Early Lotus 7

[MHKflyer52]

Today I was invited by a friend to look at some old cars which belong to his father and have been in storage for a long time of which there are a couple of Lotus Europe’s and what the I was told is a car that looks like mine but he was not sure it is like my 7 so I decided to go and look at what his dad had in storage.

Here is what I found and was wondering if anyone can tell me anything about this 7 and what it might be worth as it has a placard that says it is a Lotus Serial Number SB 2077 Cheshart Hertfordshire England but not what model it is. It is a right hand drive with a dual cam Lotus engine. My friends dad said that he had forgotten that it was in the back of the storage garage until his son saw my car and was telling him about it. He thinks that it was parked were it sits today in the early 70’s and is not to sure if it ran art that time. The amassing thing is the tires are still holding air but I think if you were to move the car they would go flat as they are very dry rotted looking and lots of cracks in the side walls. The shocks have lost all their fluid and the springs have collapsed but it looks to be all their. We did find the hood up on a shelf but it dose not seem to fit and is made from galvanized tin not aluminum which I found to be odd but understandable. It has solid steel rims with hubcaps and little tires compared to the tires of today (I think they are 165X4.5X13’s and the spare looks to even be smaller).

My friend dad tells me he took the little car as he calls it in trade but dose not remember what the trade was for as it was a long time ago but thinks it was for a sail boat (good trade I think). After sitting in it which meant that I had to help move a lot of stuff from on top of it just to get to it and by the way there is a Formula Ford in their also under a bunch of stuff, from what I can see the 7 feels smaller than a Caterham or Westfield or my Locost build so I am wondering if it is an early MK I or what as the owner really dose not know what it is besides a Lotus 7 and the paperwork that I saw which was an old registration says it is a Lotus last registered in 1968 but the owner is not sure if it is for that car or one of the others stashed in the storage garage.

 

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1518909561_DSCN2172.JPG

 

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/21101942_DSCN2174.JPG

 

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1195616961_DSCN2173.JPG

[locostv8]

In trying to research it don't get too oncerned if the # on the tab and the # on the frame are different as that was common. The supplier of the frames stamped thier own # on the frame and when a build for the # on the tag came along Lotus just grabbed the next frame on the pile and started. http://i19.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/91/2a/a1c5_1.JPGTHESE PLATES WERE FITTED TO LOTUS CARS BUILT AT THE CHESHUNT FACTORY BY LOTUS COMPONANTS FROM OCTOBER 1959 TO NOVEMBER 1966. THEY WERE ALSO USED ON RACING & RACING BUILT CARS, from 66 on they were built in NORWICH. I would love to give it a new home.

[MHKflyer52]

Good to know information. Thanks.

[scannon]

If its taking up too much space and he wants to get rid of it, I'd be happy to bring my trailer and dispose of it for him. :yesnod:

[locostv8]

I offered first. I'd even trade a 19' boat.

[Hudson]

Martin,

 

It is a series 2, see link below... historian with the GB Sevens might be able to tell you more

http://7faq.com/owbase/ow.asp?ChassisNumbers#h4

 

Cheers,

 

Ed

[MHKflyer52]

Thanks Ed.

 

[MkVI30]

Martin

First of all, thanks for the nice write-up and pix of my Mk VI at the CCBCC show. BTW it was built 1954, not '52.

 

As for the early Seven, I would concur that it is a series 2. Lotus was at Cheshunt from Jun '59 to Nov '66 so I would guess that it was a '66 as the series 3 began with s/n 2311 in Aug '68. It would be a rare cor if it originally had the Lotus twin-cam as Lotus only made 13 Sevens with them. But I suspect it was a changeover as Lotus didn't start putting them in Sevens until Jan '69. Also, the tin bonnet is a giveaway, probably made to clear the carbs. Of course, the 3 brackets at the front of the bonnet aren't Lotus. As for value ???

 

Walt

[MHKflyer52]

Hi Walt,

 

Thanks for the info on the car and I will pass it on to my friend that it is a series two.