In 2015 I bought WNL 573, the car Quentin is driving. I still have it, and it is now painted in its original Carmen red. The original engine was a 998 Anglia which came with the car, and I still have. However I came across an original 1340 Cosworth engine which had been fitted to a saloon and this is now fitted. The car is very original and retains its original seats.
I built my Seven/4 in 22 hours in 1970, and one for a mate in 15 hours in 1971. He changed over from an MGB. I used mine as a company car doing radio/radar service all over the UK. London to Liverpool GO. London to Glasgow GO. London to Milford Haven GO. Yes I did the prisoner thing of driving under the gate arm at the docks. Perhaps I was the first to do it. I did more than 50,000 miles in two years including a visit to the 24 hours Le Mans race and a week or two camping in the south of France. You want to go, move, drive, jump in and do it ! I might not be able to get into a 7 now, left leg in, backside on the set back, right leg in, slide down and switch on. I don't think that I could get out ! I don't think that I'd want to.
Took my S4 to Switzerland in1970 (was working there for a while) My S3 has been around the clock, runs to le Mans, south of France, Italy and Switzerland pretty much every year from 1981 until 1994 and a few times since plus the le Mans classic. Still gets a load of miles and smiles and I'm not a young person!! Glad to hear you've treated it the right way :-)
Bonsoir from the South of France. Unfortunately when I moved here in 1972, I had to sell my S4 as at that time there was no way of running it in this country. I was not going to do a once only crash test with it and I tried to talk to the local French administration, but they kicked me out as getting french papers for a self built rhd car was just not possible. Crazy brit ! FLN365N is perhaps still out there, but as the guys who got her from me wanted to race who knows ? Great memories of doing night runs to far off places in the UK to deliver radio/radar parts. Sleeping in the car at the 24h Le Mans car park, easy as I was nearly on my back anyway. I feel that driving the car was more fun than visiting. St Tropez, Cannes, Rome, Geneve etc OPEN ROAD ! Proud to have been a very, very small part of the 7's story.
Do you have the Jeep or Volvo episodes? I'm looking for them to complete my collection. If so, please email me - my email address is available online. Thank you
The official workshop manual had a section on disassembly which could be used as build guide. There was also a magazine article that did the same thing :-) By having no instructions on assembly of the kit there was a large financial saving as purchase tax would not be payable on the 'kit'.
good tribute, just needed some original footage interviewing CC re the 7...ee snippet of DR throwing the Elan around would have been nice too :) - The casual comment of the 7 race driver about CC being rather competitive... ;)
The irony is that the Caterham/Lotus 7 is still alive to this day. Heck, Caterham Cars will have one-make series as an official support for BTCC starting next year in 2023. As the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".
This little Super 7 might just be a reason for a divorce. I remember my father telling me as a small boy in California, Oh, you don't want that car, It's a kit-car. As we go outside and get into his 63 Split-window Corvette, followed shortly after with a 67.5 Jaguar XKE 4.2. I have all the books, and 1/12 scale model. Hmm divorce doesn't look so bad after all.
True! 1970, I started the build of my S4 first thing on a Saturday morning at a friends garage and was driving it home on Sunday afternoon. Lotus made the assembly easy and foolproof. (It took a week in 1980 to build from parts my S3 Lotus7)
@@BigDuke6ixx Very simple, just told the DVLA, they sent a chap round to see it existed and registration given (exactly the same in 1980 - no IVA then!)
I have had two 7's over the years. A 1700 crossflow and a Cosworth BDR. I loved them both, the Cosworth was very quick.
In 2015 I bought WNL 573, the car Quentin is driving. I still have it, and it is now painted in its original Carmen red. The original engine was a 998 Anglia which came with the car, and I still have. However I came across an original 1340 Cosworth engine which had been fitted to a saloon and this is now fitted. The car is very original and retains its original seats.
Great video - really got the essence of the 7. I'd love to have one.
Probably the best introductory production video, for the Seven, I have seen.
18 minutes never went by so fast !
Greater than the sum of its parts, indeed!
Segment with the couple and the Series 4 : Brilliant :-)
A joy to watch!!
Someday I will have a van deliver my new ride. One Day
I built my Seven/4 in 22 hours in 1970, and one for a mate in 15 hours in 1971. He changed over from an MGB.
I used mine as a company car doing radio/radar service all over the UK.
London to Liverpool GO.
London to Glasgow GO.
London to Milford Haven GO.
Yes I did the prisoner thing of driving under the gate arm at the docks. Perhaps I was the first to do it.
I did more than 50,000 miles in two years including a visit to the 24 hours Le Mans race and a week or two camping in the south of France. You want to go, move, drive, jump in and do it !
I might not be able to get into a 7 now, left leg in, backside on the set back, right leg in, slide down and switch on.
I don't think that I could get out ! I don't think that I'd want to.
Took my S4 to Switzerland in1970 (was working there for a while) My S3 has been around the clock, runs to le Mans, south of France, Italy and Switzerland pretty much every year from 1981 until 1994 and a few times since plus the le Mans classic. Still gets a load of miles and smiles and I'm not a young person!! Glad to hear you've treated it the right way :-)
Bonsoir from the South of France. Unfortunately when I moved here in 1972, I had to sell my S4 as at that time there was no way of running it in this country. I was not going to do a once only crash test with it and
I tried to talk to the local French administration, but they kicked me out as getting french papers for a self built rhd car was just not possible.
Crazy brit !
FLN365N is perhaps still out there, but as the guys who got her from me wanted to race who knows ?
Great memories of doing night runs to far off places in the UK to deliver radio/radar parts. Sleeping in the car at the 24h Le Mans car park, easy as I was nearly on my back anyway. I feel that driving the car was more fun than visiting. St Tropez, Cannes, Rome, Geneve etc OPEN ROAD !
Proud to have been a very, very small part of the 7's story.
@@alexbain9762 Kudos to you.
At long last it's appeared on You Tube. I've had this on VHS for years.
Do you have the Jeep or Volvo episodes? I'm looking for them to complete my collection. If so, please email me - my email address is available online. Thank you
Cracking post.
We MK with R1 bike engine in it - love a 7.
I do believe that Colin Chapman actually added a Manual, how to disassemble a Lotus 7 !!! 😆
The official workshop manual had a section on disassembly which could be used as build guide. There was also a magazine article that did the same thing :-) By having no instructions on assembly of the kit there was a large financial saving as purchase tax would not be payable on the 'kit'.
Have to start planning the Electric 7 soon .
Love this, the car is an experience.
good tribute, just needed some original footage interviewing CC re the 7...ee snippet of DR throwing the Elan around would have been nice too :) - The casual comment of the 7 race driver about CC being rather competitive... ;)
The Seven is a Number ...... Great choice Magooen.
Chapman was an idiot ..... For not seeing the Seven's success.
The irony is that the Caterham/Lotus 7 is still alive to this day. Heck, Caterham Cars will have one-make series as an official support for BTCC starting next year in 2023. As the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".
Sad that it was orphaned .....
Survives despite these set backs.
This little Super 7 might just be a reason for a divorce. I remember my father telling me as a small boy in California, Oh, you don't want that car, It's a kit-car. As we go outside and get into his 63 Split-window Corvette, followed shortly after with a 67.5 Jaguar XKE 4.2. I have all the books, and 1/12 scale model. Hmm divorce doesn't look so bad after all.
Is this available on DVD?
Unfortunately I do not know the answer to that.
'Couple of days to put it [the Seven] together'?
True! 1970, I started the build of my S4 first thing on a Saturday morning at a friends garage and was driving it home on Sunday afternoon. Lotus made the assembly easy and foolproof. (It took a week in 1980 to build from parts my S3 Lotus7)
@@rd-ve8db what about registering the car in 1970? Anyway, I stand corrected.
@@BigDuke6ixx Very simple, just told the DVLA, they sent a chap round to see it existed and registration given (exactly the same in 1980 - no IVA then!)
That means I have seen all but one of the episodes of "The Car's the Star". When will the episode featuring the Volvo 240 be uploaded?
Ha! Wish I knew. Had a 240 and now have a couple of 940's.
Where did you see the Jeep episode?
@@matterofapinion I have not seen that one either.
Celibrates 50 years ....hummm.
@11:01 She may be getting on a bit, like the car, but you know in her prime this lady had it all….