Caterham Super Seven (1974 - 1995)

Introduction

The Caterham Super Seven might be a hangover from another era, but it's reassuring to know that this brilliantly designed sports car is still capable of mixing it with the very quickest road cars today. That capability is down to Lotus, and Colin Chapman's obsession with building the lightest car he possibly can.

You can also thank Colin Chapman for the fact you can still buy the Seven today. Taking Lotus upmarket in the early 1970s, he sold the lucrative model to dealer Caterham Cars, which quickly returned the sporting icon to production and has never looked back. The tubular steel chassis, bodied in aluminium, has remained almost unchanged since, although engines have been updated to reflect improvements in technology.

Classic Caterhams are generally powered by Ford Crossflow engines, which means they're both tuneful and extremely tunable. Prices depend on condition and specification rather than age and mileage, so decide what your priorities are.