Lotus 7 History

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#339933" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Lotus 7   History</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=175 BGCOLOR="#336600" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <B>Lotus 7</B></div> <div> <B>History</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id72.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lotus 7 "><U><B>7</B></U></A><B> </B><A HREF="id72.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lotus 7 "><U><B>Main Page</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id80.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lotus 7 Series 1"><U><B>Lotus 7 Images</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFF66" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>History of the Lotus 7</B></div> <bR> <div> The Lotus 7 was originally conceived in the middle 1950s as an inexpensive sports car to be used in British sports car club racing.  According to Formula I and sports car champion Dan Gurney, the Lotus 7 is the unrivaled <I>quintessential</I> sports car. The Lotus 7 undoubtedly represents the sports car in the extreme and is the only example of the true sports car still being produced today.</div> <bR> <div> In order to enable motoring enthusiasts to enter sports car races for a reasonable amount of money the Lotus 7 was offered for about $1250 as a build-it-yourself kit, complete with engine.  The Lotus 7 appeared in the Earls Court Motor Show in October, 1957 and the first kits were delivered in early 1958.</div> <bR> <div> The car had a space frame, more reminiscent of the successful Lotus 11 sports racer than the 7's predecessor, the Mark VI. Many `50s and `60s race cars used the space frame. However, the cost of welding the numerous tubes made the cars' construction very labor intensive and therefore quite costly to produce in large numbers.  Some notable low production cars which have used the space frame are, besides the Lotus 7, the Mercedes-Benz 300SL, the Ford Cobra, the Lamborghini Diablo, the Ferrari 360 Modena, and the BMW Z8.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="783" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 87 WIDTH="246"><div> Series 1 Lotus 7</div> <div> <B>Photo:</B></div> <div> <B><U>Lotus Half Century</U></B></div> <div> <B>by Graham Capel</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=2 WIDTH="526"><div> The standard Series 1 Lotus 7 came with a live (solid) rear axle, unequal-length A-arm front suspension, drum brakes all-around, a 40 hp Ford or Austin engine and a 3 speed transmission.  It weighed about 950 lbs and sported cycle front fenders.  Lotus soon began producing a more powerful Super 7 with a 75 hp 1098cc engine and a 4 speed transmission which accelerated the car to 60 mph in about 9 seconds. A Lotus 7-America was produced in 1958 for export to the United States.  It had swept-wing front fenders instead of the non-movable cycle fenders and a 43 hp Austin Healey Sprite engine.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 149 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="220f48d0.jpg" border=0 width="244" height="141" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="759" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 190 WIDTH="502"><div> The Series 2 Lotus 7 appeared in 1960 .  A number of unnecessary chassis tubes were eliminated as well as making suspension improvements, thus lowering the cost of production.  In 1961 the new Lotus Super 7 was introduced with a 95 hp 1340cc Ford-Cosworth engine to lower its acceleration time (0-60 mph) to around 7 seconds.  The photograph at the right is of a 1961 Lotus Super Seven, photographed by Edward A. Sear of Luton, Beds., England. </div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="20cfeb80.jpg" border=0 width="254" height="184" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> In 1966 Lotus moved to a new factory and decided that it was time to retire the 7, but Graham Nearn of Caterham Cars effectively saved the Lotus 7 from oblivion by ordering a substantial quantity of cars, just when new factory car orders had dwindled.  In 1967 Caterham Cars became the exclusive distributors for the 7.  Nearn proposed to update the 7 and received the personal approval of Colin Chapman to do so. In 1968 a new Series 3 Lotus 7 began production with an 85 hp Ford Cortina engine and suspension units.  In 1969 the Lotus 7-SS was introduced with a Lotus twin-cam 1600cc, 115 hp engine and a stronger chassis.  From 1969-72 a Series 4 car, denoted the Lotus 60, was produced , but the ugly duckling was not liked by many due to its angular dune-buggy styling and consequent loss of purity of line of the earlier models. </div> <bR> <div> In 1973 the production rights of the Series 4 Lotus 7 were sold to Caterham Cars who have been responsible for the technical evolution of their version of the 7 over the past 29 years.  Caterham opted to continue with the Series 3 car which has been retained as the "Classic" model (Caterham Cars was instrumental in its original design).  An improved model, the Super Sprint, weighing 1300 lbs, with a stronger chassis and a deDion rear suspension as well as a 5 speed transmission with 4-wheel disc brakes has been introduced.  This model with the 1700cc, 135 hp Ford Kent engine will accelerate to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds and has a top speed of about 115 mph. For the more courageous driver a Superlight model weighing around 1000 lbs is also available, ostensibly for racing. Acceleration times are quite impressive: 0-60 mph in under 4 seconds for some versions of the Superlight.  Engines ranging from 100 hp to 250 hp can be ordered with the appropriate model of the car, although enterprising owners have outfitted Lotus or Caterham 7s with such outragia as V-8s, Mazda turbo 3-chamber rotary engines, and different Cosworth power plants creating veritable missiles!</div> <bR> <div> The Lotus 7 and its derivatives are the last of the breed of true sports cars, offering superb handling, and that primitive "wind-in-your-face" sporting experience for the diehard individualist.   </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>