What is a Seven?
A Seven is a small, lightweight two-seater open-top sports car, which is supremely nimble and quick. The Lotus Seven was launched in 1957, powered by a 40bhp Ford 1172cc engine. The Lotus Seven Series 2 followed in 1960, and the Series 3 in 1968. In 1970, Lotus radically changed the shape of the car to create the Series 4, which was not widely loved. In 1973, Lotus decided to try and shed its kit-car image in order to concentrate on its more up-market models. As part of this plan, it sold the rights to the Seven to Caterham Cars. Caterham had been a Seven dealer since the very early days, and at this time they were the sole suppliers. After a brief period producing the Series 4, they reverted back to the Series 3 car, and have been making, and refining, this car since. For a more detailed account of the history of the Seven, see one of the books on the subject.
