It's Not a Caterham!!

"Mosqvich" (mosqvich) 06/07/2014 at 15:01 • Filed to: Lotus Super Seven, Series 3

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That's what I overheard the owner tell a young guy looking at his car. The owner wasn't rude, but that young man was in for a history lesson. And some history this particular car has indeed. It is a 1968 Lotus Super Seven Series 3. It is the 41st of 350 S-3 cars built. Lotus moved on to a larger in the Series 4. This is the last of the bare bones minimalist vehicles. The owner describes this car as being built on a "strong, light tube frame with close fitted, riveted aluminum skin, a firmer glass nosecone and rakish wing. Just like Colin Chapman thought was needed to transport two people.

The Super Seven S-3 weighs a scant 1200 pounds with 84 horsepower pushing it along from its 1599 cc engine. It has an unwieldily drag coefficient of 0.65, think side of a barn. The front suspension uses the antisway bar as an upper arm (see below). It is only 10' 7" in length and tops out at 30" high plus the roll bar. All of this will get you from 0 to 60 in 7.6 seconds topping out at 96 miles per hour. This model has the more aero efficient Brooklands Windscreen vs a full windshield.

This car is a driver. The owner bought in Snohomish, Washington in 2000 and drove it back to Colorado Springs for a nice trip of 1,350 miles. He didn't stop there. This car has been from Santa Fe to San Francisco with 45 other Sevens totaling more than 2,800 miles. It's done the Texas 1000. And last Fall, he drove it from Colorado to Ocean City, Maryland and back again. He stopped in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for the 30th Annual Lotus Owners Group meeting. That'd be 4,141 miles.

This is an all original car. It has not been restored, but he does maintain it. The owner believes his car is a true "Grand Touring" car! I guess so.

Svend > Mosqvich 06/11/2014 at 13:29

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I must admit I sometimes get the Caterhams, Lotuses and Westfields mixed up.

Caterham

Lotus

Westfield

Jonathan Harper > Mosqvich 06/11/2014 at 18:25

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I drove a Caterham Super7 a lot two summers ago; after a full day tearing around on back roads and then driving back to NYC, we would be completely wiped. But I still wouldn't hesitate to drive one across the country. Cars like these evoke the spirit of olden' times motoring, and it's beautiful.