1993 Evante Gran Premio

Registration: K845HTV

Chassis:

SA9CG21Y2PA026000 Odometer: 27,000

Transmission:

Manual MOT: May 2026

A very rare example

Smart looking and attractive

Great performance

A possible future investment

Here we have a very rare example that you don’t see for sale very often from a 1980s British company that didn’t quite make it. Whilst it’s a shame the company didn’t make it, it makes this a very rare find. Finished in red makes for a very attractive looking example that would be a pleasure to own and take to shows, chances are you may be the only one with one of these due to the low numbers made.

The Evante, designed and invented by George Walter Robinson, is an English automobile which began production in 1987 in Spalding, Lincolnshire. Engine tuning company Vegantune had been restoring Lotus Elan cars and making some improvements to them. They were very successful at doing that and it seemed a natural thing to do to create their own brand. They decided to build a completely new car and set up a separate company, Evante Cars Ltd, to make them.

The Evante's design was heavily inspired by the Lotus Elan and it was powered by the Ford Kent based Vegantune VTA 1.6 and later 1.7-litre twin overhead cam engine driving the rear wheels through a gearbox originally from a Ford Sierra. The 1.6-litre engine produced 140 bhp (104 kW) at 6500 rpm and 129 lb⋅ft (175 N⋅m) at 3000 rpm as standard, with a 160 bhp (119 kW) version also offered, which featured bigger ports, high-lift camshafts and an increase in the compression ratio from 8.5:1 to 10.5:1. The later 1.7-litre engines, reportedly had a similar power output but increased torque. The fibreglass body was mounted onto a tubular steel space frame chassis. It featured independent double wishbone suspension all round, with coil springs and telescopic dampers, ditching the rear Chapman struts of the Elan. Disc brakes were fitted front and rear. Mk1 cars were fitted with Triumph TR7 taillights, while later Mk2 models used the taillights from a Volkswagen Golf Mk2. The interiors were fitted with Connolly Leather seats, walnut dashboard and electric windows, with much of the switchgear shared with the Ford Escort. This is all good as it makes replacement parts, should you need them, easy to find.

The first prototype was shown in late 1982, but production didn't begin until 1987. The cars were initially intended to be available as either complete or in kit form, but all cars were supplied fully built and were produced at a rate of about one a week. Production stopped in 1991 when the original company failed, at which point 106 cars had been built, but the design was bought by Fleur de Lys, who specialised in making retro styled vans. They redeveloped the car to take a Ford Zetec 1.8-litre engine, but only nine more cars were made. This is one of those nine, which makes a rare example even rarer. Finished in red and trimmed with a cream leather interior, it was first registered on 1st March 1993.

It uses a 1.8-litre Ford engine, and those rear lamps should look familiar to Mk3 Golf owners. Offered with an advisory-free MOT to 12th May 2026, the odometer shows 27,000 miles. The latest keeper acquired the Evante in 2016, and according to the V5C there were 5 keepers before. It has spent a few years in storage, and the vendor tells us that it needs a new exhaust mount.

This is an interesting example that will certainly get people talking!

PLEASE

NOTE

The exhaust on this Lot is blowing and will need attention.