It’s a sad day when a former exotic lies torn apart and broken in a dimly lit garage. Even if it comes from an era that wasn’t exactly a bright spot for performance automobiles, it always makes me cringe to see a car that is usually preserved and polished sitting in a dilapidated pile. That certainly is the case with this 1977 Lotus Esprit, which is being sold as a total project on here on craigslist in Los Angeles for $4,500. Are you brave enough to take on this fallen S1, or does your love of new challenges stop short of rescuing this forlorn exotic?

The S1 series Esprit was a complicated proposition: it retained its edgy design first revealed at the Paris Auto Show and was a testament to Colin Chapman’s “Simplify, then add lightness” mantra. However, it was choked by stringent U.S. emissions requirements and fell short of delivering on the performance the swoopy shape seemed to promise. In fact, with only 140 b.h.p. on tap, the Esprit was a bit of a bummer in the power department. However, like most Lotuses, the Esprit delivered sweet handling and steering qualities that other manufacturers could only wish for.

And while it wasn’t the most powerful version, the S1 is actually quite rare: only 894 were made from 1975 to 1978. Along with its reputation as one of the more significant designs ever penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro, and it makes you wonder how this Esprit ever ended up in the doldrums it’s in right now. Hagerty’s even speculates that the Esprit is one of the last great classics that’s still affordable, but for how much longer? Despite the fame generated by its appearance in the original Bond films, the first-generation Esprit never seems to surge much higher than the upper teens for a truly decent example.

The seller of this project Esprit does not waste much breath on details. It’s a shame, because there is clearly a lot this car will need and it’d be great to have a better idea of where to start. The S1 doesn’t appear completely rusty in the photos but it will definitely need a repaint, and the interior doesn’t appear too healthy either in what little we can see. The good news is there are a number of specialists who can help track down the various trim pieces and other bits to bring this car back to life. But without more information, it’s hard to predict just how tedious of a project it will be. What do you think – can it be saved, or will the original production run of S1s be down a member when this one is salvaged for parts?