1967 Lotus Seven

Aside from the AC Cobra, perhaps no other car is more mimicked by kit and replica manufacturers than the simple Lotus Seven. More than 150 companies have tried their hand at Seven replicas – some more ably than others – and it is a testament to the special driving characteristics inherent in the design that they are still recognised as one of the best-handling road cars.

The automotive world has Colin Chapman to thank for Lotus. Chapman was both an engineer and a tinkerer, and he gained a reputation in the 1950s as a man capable of constructing winning race cars. Lessons learned from his day job at British Aluminium translated easily into what would become his pursuit of "adding lightness" to his little racers.

Chapman earned a devoted following through his Mark VI sports racer, and by 1957 had been approached by a regular customer to design and build a road-going car capable of success in hill climbs and track events as well.

The result was the Lotus Seven, a cycle-wing open two-seater powered by a side-valve 1,172cc Ford 100E 4-cylinder with a de Dion rear suspension and 4.5:1 final drive. The engine produced anywhere from 28 to 40bhp, depending on compression ratio and carburetion; a single downdraft Solex carburettor was standard, though twin SUs could be fitted. A Ford 3-speed gearbox with a Lotus gear change mechanism put power to the rear wheels, which were bolted to live rear axles borrowed from the Austin-powered Nash Metropolitan.

The Seven evolved over four series, with several motors, ranging from mundane to spectacular. Over the years, Lotus Sevens were equipped with 948cc, 43bhp units from the Austin-Healey Frog-Eye Sprite to 1,600cc Cosworth racing engines producing 115bhp. The rarest of all was the 126hp Twin Cam SS of 1969, with just 13 built. Independent of the engine, all Sevens shared the same philosophy that characterized every Lotus, from road cars to World Championship-winning Formula One machines: light weight and simplicity.

Unstressed, unadorned aluminium body panels were stretched over a lightweight steel space frame, and early cars weighed as little as 725 pounds. Many were delivered unpainted, and polished-aluminium Sevens are not uncommon. Front suspension was independent, courtesy of transverse wishbones with an anti-roll bar and MacPherson struts, while the solid rear axle used twin parallel trailing arms and a diagonal link. Common to all Sevens were rudimentary accommodations; creature comforts were non-existent and weather-proofing was more rumour than a reality. Side curtains and tops were optional.

With a wheelbase of just 88 inches, the package teetered on the edge of go-kartishness. Acceleration was brisk at worst and stunning at best, depending upon the engine, and few cars are as nimble. In all, about 3,000 Sevens were built between 1957 and 1972, before Caterham Cars acquired the rights to produce them, which it does to this day.

Colin Chapman changed the face of performance car manufacture with the Lotus Seven. By placing the emphasis on small displacement and a simple, lightweight chassis, he pioneered the "less is more" philosophy that would revolutionize the racing business throughout the 1960s, and which would see his own F1 teams win several World Championships.