by Automotive history is full of unexpected turns, and this car is a vivid example of that.
A Sporting Rarity from Kia
The modern Kia lineup covers almost all market segments. However, the segment of true sports cars — low, light, and with two seats — has always remained aside. Yet, in the 1990s, the story was different. A model you see in the photo appeared on the market. The Vigato was essentially a rebadged Lotus Elan of the M100 series, and this low-mileage example is now offered for sale.
The History of an Unusual Rebranding
At first glance, this car looks like a regular Elan from that period: the correct shape, appropriate emblems. However, these emblems are not original. Initially, the bodywork featured a Kia logo, but the previous owner replaced it with Lotus badges. This is explained by the model’s interesting history. After Lotus ceased production of the Elan, the Korean automaker purchased the tooling for the M100 model and continued its life. In the home market, the car was sold as the Kia Elan.
In Japan, however, it received the name Vigato. It was there that this example was sold, which was later imported to Canada in 2022. Its mileage is only 53,000 kilometers, which is very low for a roadster that is almost 30 years old.
The Original Lotus Legacy
The car is painted white, has a black folding roof, and 16-inch OZ Racing wheels shod in Yokohama tires. Among the characteristic details are the “bug-eye” headlights, a small rear spoiler, and a single exhaust pipe. The interior is executed in the famous retro style: black seats with bright fabric inserts, a Mitsubishi stereo, and an aftermarket steering wheel with a wooden rim and a MOMO horn button.
Under the hood works a naturally aspirated 1.8-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine producing 151 horsepower, paired with a five-speed manual transmission. Unlike most classic roadsters, the Vigato is a front-wheel-drive car. This deviated from the traditional notion of a sports car, which was likely one of the reasons why the model did not find a great response among Lotus enthusiasts.
However, the car inherited an important technical component from Lotus — a double-wishbone suspension on all four wheels. It’s safe to say that this is probably the most interesting and long-forgotten Kia of the 1990s. At the time of writing, the maximum bid at auction for this car was only $7,100. It is unlikely to win races, but it will always attract attention while having a truly unique history. This car would be the highlight of any meeting for fans of both Kia and Lotus.
Bring A Trailer Photo Gallery
This story reminds us of how globalization and business decisions shape the automotive landscape. Kia’s purchase of Lotus technology to continue Elan production is an example of unconventional synergy, where the model found a second life under a different name in specific markets. Low demand and the unusual-for-a-sports-car front-wheel drive made the Vigato a rare collectible, not a mass product. Today, its value lies precisely in this uniqueness and in the history it embodies — the story of a connection between a British sports brand and a Korean auto giant that was just gaining momentum. Such examples become living artifacts that tell of an era when the boundaries between automakers and national schools of car manufacturing were more permeable.
