Caterham

Caterham Cars was a British sports car manufacturer based in Caterham, Surrey, with later operations also established in Dartford, Kent.

The company took over production of the Lotus Seven in May 1973. After building only 38 examples of the S4 type, it switched to the older, simpler S3 model in 1974. Early cars were offered with Ford 1300 engines alongside the more powerful Lotus Big Valve Twin Cam unit developing 126bhp.

As supplies of Lotus engines diminished, Vegantune Twin Cam engines were fitted from 1981, but the definitive versions of the Caterham Seven came to be those powered by tuned Ford engines, offered in Sprint (110bhp) and Supersprint (135bhp) forms. A Morris Ital live rear axle replaced the earlier Escort unit in 1980, and a De Dion rear suspension option was introduced in 1985.

An even more powerful Seven appeared in 1984, when Cosworth supplied engines producing between 150 and 170bhp; these cars were known as the HPC, and customers were required to pass a driving test before Caterham would supply one. A Vauxhall 2-litre-powered HPC producing 175bhp arrived in 1991, shortly before Caterham began fitting Rover K-series engines as standard equipment, starting with a 1.4-litre unit producing 103 to 128bhp before progressing to 1.6- and 1.8-litre versions. All models gained four-wheel disc brakes in 1988, impact protection in 1990, Bilstein suspension in 1991, and an optional six-speed transmission in 1995.

Among the fastest Sevens produced were the J.P.E. (Jonathan Palmer Evolution), an ultra-lightweight version fitted with a 250bhp BTCC-derived Vauxhall engine, and the Superlight R, a stripped-out model using a heavily modified 190bhp Rover 1.8-litre engine. The R500, introduced in 2000, offered even greater performance with a 230bhp Rover engine developed by Minster Race Engines.

A new chapter in the company's history began in 1996 with the introduction of the 21, a two-seater sports car featuring enveloping bodywork made of fibreglass or aluminium, along with opening doors and a boot. Designed by Iain Robertson, it was built on a slightly modified version of the Seven's chassis.