Wednesday 28th February 2007

Seven gets 50th birthday present

Caterham marks 2007 with anniversary pack

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Caterham 7 Anniversary Pack

As part of its Golden Jubilee celebrations, you can now buy a limited run Caterham Seven with an Anniversary options pack.

It's available only on Caterhams ordered during 2007 and is limited to 50 units.

There are two colour schemes, both featuring a gold motif. The colour options are silver metallic paint with a gold/black anniversary twin-stripe and noseband, or the reversed scheme with black metallic paint with gold/silver stripes. The Anniversary pack includes the gold ‘7’ grille, gold trimmed leather seats (when you tick the leather options box), an individually numbered special edition certificate and dashboard plaque, plus bespoke gold wheel centres, 50th Anniversary decals and Union Jack badging.

In addition, buyers will receive a special signed copy of the newly updated book ‘The Magnificent 7’ by Chris Rees and two VIP tickets to join in the celebrations at Caterham’s Golden Jubilee Race Weekend at Donington Park, 2-3 June 2007.

In recognition of the 1957 launch of Colin Chapman’s original Seven, the Anniversary Pack will cost £1,957 including VAT.

The Anniversary Pack is available to order now on any Seven.

Additionally, every new 2007 car will feature a special 50th Anniversary nosebadge and 12 months RAC cover as standard.

• www.caterham.co.uk

[fwdracer]

These cars are the antithesis of bling....

Gold trimmings on a Se7en - a heresy!!

[L100NYY]

I think it looks really rather good, actually.

I am a big Caterham fan (I've owned 5 of them) and would seriously consider this colour scheme myself.

Although my next 7 will be a white, caged R500.

[agent006]

So nigh on £2k for some gold paint and a bit of yellow stitching. And people say BMW take the piss with their options list....

[fergus]

agent006 said:

So nigh on £2k for some gold paint and a bit of yellow stitching. And people say BMW take the piss with their options list....

[havoc]

fergus said:

agent006 said:

So nigh on £2k for some gold paint and a bit of yellow stitching. And people say BMW take the piss with their options list....

I was expecting something of value to a 7-owner...a diff, lighter wheels, something dynamically different/better. Not £2,300 for some cosmetic bling (as said - on a Seven?!? )

[darth_pies]

agent006 said:

So nigh on £2k for some gold paint and a bit of yellow stitching

But metallic paint and stripes on a 7 are about £1500 as options anyway!

[gridgway]

Is that the best they can do to celebrate the 50th birthday? Put a lot of effort into that then! Pathetic.
Graham

[havoc]

darth_pies said:

agent006 said:

So nigh on £2k for some gold paint and a bit of yellow stitching

But metallic paint and stripes on a 7 are about £1500 as options anyway!

But there can't be more than 1/5 of the body area of a saloon car!!! Talk about rip-off!

[g7jhp]

havoc said:

darth_pies said:

agent006 said:

So nigh on £2k for some gold paint and a bit of yellow stitching

But metallic paint and stripes on a 7 are about £1500 as options anyway!

But there can't be more than 1/5 of the body area of a saloon car!!! Talk about rip-off!

A caterham is hand painted unlike most mass produced saloon cars, therefore it's going to be a more labour extensive and therefore more costly process.

Personally I think they could have come up with a better colour scheme for the 50th anniversary, the 35th green and yellow was best, the red 40th edition was OK.

Anyway I'll get back in my rubystone red 7

[grahambell]

gridgway said:

Is that the best they can do to celebrate the 50th birthday?

No - there's a big event organised at Donington Park.

[L100NYY]

grahambell said:

gridgway said:

Is that the best they can do to celebrate the 50th birthday?

No - there's a big event organised at Donington Park.

[RTH]

What did the Lotus 7 cost in 1957 ?

I can remember 7 adverts in the motoring papers in the early 60s for the car in kit form for £499 and less engine and geargox for £399.

[L100NYY]

RTH said:

What did the Lotus 7 cost in 1957 ?

I can remember 7 adverts in the motoring papers in the early 60s for the car in kit form for £499 and less engine and geargox for £399.

To be fair, that was a while ago now!

[fergus]

g7jhp said:

havoc said:

darth_pies said:

agent006 said:

So nigh on £2k for some gold paint and a bit of yellow stitching

But metallic paint and stripes on a 7 are about £1500 as options anyway!

But there can't be more than 1/5 of the body area of a saloon car!!! Talk about rip-off!

A caterham is hand painted unlike most mass produced saloon cars, therefore it's going to be a more labour extensive and therefore more costly process.

Personally I think they could have come up with a better colour scheme for the 50th anniversary, the 35th green and yellow was best, the red 40th edition was OK.

Anyway I'll get back in my rubystone red 7

Tony @ TSK will do you the same for a LOT less than £2k though....

[dino ferrana]

There's more than just the paint and that is a 3 stage at least paint process too. The stripes are painted on so the car is sprayed silver then the paint dried, then the first stripe applied and dried then the third. All very labour intensive. Comparing seven paint with saloon car paint is mad, the seven is hand painted by a craftsman and not sprayed by a robotic machine. The paint on a Seven is far nicer than most mainstream cars!

Gridgway they are also running a 50th festival, probably doing some clothing and producing a special high performance edition car. Why the vitriol?

[dino ferrana]

Oh and 50th anniversary is golden so gold would be hard to ignore!

[L100NYY]

dino ferrana said:

There's more than just the paint and that is a 3 stage at least paint process too. The stripes are painted on so the car is sprayed silver then the paint dried, then the first stripe applied and dried then the third. All very labour intensive. Comparing seven paint with saloon car paint is mad, the seven is hand painted by a craftsman and not sprayed by a robotic machine. The paint on a Seven is far nicer than most mainstream cars!

Gridgway they are also running a 50th festival, probably doing some clothing and producing a special high performance edition car. Why the vitriol?

Well said that man!

[fergus]

dino ferrana said:

There's more than just the paint and that is a 3 stage at least paint process too. The stripes are painted on so the car is sprayed silver then the paint dried, then the first stripe applied and dried then the third. All very labour intensive. Comparing seven paint with saloon car paint is mad, the seven is hand painted by a craftsman and not sprayed by a robotic machine. The paint on a Seven is far nicer than most mainstream cars!

What else is there other than the paint?

Given that the car has to be painted anyway, the only additional cost is in the stripes?

Don't kid yourself about the paint quality just because it's done by hand. I'm not saying flashing something over with a handheld gun doesn't produce a good finish, but most 'robotic' guns will do a similar job. Also the paint (typically water based two pack) is cured in a low bake oven at around 70-85 degrees) to the point where masking and further coats could all be applied in one day. I think you need to find out a bit more about these things, and not get all mistry eyed just cos it's a caterham!!!

[peter pan]

`Given that the car has to be painted anyway' Wrong. Caterhams dont HAVE to be painted, some are, some are not. You need to find out a bit more about these things!

[lathamjohnp]

What better way to celebrate...50 years of being expensive :-)

Whilst Caterhams are fantastic cars, I do wish they'd do a bike-engined option. They are so lardy these days I can see why Atom have done so well.

John