From the April 1997 subject of Automobile and Driver.

Varied old-fogy automo­tive wankers are endlessly lamenting the demise of rattletrap roadsters—the type that have been round when the common man may let you know who Neville Chamberlain was. Effectively, cheer up, graybeards, a number of of those old-timer automobiles are nonetheless round.

Caterham Vehicles of Cater­ham, England, produces a vari­ation of the unique Lotus 7 that first appeared in 1957. When Lotus determined to cease producing the automotive in 1973, Caterham bought the rights to supply the tiny English roadster. Right this moment, Caterham presents two fashions on the market in equipment kind within the U.S.: the Supersprint and the Traditional SE. Each automobiles use 1.6- or 1.7-liter carbureted Ford Cortina-based 4­-cylinder engines that date again to the Sixties.

The Supersprint has an impartial rear suspension; the Traditional makes do with a strong rear axle similar to the unique. It additionally eschews bucket seats in favor of a bench that stretches throughout the cockpit—­similar to the unique—with solely the trans­mission tunnel and belts left to carry the motive force in place. Plus, the smaller tires of the Traditional are dwarfed by the automotive’s rear fenders. The aluminum overlaying the body was polished (you will get it painted), and the fiberglass fenders and the nostril cone have been painted purple.

In 1982, Caterham lengthened the automotive by two inches to extend its legroom, however it’s nonetheless extraordinarily tight inside. To get into this roadster, you first stand on the seat after which help your physique on the roll bar and aspect sill as you slide your legs below the steering wheel. After a number of tries, it turns into comparatively simple, however there’s little room when you’re in there. Fortunately, the park­ing brake is positioned below the passenger-side sprint so it would not intrude.

Footroom can also be treasured. In truth, this tester needed to drive barefoot as a result of his dimension ten­-and-a-half sneakers merely would not work—miserable the clutch meant making use of the brake, too. However being cramped is a part of the enjoyable, proper?

The automotive weighs simply 1124 kilos. Weight is the enemy of efficiency, and this automotive’s mild weight makes for a really energetic drive. Our take a look at automotive’s 100-horsepower 1.6-liter motor did the 0-to-60-mph routine in 6.5 seconds, which beats each a Mazda Miata and a BMW Z3. The engine pulls cleanly proper off idle, and a correct exhaust bark bellows proper under your left ear. The one clue that there are carburetors meter­ing the gasoline movement is the looks of two air cleaners poking by way of a gap reduce in the precise aspect of the hood—or ought to we are saying “bonnet”? Apart from that, the engine ran simply as easily as a fuel-injected one throughout our fair-weather take a look at. Skidpad grip is spectacular at 0.91 g, however an inclination to lock the precise entrance brake stretched out stops from 70 mph to 220 ft.

My expertise with outdated sports activities automobiles is proscribed to a few aged Triumphs I as soon as thought-about shopping for. After only a few miles in both the TR3 or the TR6, I walked away amazed that I used to be in a position to drive each for brief journeys with out having to stroll again—the automobiles felt able to fail at any second. The Caterham undoubtedly appears to be like like a classic automotive, however someplace alongside its evolution, it has misplaced that rattle­entice really feel. You possibly can speed up exhausting, dive into corners, and mash the brakes with­out concern of imminent breakage. You end up hustling round and grinning rather a lot on this kooky-looking machine.

The four-speed gearbox is pirated from a Nineteen Seventies-vintage European Ford Escort. It is excellent for the automotive. The lever is tiny—smaller than a Miata’s—and snicks into gears with an enormously satisfying mechanical really feel that so few automobiles supply as of late.

Although the automotive begins as a equipment, you’d hardly understand it when driving. The body is strengthened by aluminum honeycomb panels which are riveted to its sides, and the result’s an impressively stiff automotive. No rattles or squeaks accom­pany exhausting driving, which speaks volumes concerning the automotive’s high quality.

The equipment for the automotive pictured right here, which incorporates the engine, prices $23,500. A Caterham supplier will put it collectively for you for $2500. Doing it your self is claimed to take about 50 hours. A 1.7-liter assembled Supersprint prices $33,000. Of the 700 Caterhams professional­duced annually, solely 50 make it throughout the pond, and that has created the cur­hire 16-week ready listing.

Did now we have enjoyable driving the Traditional? Sure, however in all probability not as a lot as guys sufficiently old to recollect Neville Chamberlain.