House of Speed Gallery

 

Here's is the collection of pictures of the Seven as it was advertised by House of Speed.













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The Origin Story

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TL;DR : a car with a story While the Origin Story with the Caterham   was about how I first got interested in them  - I find it outstanding how many Lotus Seven S2 were in my image collection- , this time it's all about the pedigree of that specific Seven. I will present its history as a timeline, with sources ranging from official documents and shared memories, to informed speculation on my part. Documenting those 60 years was greatly helped by the support of Mr Watson of the Lotus Seven Register , and the gracious sharing of memories by Mr Mark S. of Arizona who owned the car from the 80s to 2000.
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Caterham 170 vs Lotus Seven

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  TL;DR : yes (but what's even the question?) I've always heard and read that the Kei Caterham (Suzuki-based 160/165 and 170) are in fact a back to the roots iteration of the Seven. That's actually very accurate. As I'm seriously considering getting the real thing for myself, I had to do my due diligence and learn all that's to know about the O.G. Lotus Seven, especially the S2. Compared to the Caterham 170, the similarities are plenty : same weight (~460kg) same track width same narrow rear wheel arches similar tyre dimensions (equiv. width of 155 for the S1, 145 for the S2, in both instances with an overall diameter within 2% of the 160-170) similar live axle same "A" frame to locate the rear axle same brake configuration with front discs and rear drums similar engine power (1500 Cosworth ~90-95bhp) equivalent engine displacement (1498cc vs 658cc @2.3 bar = 1513cc) hydraulic clutch with the S2 came the first side screens and full hood with rear windows...
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Alfin-style Rear Brake Drums

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TL;DR: Adding lightness  a bit of weight, actually As I alluded to in my " plan ", I had found a eBay listing from TR Shop London for a pair of Alfin-Style brake drums. The asking price was 369€, which was very tempting. I sent them a message to make sure those Triumph Herald drums would fit the Seven and its Triumph Herald rear axle and brakes. The only reply I got was the removal of the listing, flagged as sold. No time for customers and prospects I guess. They surely won't get any of my money in the future. Grief was brief, as I soon found that Rimmer had 3 pairs of those in stock, this time at 315€ for a set. The crazy thing is that the "European" website lists them at 407€   each . I took that as a call to action, and after verification that the car still has its cast iron drums fitted, I jumped on what looked like a good deal. With a 20€ set of brake shoes, 24€ shipping, VAT and brokerage fees, I expect the kit to cost something close to 450€. Not bad ...
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Hello World

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Hi, I'm Nicolas. Welcome to my second blog. This one will be dedicated to our adventures with a 1966 Lotus Super Seven, 1500 Cosworth. The original blog is about my experience with the Caterham 170 S . There will be direct links between the two, and you will be able to switch between them  using the menu on the left. As usual, I am my first reader, this is first and foremost my own logbook where I'll make sure everything is documented for further reference. You can read my original introduction here . The story actually begins at the same moment in February 2024: 🦄 this unicorn of a Lotus Seven was actually the first one you'd see when entering the House of Speed show room; between the front door and the office. Things took quite a turn the day I brought the Caterham with a missing wheel arch and jokingly said I'd better leave before walking out with the Lotus S2. Here we are... Enjoy!
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"Ribbed" Minilite Wheels

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  TL;DR: They're alright Out of the factory, the Seven was expected to come with bolt-on Lotus Elan steel wheels. Mine came with a set of what can be described as 13x5 "ribbed" Minilites, a model I was not familiar with and one that hasn't been imitated by copycats. The advertisements I've found makes me believe they came out in 1971, which makes them period-correct enough for me. After a quick calculation based on the 1973 ad, the asking price of £35 was actually not cheap as it would be close to 900€ in today's money. Being made of light alloy allowed them to age well. This wouldn't have been the case had they been made of magnesium like earlier Minilite wheels, they would have gone porous and dangerous. From what I know, they were fitted to the car before 1989 when the car was sold in Denver, Colorado. Other pictures show that the centre caps were blank well into the 90s, and they appear in the pictures from 2009. They were provided with aluminium nut...
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