Dave GilyeatSouth of England

Charterhouse A red Lotus Esprit caked in dirt with moss-covered wheels in an open-sided barn. — The Lotus Esprit had been stored in a Dutch barn since 1995

A moss-covered 1982 Lotus Esprit Turbo left in a barn for 30 years is to go under the hammer.

The iconic sports car has been entered into an auction of classic and vintage cars at Haynes Motor Museum, organised by the Sherborne auctioneers Charterhouse.

The vehicle, which is red with a magnolia leather interior, has been valued at £10,000.

Director Richard Bromell said: “Some talk about patina adding value, but I’m not sure by this they mean the green moss, lichen and slime which has grown on this Lotus for the past three decades.”

It has been entered into an auction of classic and vintage cars

Charterhouse One of the wing mirrors covered in moss and cobwebs. — It has been entered into an auction of classic and vintage cars

He added: “It was not easy to get into the barn through the brambles and whilst walking around the car I must admit to putting one leg into a badger set as I was not looking where I was going.”

The Lotus was bought in 1990, but needed some repair, with its owner restoring it over the next couple of years.

Charterhouse The rear of the vehicle covered in dirt and moss. The registration is still readable. — The car has been valued at £10,000

The Lotus Esprit was James Bond’s car of choice in the late 70s and early 80s

But by 1995 it was being stored in a Dutch barn – a type of open-sided structure – after a “change of direction from driving cars to training dogs”.

Charterhouse said the car “spent the next 30 years stationary, gradually going from red to green”, and due to the owner’s “advancing years” he had decided to sell it.