently first gear is really short and second is too long, making it difficult to extract the power needed for quick acceleration.

The car wears its original 14” alloy wheels, which are currently fitted with Kumho Ecowing tires in size 195/60/R14. Replacing these horrendous tires would be job one for the new owner. I’m sure they’d be utterly overlooked on a Kia Soul, but they are terribly out of place on a vintage British roadster.

At the time of this car’s production, it cost more than an equivalent Lotus Elan Sprint. How times have changed. The average value of a Series 4 Lotus Elan Sprint averages around $45,000, making this highly capable improvement a compelling bargain for the cost-conscious Lotus-lover.

Given its low production numbers, comparables for the Evante are few. The car is even rarer in LHD configuration, with only 12 said to have been delivered new to the Continent via the German importer.

The most recent comparable is a right-hand drive Evante 140TC that sold on Car & Classic for £13,600 back in April of 2024.

Don’t expect safety in an Evante. Crush zones are non-existent and the car’s rigid steering tube is aimed at soft fleshy places. A serious accident may not be survivable, but this is true in a lot of classics and the car’s nimble handling should make the mandatory defensive driving a little easier.

If you’re the kind of person who will enjoy saying “Actually, it’s an Evante” over and over when onlookers ask if the car is a Lotus, this could be the classic for you. In honesty, the joy of a car like this the very slim likelihood of having another pull up next to you at a stop light and the great conversations it will generate.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisal and auction services for sellers and buyers of collector European cars. We also provide importation services. Give us a call or drop us a line!