Lot details Registration No: FD03EFR Chassis No: SDKRDKRR630022568 Mot Expiry: March 2013
Automotive genius though he was, one imagines that the late Colin Chapman would be rather surprised that the Lotus Seven he launched at the 1957 Earls Court Motor Show, and then sold the manufacturing rights for in 1973, was still being built, bought, raced and enjoyed the world over, courtesy of Caterham. These days, though there is an ever-widening choice of chassis and engine options, the traditional narrow-bodied version of the car is still based on the Series 3 Lotus Seven. And, while few if any of the components are interchangeable between the Lotus and today's Caterhams, the Chapman-penned concept and general configuration remain unaltered and, though many times copied, have never been bettered. For a while in the '60s, Sevens were banned from racing in the USA for being 'too fast'. The model hit the same problem on this side of the Atlantic the following decade, prompting the then boss of Caterham Cars, Graham Nearn, to produce T shirts with the slogan "Caterham Seven..the car that's Too Fast to Race.". They continue to embarrass all manner of usually vastly more expensive machinery, and with engines ranging from the 1.4-litre K Series to 2.3-litre Ford Duratec, 0-60mph is attainable in anything from 6.5 to just 3.1 seconds.
This right-hand drive Super Seven was built in 2003 and purchased by the vendor direct from the manufacturer on April 1st 2006 for £15,000. It is powered by the 1588cc version of the Rover-derived K Series engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, and is finished in Yellow with a Blue centre stripe and Black interior. A clearly little used example, it is regarded by the vendor as having "very good" bodywork, paintwork, interior trim, engine and transmission. 'FD03 EFR' comes complete with a fresh MOT.
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