There are plenty of quirky ideas from the sixties that didn’t quite get of the ground … thankfully. Sea shoes that let one walk on water, the beanbag boombox and the “beating breast” are just fine where they are — in the past.
Conversely, the Seven Sprint, apparently conceived in the ’60s though never put into production, is a very welcome blast from the past.
In connection with its ‘60 Years of the Seven’ anniversary celebration next year, Caterham has announced that it will indeed be producing 60 of these fun little punks.
Going for just $37,310 a pop, the Sprint aims to take the brand’s “contemporary” form and send it on a retrotastic voyage to yesteryear, integrating a powder-coated chassis and rollover bar inspired by the period Series 2 Lotus 7.
“We have always prided ourselves on continually developing the Seven during the 44 years we have been custodian of the model,” said Caterham Cars CEO, Graham Macdonald. “But we never wished to dismiss our heritage either, and I know there are plenty of Seven purists and aficionados out there who will really appreciate the level of detail we’ve gone to with the Sprint to resurrect the spirit of those early cars.”
The Sprint’s interior is modded out with a wooden-rimmed sports steering wheel and dashboard in scarlet red, complete with a classic, age-appropriate oOOo instrument layout. The panels and Muirhead Scottish seat upholstery is hand-stitched in on-point period style and finished in a jammin’ scarlet. Owners can choose from six very British exterior colors, coined by Caterham to reflect their heritage, including Cream, Mellow Yellow, Regency Red, Camberwick Green and Misty Blue.
Caterham is known for going minimal on creature comforts when it comes to their nifty open-top sportscars, and the Sprint is no different. It’s performance-enhanced when compared to its predecessors, but you’ll still only be rolling with a three-pot Suzuki engine with 80 hp.
A coach meant for leisure.
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