Caterham

Leyburn Sprints 2021

By Jason McGarry. Photos by Trapnell Creations.

Leyburn Sprints would have to be up there as one of favourite events of the year, it is great to go out into the rural areas and provide entertainment and some well needed money into the community. Last year was cancelled due to Covid and this year had to be pushed back because of the lockdown. Numbers were down because of the border closures, but they still managed to have 162 competitors which resulted in 9 runs over the weekend which was great as a driver.

The Caterham R300 was in Supersports Cars Logbooked class and unfortunately I was the only entrant, so yes I came 1st and last in my class, but I did manage to take another .3secs off my previous best and finished 12th outright. With 7 open wheelers in front of me I was extremely pleased with the result. Next year it would be great to get more of the club down there and compete as it is a great event and offers a different experience.

One of the great pleasures is being able to give people access to the car especially the kids (older kids struggle to get in) and allowing them to have a sit behind the steering wheel, play with the buttons and see their eyes light up with joy, especially in these crazy times. We all have a role to play in trying to encourage younger people into our sport, there is nothing better in being beaten by your kids in your car!

1st Warwick Hutchinson in a OMS
2nd Brett Bull in a Van Dieman
3rd Steven Woodbridge in a Dallara

[Show slideshow]

Townsville Supersprint 2020

By Jason McGarry.

With 2020 being the year of disruption, confusion and challenges it has enabled me to compete in an event that will probably never be repeated again.

The opportunity came at the recent Winter Noosa Hillclimb event where my fellow competitor Chris Ching (Evo and Porsche driver) asked me would I be interested in going to Townsville to compete in a sprint event, my obvious answer was yes. Two days later I secured a spot to compete in the second weekend of the Townsville SuperSprinters support category for the Townsville Supercars.

The event was 5 races, three on the Saturday and two on the Sunday each being 25 minute sessions in a sprint format so we were racing against the clock and not position on the track.

Setup was on the Friday with scrutineering, workplace safety and Covid inductions, the event was under the control of Supercars so it was very heavy on compliance and adhering to their rules, with biggest one was that we had to stay in our own Bubble. I set up beside my fellow friends from south east Queensland, Chris Ching (Porsche 911) and Roy Davis (Triumph GT6) and their very capable wives being their pit crew.

My pit crew flew in later that afternoon and got acclimatised at the Townville Yacht Club and organised drinks and diner for our arrival, both guys have beautifully restored Datsun 2000s so the night was a motoring feast of information.

The event was run by the Marque Sports Car Club of NQ and Drive-it which is the group behind developing and building a permanent track and driver education facility about 40 minutes out of Townsville. Have a look at the Drive-it website, it is very exciting as Stage 1 is complete, and Stage 2 of construction should occur early in the new year.

The array of cars competing were from the fastest, being Michael von Rappard in a Stohr where he got down to a 1m 16s (which was within 2.5 seconds of Scott McLaughlin’s Mustang), to Roland Dane in a 1967 Camaro, Paul Morris in an XJS Jaguar. Regulars competing in south east Queensland events, Chris Ching in a Porsche 911 Cup car, Roy Davis in a Triumph GT6, Trent Laves’ 200SX and of course, yours truly in the Caterham R300. The Caterham was great to drive around the tight street circuit except for the main straight that seemed to go on forever (the Exige would have been a better choice) as I just ran out of legs heading down it.

I decided to take the Caterham as I thought it would be great to show this type car at an event like the Supercars so it would achieve some exposure, which it certainly achieved especially on the Saturday afternoon, where the commentators talked at length about Caterhams. In the end my time dropped from 1m 46s in the first race down to 1m 36s in the last race, positioning me 23rd out of 32 cars which I was really pleased with, and no serious mechanical issues or damage other than a fuel leak and destroying a set of soft race tyres over the weekend.

2020 will go down as the year in history as a year of change and disruption but I will remember it as the year where I and the green R300 (Hulk) competed in a V8 Supercar event!

The Covid Cam

Story and pics by Dick Reynolds.

So we are all looking at isolation, can’t drive the car without a valid excuse and I’m on “Special Interest Plates”. Daryl, Shane and Jon increasingly monstering my efforts on track!

Thinks to self “rip the engine out and do that cam replacement you’ve been dreaming of for 10 years”.

And that is exactly what’s happened.

Here’s the timeline:

Checked valve to piston clearances roughly and selected a Cosworth A3 grind.

10mm lift at valve, 47/83 83/47 timing giving 310 deg. duration. Rev range 4000 to 8000.

All depends on what’s in the engine as to how effective this somewhat warm cam is!

Took the head off, oversize valves – like really oversize, double springs, beautifully ported. Tick.

Piston tops look like forged items and definitely 83.5mm bore. So solid 1700cc. Tick.

Took engine out, flipped over, bearings OK and rods 125 Twin Cam items. Tick.

Removed the flywheel, pressure plate and clutch – AP Racing clutch. Sadly decided to replace and had all manner of problems chasing bits. All set now with 170hp capability! Tick.

Removed old cam – BCF2 fast road cam badly timed! (110hp on a good day). Checks with Dyno Day 82.6hp at wheels.

Cam arrived, set up the dial gauge and found original TDC of crank out by about 2 to 4 degrees so couldn’t time A3 at the required .087” (2.21mm) lift at TDC.

Duplex cam chain with Vernier adjustment arrived and set cam up at the precise timing. Installed home-made front cover hatch to allow adjustment of cam timing should I get it wrong or want to change it!

Did a “dry” assembly to check valve to piston clearance – 4mm! Plenty and room for a wilder lift at some later date.

Solid front pulley also arrived. This prevents pulley flying apart at high revs and is smaller diameter to slow water pump and reduce cavitation.

All new gaskets and followed the Wallage Kent Xflow book closely to re-assemble.

Assuming better breathing, installed 34mm chokes, 140 mains and 180 airs in DCOE Weber carburettors.

Put the completed engine back in car and set the ignition timing, primed the dry sump oil pump and re-filled the coolant.
Next step terrifying! You need to run the engine at no less than 2000rpm for 20 minutes to run the cam and followers in. Luckily, all went well and it’s run in.

Took the car out for a run and it went very well, no revs over 4000. Appears the jetting won’t be too far out.

Days later and a few runs around chasing various odds and sods like shorter fan belt etc. turned right out of Cannon Hill shops instead of left, entered the Gateway Bypass on-ramp and floored the pedal in third gear. Moment later the engine all but stopped – oh no! Looked down at instruments and realised I had hit the rev limiter.

Think this thing might have some poke!

Spent the next week solving little niggles like oil and water leaks and electrical glitches.

Now I’m sorting the tuning myself. Bit of plug analysis and getting the thing running sweetly.

Returns a day or two later!

Number one valve has half the lift it should and there’s a big knock in the engine.

Looks like a second wave of repair.

Such is life.

I’ll keep you posted.

Part 2

So in a couple of hours the engine is out and a bit later I’ve lifted the sump off to see what has happened! All single handed thanks to a borrowed “Endless Chain”.

It appears the follower or lobe – more than likely the follower – has failed, stopped rotating, lost hard face and begun to lose my much needed valve lift. Actually lift reduced from 10mm to 5mm in about 10 miles of driving! As an aside, the damn thing still seemed to pull like crazy!

Reason for the failure? Sadly I imagine a lack of pre-assembly lubrication on my part, and possibly not run in well enough. Could also be a fatigue crack in the follower – yeah right Dick!

So how to prevent a recurrence of this!

First off, get some good advice. Re-read the Bible (Wallage), spoke to various boffins – thank you Peter Bowl , Clive from Clive Cams, Daryl Jarvis, Greg and Paul at Taylor Street Mechanical, Steve Lennox and others.
Second off, take the bloody advice!

Strip the engine down and find out how far the bits of my “valve lift” went!

Oil filter, sump and bearing surfaces indicate the filter did its job perfectly.

Next, clean out the areas – bought a compressor and blew the thing clean.

Ordered some “Redline Assembly Lube” on the netty thing.

Chased up a valve spring compressor and took the inner of the double valve springs out. This reduced the pressure on the lobes by about 30%. Just have to work out how to put them back without taking the head off AGAIN! Post script, found a valve spring compressor that does this at Supercheap for $40!

Unfortunately Clive Cams are very busy and I have a 3 week wait for the replacement camshaft. Good chance to chase up a few annoying glitches in the car. Things like finding the ideal Allen Key to get to the dry sump pump bolts, the ideal bolt length to get to that terribly annoying centre bolt on the inlet manifold, perfect the sump gasket assembly process, etc. Post script – all done. And even stopped the head lights wobbling!

Cam arrived looking exactly like the last one, so began the re-assembly.

Steve Lennox turns up with a tube of angel dust! I’d tell you what it is but then I’d have to kill you – something about NASA or NSA or something! Suffice to say it protects – big time! Sorry for looking such a dill on the morning Steve – really shouldn’t try to set up a cam when “under the weather”. By lunch I was on the ball again and assembling away. Block and head positively dripping with $40 a microgram assembly lube!
Saturday night, minimal drink and early bed.

Sunday is move the engine out to the driveway and stick it in the car. With some invaluable help from my golfing nemesis Dan Hodder the engines back in by lunch.

Few glitches with wiring etc and it’s late in the day before I can start the thing.

You guessed it! Didn’t start.

Pulled the pin and got a good night sleep.

Monday after work I figure out we are one plug position out on the distributor. Quick twist of the dizzy (you Elise guys have no idea what I’m talking about – but that’s OK!) and it’s all go. Alive again! Oil pressure, no big leaks but the exhaust pipes are glowing red on idle. Seems I need the 50F9 idles! As an aside, the bible says idle new cam for 20 to 30 minutes at no less than 2000rpm. Can’t tell you how painful that is with a new engine, untested!

Did the 30 plus minutes cam run-in. Set the idle and went for a ten minute drive to see if all’s well. Yep, all’s well.

It’s now next weekend and I’ve set off for a two hour drive to run the cam in a bit more! Did a plug check at a Truck Stop and all looks OK.

All that’s left to do is put the inner valve springs back in, change the oil and re-torque the head then“give it one”, but I’m feeling a tad reticent!

Maybe a couple more hours at easy revs and we’ll see.

Well I’ve done the couple more hours, including an EMR to Mt Glorious, no revs over 5000 rpm.

Next day, devise a cunning plan to put double springs back on head. Most essential ingredient being Clothes Line cord – poke about 1.0m into spark plug hole to hold up valve!

Checked all, seemed OK and planned another run up the mountain.
Well, it seems the work has been well worthwhile.

Noosa Hillclimb next week, so we’ll see how it goes.

[Show slideshow]

Sevens Day – July 2018

By Shane Murphy. Photos by Shane Murphy, Jenny Murphy and Daryl Wilson.

The ‘Sevens Day’ is becoming a bit of a south east Queensland tradition with John and Penny Barram being the driving force behind the annual get together of what some would say are the cool cars (and drivers*) of the Lotus group.

In the early years the initial venue for the event was John Lungren’s home in the leafy bayside setting of Thornlands, however for the last couple of years, the event has been hosted by Chris and Patty Beecham; meeting up and chewing the cud (and enjoying a great coffee, thanks Locky) at Beecham’s dealership at Caboolture. Then, after a lively, (I mean leisurely) drive up to Maleny via Woodford and Bellthorpe, enjoying the fruits of Patti’s culinary skills at Beechy’s Bar, or was that Patti’s Gin Palace.

For you young ‘whipper snappers’, the Lotus Seven is a small, simple, lightweight two-seater open-top sports car produced by the British manufacturer Lotus Cars (initially called Lotus Engineering) between 1957 and 1972.

It was designed by Lotus founder Colin Chapman and has been considered the embodiment of the Lotus philosophy of performance through low weight and simplicity. The original model was highly successful with more than 2,500 cars sold, due to its attraction as a road legal car that could be used for clubman racing.

After Lotus ended production of the Seven, Caterham bought the rights and today Caterham make both kits and fully assembled cars based on the original design.

The Lotus Seven design has spawned a host of imitations on the kit car market, generally called Sevens or sevenesque roadsters.

This historical account has been included to ensure the event has context, we move on!

A full field of Sevens lined up, all polished and ready to run. Plenty of red cheeks on display for those who belted up from Brisbane on what you would classify as a coolish morning and a couple of smug faces on those who flat-bedded to Caboolture, no names no pack drill.

The starting grid was John and Penny; Shane & Jenny; Daryl & Mal; Locky; George & Anita; Derek & Anita; Barry; Phil and Kerryn; Bryan Linda and Chris & Patti. Allan Conway made a brief appearance but was missing in action a short while later.

A couple of interlopers in Seven look-a-likes (I mean Elans) snuck through the gate: Patrick Mewing, Greg & Chris Bray, Craig & Caroline Wilson and even a few clayton Sevens being Wade & Aston Greensill and Peter and Anne Yeomans sidled up.

Follow the red brick road they said, not the little red car so it transpires… what happens on tour stays on tour, if you know what I mean.

Patti outdid her good self again, getting out of bed at 3.00 am to lay out the lavish fare, as you will see below. Don’t be jealous, just purchase a Seven this year and you can be in the special event next year!

Starters
Duck Paté with Brandy and Garlic, Toast
Salmon Spoons with Salmon Dip and Caviar
Soy Roasted Almonds

Mains
Selection of Vegetable Tarts (Onion/Tomato/Asparagus/Mushroom
Pulled Pork with Coleslaw
Zucchini Slice (GF)
Lasagne
Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Soup
Lamb Soup with Pearl Barley

Dessert
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Almond (GF)
Selection Fresh Berries and Cream
Tea/coffee.

Plenty of chit chat, a few drinks, plenty of laughs and a nice fire to keep our body temperature up was the order of the day.

With the sun setting we all gradually meandered home, bellies full, a great run under our belts. Well done all.

On behalf of all the crew a special thanks to our organising committee John & Penny and of course, our hosts Chris & Patti.

*Ed: Cool? Maybe in winter!

[Show slideshow]

A Tale of Two Tail Pipes

Story and pics by Dick Reynolds.

Steve Lennox mentioned that he had a rather interesting muffler to give away. Never wanting to miss a bargain, I grabbed it. Thank you Steve!

Years ago whilst punting a Lotus Europa around, I hit on the idea of a motorbike muffler, ex 250cc, mounted directly to the gearbox, Formula Ford style. This worked a treat, even having a replacement track baffle – straight through! Here is the car with said muffler.

Looked at Steve’s muffler for a month or two, decided against it and moved on. Months later I heard the noise restrictions at events were going to be more stringently enforced. “Now where did I put that muffler?”

Found the thing, along with a code stamped on the side. Turns out it was off a Suzuki GSX 600/750R. Now they are about 160hp, so I figured that should be OK with my 110hp. So I removed the old muffler and proceeded to set up the new.

Having located the position on the car, I needed to make the connection between the extractor header and the muffler.

A quick drawing for the CNC man down the road, and a visit to the muffler shop and job done! The squiggles to the bottom left are to position the air/fuel sender nut for Dyno tuning – no ECU here!

The tail pipe exited onto the rear tyre, so a black silicone hose extended the opening past the wheel. Sounded more quiet, and no discernible impact on performance. First test was the Noosa Winter Hill Climb. First run and the lovely little black silicone tail pipe fell off! Come the Summer Hill Climb and the new tail pipe was riveted on.

Almost complete.

Six months down the track the thing is still there, and sounding great.

2017 Caterham Seven Sprint

Something Colin Chapman would recognise – and appreciate.

Handling: ★★★★★ Performance: ★★★★☆ Usability: ★★☆☆☆ Feelgood Factor: ★★★★★

By Ben Whitworth – Contributing CAR Magazine UK editor.

In 2017, the venerable Caterham – née Lotus – Seven will turn 60. Always keen to exploit a marketing opportunity, Caterham is marking the anniversary with this, the Seven Sprint. Chiming in with the anniversary, only 60 will be made.

Caterham has successfully recaptured the mood of the Swinging Sixties with the Sprint. The front wings, grey powder-coated chassis, chromed wheelcaps and bubbled rear lamps, wrapped up in a choice of yesteryear hues all sit comfortably together without the slightest whiff of retro cheesiness.

Ditto the cabin. Flip back the cream-trimmed vinyl roof and the delightfully thin Moto-Lita wooden steering wheel, red Muirhead leather dash and seats and chrome braceleted Smiths dials complete with coloured bands, all convincingly transport you back to those good old bad old days.

Does it come with a crank arm for hand starts?

Oh, you’re a card. No, don’t be fooled by the Sprint’s yesteryear camouflage – that heritage styling, chrome-and-leather detailing and bespoke paintwork is underpinned by Caterham’s nifty 160. So, no asthmatic 40bhp 1.2-litre Ford lump under that louvred bonnet, but rather a dinky turbocharged 660cc triple from Suzuki, a five-speed manual gearbox, wishbones up front and a live rear axle.

We’re very familiar with the 160 – we ran one a while back as a long-termer for a year – and dropping down into the Sprint’s plump seat and firing the thrummy three-pot into life brought back a flood of warm memories.

A 660cc engine? Surely it would be quicker to jog?

Suzuki’s K6A may only develop a modest 80bhp at 7000rpm and 79lb ft at 3400rpm but with just 490kg to push around, performance within its 100mph envelope is brisk and perky enough to instantly plaster a grin across your face.

The engine’s eagerness and mid-range zing is complemented by the snickety gearbox – you measure the throw of the chrome-topped gear lever in millimetres – while the wooden rim of the large-diameter wheel overloads your palms with front-wheel chatter.

What’s it like to drive then?

Despite those spacesaver-thin 155/65 R14 Avons, grip and traction levels are excellent. You can slingshot the Sprint through a string of bends at speeds and angles completely at odds with the diminutive deeply-treaded rubber at each corner. Like the 160, the Sprint encourages you to wring it all the time everywhere, and rewards you with an intensely visceral and engaging driving experience.

Despite that live rear axle and firm suspension set-up, the Sprint rides with an impressive compliancy – it’s only over really intrusive and abrupt bumps and lumps that the chassis bucks and moves about. Distilled automotive joy? We wouldn’t disagree.

Verdict

So, the Sprint is a great car to look at, and an even better one to drive – but you pay for the privilege. Even when viewed through the prism of the Sprint’s limited-edition collectability, nigh on £28k is a big chunk of money for a second car/toy/indulgence.

That hasn’t stopped all sixty models being snapped up, though, and there’s a waiting list for cancelled orders. But the news is not all bad if the Sprint features large on your radar – a ready-to-drive Caterham-built 160 is around £8500 cheaper than a Sprint. Using your imagination could save you a lot of money.

Specs

Price when new:	£27,995
On sale in the UK:	Sold out
Engine:	660cc 16v turbocharged 4-cyl petrol, 80bhp @ 7000rpm, 79lb ft @ 3400rpm
Transmission:	Five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Performance:	6.5sec 0-62mph, 100mph, 57.6 mpg, 114g/km CO2
Weight / material:	490kg/steel
Dimensions (mm):	3100 length, 1575 width, 1140 height

A Caterham Day at Silverstone

By Jason McGarry.

The first Saturday of October I was fortunate enough to be able to do a track day with Book a Track at Silverstone. Driving a well setup Caterham race car on a F1 track had been on my radar for some time. I arrived at the Silverstone around 7am. It was cool and very foggy. Book a Track was able to secure space in Pit Bays 1 and 2 – used by teams during the British F1 race.

We were sharing the track with a Porsche driving experience day so the usual artillery of 911, GT3’s and Caymans were out in force. There were also Aston Martins and Ferraris using the track at the same time. Being at Silverstone with this sort of company just added to the wow factor!

We were using the Academy’s Caterhams that were in the S3 and SV chassis so the engines were around the 140hp with the 6 speed gearbox. After the normal briefing session and waving all your legal rights away it was time to hit the track. I was there for the full day and shared the car with two other guys who also owned Caterhams, but had never been on a race track.

On track days, Silverstone only allow people on to the track with an instructor sitting in the passenger seat, so it was time for my first session. Driving out of the pit lane and up the hill onto the track for the first time was an experience that I will never forget. My heart was pumping and sweat seemed to be pouring out of my body. Adrenalin was high. The track was beautifully smooth and wide, but this was deceptive, as the corners that seemed to be quite wide were in fact very tight, especially as you came onto main straight. This run was to be my only run in the dry for the day – a shame as I hoped the English weather would be nice to me.

From 10am to 4pm the rain set in and at one point the track was closed due to the volume of water. Although it would have been good to have a dry day on the track, if you were ever going to be instructed how to drive in wet this was the moment. The instructors were very patient with us all and showed us how to pick the lines that would provide the most grip and taught us how to squeeze the power – avoiding spins.

The Aston Martins, Porsches and Ferraris were going a lot quicker than us, however we were driving these Caterhams with none of the modern aids those cars have.

I would recommend anyone that loves the thrill of driving a Caterham or Lotus to give it a go. They run many different types of driving experiences including drifting days, which I hope to do in May. You can also hire a 620R for track days, as long as you book it well in advance.

Is this coachbuilt Caterham the ultimate reborn classic?

Swedish consultancy reveals its vision for a 21st Century version of the Caterham Seven.

Story: Classic Driver Photos: Bo Zolland Design AG.

Since Caterham bought the rights and tooling to produce its own version of the Lotus Seven in the early 1970s, it has created numerous versions of the back-to-basics roadster – from the entry-level 160 up to the outrageous 620 R.

However, despite these updates, the basic bodywork has remained largely unchanged since Colin Chapman sired the original lightweight roadster almost 50 years ago. It seems the Swedish stylists at Bo Zolland Design AG have taken exception to this, releasing renderings of their vision of an aesthetically updated model: the Indy Seven Roadster, which employs its own classic theme by taking inspiration from 1960s Indy cars. The final design has then been rendered in a variety of liveries, each of which is augmented by an appropriate design for the wheels.

Style over safety

The concept remains a theoretical 3D digital model for now – but on visual merit alone, we think it’s right up there with other reborn classics such as the Eagle E-type and Touring Disco Volante. The spaceframe composition of the Seven’s chassis would surely tempt an experienced coachbuilder to re-clothe one in Zolland’s striking style – possibly in time for the original Seven’s 50th anniversary, too. Just watch where you rest your left elbow.

A History of the Lotus Seven

A 60-year history of lightness, precision and terrific little driving machines

Graham Hill and Colin Chapman trialling in a 1172cc side valve Cannon.

In 1948, Colin Chapman built a stressed plywood body and put it on a rotten old Austin 7 chassis to produce his very first car. With this innovative and competitive machine he competed in sporting trails.

Classic Trials are one of the oldest forms of motor sport, dating from the beginning of the 20th century. On these, the car or motorcycle is stopped at the foot of a hill and has to make a non-stop ascent. Chapman soon developed a reputation as a talented car designer and went on to build a much improved trials car. He was so pleased with this machine’s handling that he thought he’d have a crack at circuit racing with it too. On 3 June 1950, in an eight-car race at Silverstone, Chapman brought home his trials car ahead of a Type 37 Bugatti to win his very first circuit race.

After building multiple trials and road racing cars, Colin Chapman introduced his first ‘production’ car, the Lotus Mark VI, in 1952. The heart of the Mark VI was a space frame chassis. Rather than a complete car, it was available to the general public as kit, wherein the customer could install any preferred engine and gearbox, making it eligible for a wider number of formulas.

Production and development of newer models continued with the cars becoming more sophisticated, faster and more successful. The Eleven was in production and running at Le Mans when Chapman, his wife and another couple were having a regular Sunday evening meal together. One of the women said they should look at producing a simple car again for the market the Six had met but Lotus had moved away from. The word is they sketched it up that night and had the prototype built within a week. Heavily based on the Eleven, this car was to become the Seven, though initially the Seven number was missed.

The Lotus Seven was launched in 1957 – the Seven name was left over from a model that was abandoned by Lotus, which would have been a Riley-engined single-seater that Lotus intended to enter into Formula Two in 1952 or 1953. However, the car was completed as a sports car and christened the Clairmonte Special.

The Seven was powered by a 40 bhp (30 kW; 41 PS) Ford Side-valve 1,172 cc inline-four engine. It was mainly for lower budget club racing on short tracks (750 motor club).

In order to continue building successful racing cars, Lotus needed to continue to make money. The Seven was never designed as a competition car. In fact, the exercise of going from the S1 to the S2 was about keeping build costs as low as possible, and the Seven had a frame with plenty of limitations. Sales dwindled and there are plenty of stories about Seven enthusiasts within the company who worked to keep the car in production while Chapman wanted to drop it, as it was not making money and did not suit the image he was cultivating for the company.

The Lotus Seven S2 followed in 1960 and was supplemented by the Lotus Super Seven S2 from 1961. The Super Seven initially used the larger Cosworth modified 1340cc Ford Classic engine and later examples were fitted with 1498cc or 1599cc engines.

The Seven S3 was released in 1968. In 1970, Lotus radically changed the shape of the car to create the slightly more conventional sized Series 4, with a squarer fibreglass shell replacing most of the aluminium bodywork. It also offered some ‘luxuries’ as standard, such as an internal heater matrix.

The British tax system of the time – Purchase Tax – meant the car could be supplied as a kit (known as ‘completely knocked down’ or CKD) without attracting the tax surcharge that would apply if sold in assembled form. Tax rules specified assembly instructions could not be included, but as the rules said nothing about the inclusion of disassembly instructions, they were included instead and all the enthusiast had to do was to follow them in reverse.

The original model was highly successful with more than 2,500 cars sold, due to its attraction as a road legal car that could be used for clubman racing.

Having joined the EEC on 1 January 1973, the UK had to abolish Purchase Tax and adopt VAT instead. VAT does not allow for concessions such as ‘CKD’, so the tax advantage of the kit-built Lotus Seven came to an end. Between 1957 and 1972 the Colin Chapman designed and produced Lotus Seven became the embodiment of the Lotus philosophy of performance through low weight and simplicity.

The Seven After Lotus

In 1973, Lotus decided to shed fully its kit car image and concentrate on limited series motor racing cars. As part of this plan, Lotus ended production of the Seven and sold the rights to its only remaining agents Caterham Cars in England and Steel Brothers Limited in New Zealand.

Today Caterham make both kits and fully assembled cars based on the original design.

When Caterham ran out of the Lotus Series 4 kits in the early 70s, in accordance with their agreement with Lotus, they introduced their own brand version of the Series 3. They have been manufacturing and refining this car ever since as the Caterham Seven.

Steel Brothers Limited in Christchurch, New Zealand assembled Lotus Seven Series 4s until March 1979 when the last of the 95 kits provided by Lotus was used up. The last Lotus badged Seven Series 4 was therefore produced in New Zealand. There was also an attempt to make a wider, modernized version of the Series 4 using the twin cam Lotus 907 engine, called the ‘Lotus Super 907’.

This video explains how Colin Chapman began the process of developing the Lotus Seven from its early origins as a trialling car.

In the spring of 1978 it was announced that this was to be sold in the United States (as the 907 engine had been federalized) – but the American importer had no funds and the project came to naught. The single finished Super 907 still resides in New Zealand. Lotus Super Sevens built in New Zealand (cars 3008 and 3015) were imported into California in 2012 by Trevor Candler.

Between 1970 and 1975, following a representation agreement, Lotus Argentina SA obtained the license to manufacture the Lotus Seven in Argentina. This production reached approximately 51 units.

These vehicles were not replicas, but built under license and original brand Lotus, this being the second legitimate Lotus Seven built out of England, and therefore can also legitimately bear the emblem of Lotus.

The Lotus Seven design has spawned a host of imitations on the kit car market, generally called Sevens or sevenesque roadsters. Many of those cars are still produced to this day. Along with manufacturer supplied kits, there are entirely self-built sevenesque cars referred to as Locosts.

Driving the 1969 Lotus Seven is, without question, the single best moment of my life… it’s the same distilled, cask-strength delight I felt when my brother and I pushed a home-built cart down a too-steep hill, the same blend of thrill and mild terror. My left foot darts down from its perch atop two exposed screws to push in the clutch, the four-speed gearbox moves to third with a fractional wrist movement, and then on the throttle and the engine growling once more and its ‘Biggles Learns To Drive’ and I’m buzzing the aerodrome and shouting “yah boo sucks to you!” at the Zeppelin pilots. I must buy goggles. And a helmet. And one of those long white scarves. And one of these, I’ve got to get me a Seven. Seventh Heaven! – Brendan McAleer, Drive.

Pre-Lotus Seven Models

Lotus MkI

The first car Chapman built was an Austin 7-based “special” not designed for racing, just designed to be driven! An outing competing in off-road Trials competition with the car and then-girlfriend (and future wife) Hazel Williams helped to convince Chapman to continue building cars, only with the next to be faster.

Lotus MkII

His second machine was built to compete in trials competition, and tellingly, was also able to run on the road. Think of it in spirit as your grandfather’s Ariel Nomad. Chapman entered it into events held by the yes-you-can-still-become-a-member-of-it 750 Motor Club. Once he realised it was quick in circuit racing, his next car was built for the tarmac.

Lotus MkIII

Technically-speaking, this is Lotus #1, or at least it was the first car to be “called” Lotus, though its lineage is clear. It’s as advanced as you’d expect from a Chapman design, even one from 1951: aluminium bodywork, 0-50 mph in less than 7 seconds, and a top speed of around 90 mph. Did I mention it had just a 750cc engine?

Lotus MkIV

Lotus Engineering Company—founded with the help from a £50 note from Hazel Williams—finished up the Mk IV, a car that would be the final Trials car—naturally, it won on its debut, and requests to purchase a “Lotus” pushed the company ahead with its most revolutionary design yet—the 1952 Mk VI.

Lotus MkVI

Lotus MkV development was abandoned for the VI, the first car from the company to sell in great numbers — more than 100 kits, and the first to resemble the Seven we all know and love. Even today — forgive its lack of safety — its performance is brisk: 93 mph top speed, 0-60 mph in about 15 seconds from your choice of engine. Weight was a comically low at 952 lbs, which is a near 40% saving from the minimum weight for a 2016 Formula 1 car.

Once assembled, it was a car that gave many amateurs around the UK and beyond their first taste of victory — the first of only a few times where DIY designs have trounced factory efforts.

Lotus Seven Models

Lotus Seven S1

First generation
Year/s: 1957–1960
Body and chassis related to: Lotus Eleven
Engine: 1,172 cc (1.2 L) I4

Lotus Seven S2

Second generation
Year/s: 1961–1967
Engine: 1,340 cc (1.3 L) I4

Lotus Seven S3

Third generation
Year/s: 1968–1969
Engine: 1,600 cc (1.6 L) I4

Lotus Seven S4

Fourth generation
Year/s: 1970–1972
Engine/s: 1,600 cc (1.6 L) I4
1,700 cc (103.7 cu in) I4

1970 Lotus Super 7

Evolution of the Lotus Seven – Caterham

Caterham

Caterham owns the rights to reproduce the Lotus Super Seven and in their hands the car, or at least the badge, has continued to thrive to this day with development continuing.

Caterham Cars has recently developed the AeroSeven Concept, the first ever Caterham fitted with traction control. Thanks to an Engine Management System, drivers will be able to enjoy fully-adjustable traction and launch control functionality. Utilising a naturally-aspirated, EU6-approved, 240ps (237bhp) engine developed by Caterham Technology & Innovation from the recently launched Caterham Seven 485, (one of the world’s highest revving EU6-compliant engines) it transfers power to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

The AeroSeven Concept is stacked with race car-inspired features, including aerodynamic styling, plenty of carbon-fibre, an exclusive F1-style steering wheel with driver-focused functionality, and an intuitive fully active Graphical Display Unit (GDU).

Caterham Levante – RS Performance RST-V8 Engine
The ‘Levante’, built by RS Performance Engine Developments Ltd. (RS = Russell Savory), is a mostly-carbon-fibre bodied Caterham, with Kevlar seats, combined with a 2.4-litre 40-valve supercharged V8 and boasts almost 1,000 bhp (746 kW; 1,014 PS) per tonne while weighing just 530 kg (the RS website specifies ‘in excess of 500bhp,’ and 520 kg). The math may or may not achieve over 1,000 bhp per tonne. Costing £115,000 each, only eight were produced to celebrate more than 50 years in production. They immediately sold out. Two days of mandatory ‘driver training’ were included in the price of the car.

**Caterham 21**
In 1994 Caterham produced the 21 using a modified seven spaceframe chassis. Only 48 were ever made.

Caterham UK website | Caterham Australia website

THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY – REPLICAS & INSPIRATION

Donkervoort

Since 1978 Donkervoort (located in Lelystad, The Netherlands) has steadily developed its Seven model line up to now include the Donkervoort D8 GTO. With nearly 400 bhp at less than 700 kg in weight it needs just 2.8 seconds to go from 0 to 100 km/h. The GTO is available in both hard-top and cabrio versions. With its longitudinally mounted Audi 5 cylinder 340hp 2.5 litre TFSI engine and a top speed of 270 km/h, the Donkervoort D8 GTO is one of the fastest street-legal cars in the world.

Donkervoort website

Panoz Roadster

The Panoz Roadster was a sports car launched in 1992 by the American manufacturer Panoz Auto Development Company of Georgia. The Roadster was succeeded by the AIV Roadster in 1997. They were built using aluminum, similar to that of the Plymouth Prowler first sold several years later in 1997. The Panoz Roadster was the first American built aluminum intensive vehicle. Panoz’s website states that the roadster is expected to return in 2015. You can clearly see the influence of the Seven in the design.

Clubmans

Because of the Seven’s relatively simple design, many companies have offered cars based on the Seven over the years. Such cars are often referred to as “clubmans”. Some examples are:

**Almac Clubsprint** by Almac, a kit car manufacturer in New Zealand.

**Aries Locost** Aries Motorsport make the Locoblade and Locost in the UK.

**BWE Locust** – also Hornet, Grasshopper.

Garbi Mk1 — **Garbí Mk1**
produced by Cobra Cars Spain with a Yamaha R-1 180hp engine.

**Dala** – a taller and wider design
using Volvo parts.

**Deman Motorsport replica** (Discontinued).

**Donkervoort D8 GTO**
from the Netherlands with Audi turbo engines.

**Elfin Clubman T5** by Elfin Sports Cars Australia.

**Estfield** from RaceTech using Lada parts.

**Esther** by Esther, based in Ugglerum, Sweden.

**Fraser Clubman**
from Fraser Cars Ltd New Zealand.

**Fraser Clubman S**
from Fraser Cars Ltd New Zealand.

**Hauser H1** from Switzerland with BMW engines.

Hispano Aleman — **Hispano Alemán** from Madrid, Spain make the Hispano Alemán with SEAT engine and parts.

Hockmayr — **Höckmayr KFZ-Technik (HKT)** from Germany with Audi turbo engines.

**Irmscher** from Germany with Opel engines.

**Kaipan 14** replica from Czech Republic 1997-2012.

**Leitch Super Sprint** by Leitch Industries,
Invercargill, New Zealand.

**1970 Lucalia Clubman** by Lucalia Partnerships Tasmania, Australia with Japanese mechanicals.

**Leugo Velocity** and V8 Viento by Luego Sports Cars in the UK.

Mark Nordon Racing Vortx — **Marc Nordon Racing UK**
build the Vortx RT, RT+ and RT Super.

**McGregor Motorsport Limited** – New Zealand based replica kits.

**MK Indy** by MK Engineering in the UK using Ford Sierra parts.

**Pegasus** by Pegasus Automobile in Germany (discontinued).

**PRB Clubman** manufactured Peter R. Bladewell in Sydney, Australia.

**Robin Hood Engineering UK** produced several models (discontinued).

**1985 Rotus** was built by Maryland-based Toyota dealer and Lotus 7 racer Chris Custer.

Southways Supercat — **Southways SuperCat** by Southways Automotive UK.

**Stalker V6 Clubman** by Brunton Automotive in Bradenton, Florida USA.

Superformance S1 — **Superformance** S1 Roadster (discontinued). Now a USA Caterham agent.

**Tornado Raptor** – a V8 powered replica by Tornado Sports Cars.

**TSV** is a replica from TSV in Greece.

**Vindicator Sprint** by Vindicator Cars.

Westfield Sport Turbo — **Westfield Sportscars** produces several models including the Sport Turbo (shown).

Please feel free to comment on this article if you have anything you’d like to bring our attention to.

MGCC Hillclimb at Mt Cotton

23rd February 2014

By Dick Reynolds

It all started:

“One morning, as Gregor Samsa was waking up from anxious dreams…”

Sorry, wrong story!

Jason pensive!

Jon punting!

Dick ploughing!

Photos courtesy of
Stephen Ivanovich Photography.

Having convinced Jon Young that a Motorkhana is the best way to improve ones ‘on the limit’ driving skills, we both headed off to the Holden Sporting Car Club Motorkhana last weekend.

Now we both learnt a lot that Sunday, about going faster and safer. Unfortunately, for this particular MGCC event, Jon had no need for the safer. His off on Sunday afternoon appears to have happened due to unforseen mechanical failure. On the second loop the car veered to the right into the bank, with the video indicating the steering wheel directing the car left – with no apparent loss of traction in the equation. Jon was fine, but the front right corner of “His Little Girl” is a bit of a mess!

The previous day, Jason and Jon braved rather ordinary weather doing the Saturday component of the TSA SRA Hillclimb Series Round 1 at Mt Cotton. They both recorded times below their best, and put it down to practice. 51.07 and 51.6 respectively.

Sunday arrived, with my good self thrown into the mix. The weather was glorious, if a little windy, and the track fast. The wind blew down the sunshade adjacent to mine, which promptly blew mine and me down onto my shiny alloy bonnet. A crease and a bend directly next to the carby holes!

Two days later I repaired the bonnet with a rolling pin and some carefully placed carpet panels. Thanks Tony G for your advice, even if I stupidly didn’t follow it!

The Sunday times fell as the day went on, Jon from 51.6 down to 51.0 prior to his demise, Jason from 51.07 to 49.98 and 49.70 to 48.64 for myself. That gave us 31st, 26th and 19th respectively out of a field of 64 cars. A damn fine effort, if I do say myself!

At the conclusion of play, Jason very kindly trailered Jon’s Caterham over to Greg Bray’s for damage assessment – thank you Jason and Greg – and I went home to see how much of my tyres were left. I suspect we will all be back for the next one.

Dick

PS. Our thanks go to the MGCCQ people and CAMS for a great day.
Quote above is the opening line of Franz Kafka’s “Metamorphosis”. Good read if you haven’t. Second quote is my article in the last mag.

And a couple of YouTube videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGoZptzU6a4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayQr5by-06Y

Caterham 7 vs Morgan

Morgan Three Wheeler and Caterham Seven: Brilliant British Flyweights

They’re small, light, fast and deliver the most singular driving experiences. In this video (link supplied by Jon Young) IDrive’s Chris Harris takes them to some beautiful UK roads to discover why they offer something even the latest hypercars simply cannot match.