A shiny Elise can distract you from a thin history file. Before going to see one, ask for a few photos of the invoices. Look for dates and mileage, who did the work, and anything described as an estimate rather than a job that was actually done. A stack of receipts is useful only if it tells you something about this car.
On the viewing, distinguish scrapes to the fibreglass from damage to the bonded aluminium chassis. If the seller mentions an accident, ask what was hit, who repaired it and whether there are photos from before the repair. Have a Lotus specialist look at the structure and suspension mounting points if the answers are vague.
Once you know the car is sound, price the jobs you’d want done straight away. Four ageing tyres and a service can turn the cheaper Elise into the dearer one.