This Caterham Lotus Seven is attractive and tidy, and available in the Redwood City, CA for $32,000. Widely considered to be the quintessential British sports car, Lotus originally produced the Seven in four series, with production ending in 1972. After that, Caterham bought the rights to the car, and continued to produce it in kit form, just as Lotus had. Countless other replicas of the car have appeared, powered by a variety of four-cylinder engines, usually of Ford origin (although variants such as the Westfield Seight have used Rover V8 engines).
This particular car also had a Ford engine, but it is the exotic DOHC 16-valve Ford Cosworth BDA engine that ordinarily appeared in Formula cars such as Chevrons and Marches. This car was built in 1991, but is registered as a 1979. By some miracle, it is California registered, despite its character, race engine, and carburetors. It is very attractive, wearing the evocative British Racing Green with Yellow that the Seven in “The Prisoner” also wore. The Panasport wheels are perfect, and the roll bar and competition harnesses comprise the safety equipment.
The BDA engine is a slightly shocking sight in the engine compartment of this car, but a welcome one. The twin Weber carburetors with Aeroquip fuel fittings and stainless lines are business-like, and the owner confirms that the car is quite a kick in the pants. Regardless of the powerplant, Sevens are extremely quick and nimble, so this one must be an absolute riot. The owner reports having used the car as a daily driver for a year, which must have been quite something, and the electric fan in front of the radiator is one concession to keep the car happy in a wide range of circumstances.
