So, tell us a little about yourselves

[44 AND COUNTING]

5 hours ago, sergio brambillasca said:

44 AND COUNTING wrote:
Hello, Sergio!
I live down the road a bit, in Modena. I've had my Westfield Seven for five years. It's also a 1700, right hand drive, factory built in 1985, with 23,000 miles.

Hello! What a surprise to find another Seven owner here in Italy!

Beautiful Westfield — and another 1700. After five years together, I imagine you know exactly what I mean when I say that these cars become much more than just cars.

Modena is not far from Milan at all. Perhaps one day our two Sevens will have the chance to meet.

Sergio

 

[44 AND COUNTING]

I bought my Westfield from an internet ad, up by Lago Isola. Not far from Milan. It came from Germany to Italy in '88. It's the most fun I can have on 4 wheels! These things get into your blood!

[CBuff]

Well that’s a layup. @Croc is now @coccodrillo. I will start making the pit banners for njmp in Oct.  

 

[theDreamer]

5 hours ago, sergio brambillasca said:

Now I know much more about crocodiles than I did this morning! 😄
And all I wanted was to discover something about the history of my Caterham.
This forum is already taking me in unexpected directions!

Welcome to the asylum hehehe

 

[IamScotticus]

13 hours ago, sergio brambillasca said:

Yes, Crossflow! It's a 1997 Caterham Seven with a 1700 Ford engine. I've owned it for more than thirteen years.

I also have this old photograph from before I bought it, showing the car with two trophies on it. Unfortunately, I don't know anything more about that part of its history. Perhaps someone here might recognize something about the car or its past.

I see a spacer in there so you should have a T9 5 speed. These were often standard w DeDion axles but your front is uprated  narrow live axle type.

Do you have an Triumph Ital/Marina live axle?

[sergio brambillasca]

Thank you — this is exactly the kind of information I was hoping to discover here.

I honestly don't know which rear axle it has. I've owned the Caterham for more than thirteen years, but I have never reconstructed all the technical details of its original specification.

If it helps, tomorrow I can take some photographs of the rear axle and gearbox area. Perhaps you could help me identify exactly what I have.

I'm discovering the history of my own car piece by piece through this forum!

[theDreamer]

@sergio brambillasca This car appears to have been a Caterham racer. I have discovered some interesting things about the cars used during this period.

The Caterham Scholarship entry level cars were live axle 1600cc (not 1700) Ford 'Kent' Crossflows with rear-exit exhausts. The spec included a Caterham lightened & balanced flywheel, uprated competition clutch cover and drive plate, Caterham distributor with Ignitor electronic ignition, two twin choke Weber 40 DCOE carburettors with K&N filters. Power was rated at 100 bhp at 6000 rpm. I did not find any info on the transmission used but would expect it to have been the four speed.

In 2001 the name changed to the Caterham Academy as too did the cars. The entry level was now the 1.6 K Series Rover in a De Dion chassis. Again, no info on the transmission used. However, I’m sure someone here would know.

If you send your VIN and car details to Martin Phipps ( Martin.Phipps@caterham.com) he’ll search out any documents the factory have on your car. At least you’ll know how it left the factory.

[IamScotticus]

Sergio's thread is now more appropriate in Membr's Cars

https://usa7s.net/ips/forum/30-member-rides/

Edited September 19 by IamScotticus

[sergio brambillasca]

22 hours ago, Scott_ said:

Ciao Sergio, non vedo l'ora di sentire del tuo viaggio in Europa l'anno prossimo.

 

Scott

Thank you, Scott.
I think the journey has already started in a way — I'm discovering things about my own Caterham that I didn't know before joining this forum! 😄

Next year the car and I will have quite a long road ahead of us across Europe. I'm sure I'll share some of it here as the departure gets closer.

Sergio

[sergio brambillasca]

13 hours ago, theDreamer said:

@sergio brambillascaQuesta vettura sembra essere stata una Caterham da corsa. Ho scoperto alcune cose interessanti sulle auto utilizzate in quel periodo.

 

Le vetture di base del programma Caterham Scholarship erano equipaggiate con un motore Ford 'Kent' Crossflow da 1600 cc (non 1700) ad assale rigido e scarichi posteriori. Le specifiche includevano un volano alleggerito e bilanciato Caterham, un coperchio frizione e un disco di trasmissione da competizione potenziati, un distributore Caterham con accensione elettronica Ignitor e due carburatori Weber 40 DCOE a doppio corpo con filtri K&N. La potenza dichiarata era di 100  CV a 6000 giri/min. Non ho trovato informazioni sulla trasmissione utilizzata, ma presumo si trattasse di un cambio a quattro marce.

 

Nel 2001 il nome cambiò in Caterham Academy, così come le vetture. Il modello base era ora la Rover Serie K da 1.6 litri su telaio De Dion. Anche in questo caso, non ci sono informazioni sulla trasmissione utilizzata. Tuttavia, sono sicuro che qualcuno qui ne saprà qualcosa.

 

Se invii il numero di telaio (VIN) e i dettagli della tua auto a Martin Phipps (Martin.Phipps@caterham.com), lui cercherà tutti i documenti in possesso della casa produttrice relativi al tuo veicolo. Almeno saprai come è uscito dalla fabbrica.

 

Thank you very much. This is fascinating — you've already discovered more about the early history of my Caterham than I knew when I joined the forum.

I will find the VIN/chassis number and gather the information I have about the car. Contacting Martin Phipps at Caterham sounds like an excellent next step.

What makes this particularly interesting to me is that I've owned the car for more than thirteen years, yet I am only now beginning to reconstruct what its life may have been before it came to Italy.

Thank you for taking the time to research this.

SergioS

[Croc]

48 minutes ago, sergio brambillasca said:

Thank you very much. This is fascinating — you've already discovered more about the early history of my Caterham than I knew when I joined the forum.

I will find the VIN/chassis number and gather the information I have about the car. Contacting Martin Phipps at Caterham sounds like an excellent next step.

What makes this particularly interesting to me is that I've owned the car for more than thirteen years, yet I am only now beginning to reconstruct what its life may have been before it came to Italy.

Thank you for taking the time to research this.

SergioS

 

Its clearly a race car origin.  1700 x-flow would have been either 1) a later replacement for an earlier engine, or 2) a sprint event car (one car on track for a single flying lap).  By 1997 the regular Caterham race classes were either for Rover K series or Vauxhall engines while Scholarship was 1600cc X-flow for just that year (1998 was Rover K series).  For a sprint event, a 1600cc X-flow would have been Class 1 and a 1700 x-flow would have been a Class 2 car for sprint events.  There was also a Club Challenge event that year (Gold Arts Lotus Seven Club Challenge).

 

I confirmed the Bookatrack sponsorship was for all cars participating in one of the defined Caterham race classes - one of those mandatory sponsorships for the series that all cars run.  Seems to point towards it being a circuit racer and not a sprint event car then?

 

What's the VIN?   I can decipher that easily.

 

Martin Phipps will give you the build sheet but a follow up inquiry might surface the original name - then you can match that name to the race archive below.

 

One other thing - The Caterham and Lotus Seven Club has an archive of old LowFlying magazines available to members online.  They always reported on the Caterham races.  Going through those would possibly surface this car and its owner then.  I glanced at 1997 articles and did not see anything but a detailed search is required.

[sergio brambillasca]

13 minutes ago, Croc said:

 

È chiaramente un'auto da corsa. Il motore 1700 X-Flow sarebbe stato o 1) un motore di ricambio successivo per un motore precedente, oppure 2) un'auto da gara sprint (una sola auto in pista per un singolo giro lanciato). Nel 1997 le classi di gara Caterham regolari erano riservate ai motori Rover serie K o Vauxhall, mentre la categoria Scholarship prevedeva il motore 1600cc X-Flow solo per quell'anno (il 1998 fu la volta del Rover serie K). Per una gara sprint, un motore 1600cc X-Flow sarebbe stato di Classe 1 e un 1700cc X-Flow di Classe 2. Quell'anno si tenne anche una gara Club Challenge (Gold Arts Lotus Seven Club Challenge).

 

Ho confermato che la sponsorizzazione di Bookatrack era per tutte le vetture partecipanti a una delle classi di gara Caterham definite: una di quelle sponsorizzazioni obbligatorie per la serie a cui partecipano tutte le vetture. Sembra quindi che si tratti di una vettura da corsa in circuito e non di una vettura per gare sprint, giusto?

 

Qual è il numero di telaio (VIN)? Posso decifrarlo facilmente.

 

Martin Phipps ti fornirà la scheda di costruzione, ma una successiva richiesta di informazioni potrebbe far emergere il nome originale, che potrai poi confrontare con l'archivio delle gare qui sotto.

 

Un'altra cosa: il Caterham and Lotus Seven Club ha un archivio di vecchie riviste LowFlying a disposizione dei soci online. Queste riviste riportavano sempre notizie sulle gare Caterham. Consultandole, si potrebbe forse ritrovare quest'auto e il suo proprietario dell'epoca. Ho dato un'occhiata agli articoli del 1997 e non ho trovato nulla, ma è necessaria una ricerca più approfondita.

Thank you, Croc. This is becoming much more interesting than I expected when I posted that old photograph.

The information about BookaTrack and the racing classes is particularly valuable, especially because the old UK registration record found by theDreamer lists the car as 1600 cc.

I can also confirm that when I bought the car it had electronic ignition, a competition clutch, and the rear exhaust.

I have the VIN and will retrieve it from the car. I would prefer not to post the complete chassis number publicly, but I can contact Martin Phipps with it and obtain the build sheet.

If that eventually allows us to identify the original owner or driver and trace the car through the old race records, that would be extraordinary.

Thank you for taking this investigation so seriously.

Sergio

[pethier]

My 1991 was ordered as a complete kit from Caterham with a 1700 Super Sprint crossflow engine.  UK-market (Northwich, Cheshire).

[sergio brambillasca]

11 hours ago, sergio brambillasca said:

Grazie, Scott.
Credo che il viaggio sia già iniziato in un certo senso: sto scoprendo cose sulla mia Caterham che non sapevo prima di iscrivermi a questo forum! 😄

L'anno prossimo io e la mia auto avremo un lungo viaggio da affrontare attraverso l'Europa. Sicuramente condividerò qualche dettaglio qui, man mano che la partenza si avvicinerà.

Sergio

Hi Scott,

since you were curious about the journey, I think I should tell you what is really behind it.

In June 2027, I hope to leave Italy with my Caterham and travel across part of Eastern Europe. But this will not simply be a road trip. I am a contemporary artist, and the journey itself will become the process through which an artwork will be created.

There is also an idea behind the project that I believe could open a new road between automotive culture and art.

For fifty years, BMW has created its Art Cars by inviting artists such as Alexander Calder, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, David Hockney and Jeff Koons to bring their artistic language onto the automobile.

OLTRE IL CONFINE opens a new road.

I will not paint the Caterham. I will not turn it into a sculpture or physically transform it in any way.

The Caterham will remain a Caterham.

What enters the artistic process is something else: its philosophy.

Caterham is based on simplicity, lightness and the direct relationship between driver, machine and road.

My artistic research is based on a parallel relationship between artist, reality and people.

These two philosophies will travel together through real places, encounters and thousands of kilometres, becoming part of the genesis of an artwork that does not yet exist.

At the end of the journey, the Caterham itself will be part of the final exhibition — unchanged — together with the artwork, photographs, film and everything the journey has generated.

BMW opened an extraordinary road between the automobile and art fifty years ago.

OLTRE IL CONFINE opens a new one.

We have presented this concept to Caterham, and we are now waiting for their response.

I have also launched the project on Kickstarter, because I still need to raise the budget necessary to make the journey possible.

I have a conceptual image of the final exhibition that probably explains all this better than many words. I'll post it here.

If you're curious, I'd be happy to send you the Kickstarter link so you can see the complete project.

Sergio

[IamScotticus]

I do consider the Lotus 7 a piece of art.  I believe the visceral appeal, is difficult to explain, but appealing to the eye.

It appealed to Patric McGooham to use the 7 in his TV series, when other beautiful and advanced vehicles were made available to use.

Only the Seven would do. The seven was art for his canvas.

I believe many 7 owners consider the 7 to be art for the street on a landscape of boring machines destined for the crusher.  Sevens don't get discarded, they pass from owner to owner like cherished heirlooms . Like valuable works of art.

Edited September 22 by IamScotticus

[44 AND COUNTING]

SERGIO, your plans as outlined will establish a new way of seeing the Seven for the larger population! Your vision is nothing short of spectacular.

 

I don't know how your Seven is received in Milan, but here in Modena (supposedly the "Heart of Motor Valley", with automotive events frequently and year-round), any Seven will turn heads, while new Ferraris are commonplace and don't merit a glance. My wish is that your journey and its by-products generate world-wide media coverage, and not just Italian features. The most commonly asked question about my Seven, usually when I stop for petrol, is "What is it?". Last guess was "Morgan"...

 

Are you aware of Chris Rea's fandom? Chris passed earlier this year, after decades of poor health that did not stop him from constant musical and automotive pursuits. Most folks remember him for his one Top Ten hit, "Fool If You Think It's Over", from 1979. This one song made him very wealthy, and royalties and tour income kept the money rolling in. 

 

Where am I going with this? Chris recorded twenty-five albums, a few of which were massive sellers. The eleventh, "Auberge", from 1991, is an homage to his own Caterham Seven:

 

"Auberge (a French word meaning "inn") is the eleventh studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in February 1991. The album, as well as the title song, is notable for its association with the Caterham Super Seven that Rea owned, which he called the "Blue Seven". The car appears on the album cover, illustrated in oil by motoring artist Alan Fearnley.^[5] The album makes several references to the car over several tracks, as well on the video of the title song,^[6] and its cover illustration was used for its adverts. In 2005, Rea sold the car in an auction." (from Wiki)

 

 

The cover of "Auberge". The video for the title track features Chris' Seven prominently.

Following "Auberge" were an even dozen additional albums. His peak was reached with the masterful deluxe package of "La Passione", which contained the eponymous CD, as well as his self-edited video of the film he wrote of the same name. There was also a booklet that he wrote and illustrated.

 

The story of "La Passione" was autobiographical, and featured his tribute to Wolfgang Von Trips, and the Ferrari 156 "Sharknose" F1 car he drove, in which he lost his life at Monza in the Italian GP in 1961. Enzo had the entire production run of 156s destroyed.

 

 

Von Trips in the 156 "Sharknose". To me, this model is the epitome of F1 Ferraris, and Rea seems to have thought so, too, as he had an exact replica of the car specially-built for the film, which he financed out of his own pocket. Admirable. I recommend the deluxe edition of the album and film.

 

That's all I will say on this topic. My sweet wife calls me a Boring Old Fart, and she's right. 

Edited September 22 by 44 AND COUNTING

[sergio brambillasca]

1 hour ago, 44 AND COUNTING said:

SERGIO, i tuoi progetti, così come li hai delineati, creeranno un nuovo modo di vedere i Sette per la maggior parte delle persone! La tua visione è a dir poco spettacolare.

 

Non so come venga accolta la tua Seven a Milano, ma qui a Modena (considerata il "cuore della Motor Valley", con eventi automobilistici frequenti e durante tutto l'anno), qualsiasi Seven attira l'attenzione, mentre le Ferrari nuove sono comuni e non meritano nemmeno uno sguardo. Il mio augurio è che il tuo viaggio e le sue conseguenze generino una copertura mediatica mondiale, e non solo italiana. La domanda più frequente che mi viene posta sulla mia Seven, di solito quando mi fermo a fare benzina, è "Che modello è?". L'ultima ipotesi era "Morgan"...

 

Conosci il seguito di fan di Chris Rea? Chris è scomparso all'inizio di quest'anno, dopo decenni di salute cagionevole che non gli hanno impedito di dedicarsi costantemente alla musica e alle automobili. Molti lo ricordano per il suo unico singolo entrato nella Top Ten, "Fool If You Think It's Over", del 1979. Questa canzone lo ha reso molto ricco, e i diritti d'autore e gli introiti dei tour hanno continuato a garantirgli un flusso costante di denaro. 

 

Dove voglio arrivare? Chris ha registrato venticinque album, alcuni dei quali hanno venduto moltissimo. L'undicesimo, "Auberge", del 1991, è un omaggio alla sua Caterham Seven:

 

" Auberge  (una parola francese che significa " locanda ") è l'undicesimo album in studio del cantautore britannico  Chris Rea , pubblicato nel febbraio 1991. L'album, così come  la canzone omonima , è noto per la sua associazione con la  Caterham Super Seven  di proprietà di Rea, che lui chiamava "Blue Seven". L'auto appare sulla copertina dell'album, illustrata a  olio  dall'artista automobilistico  Alan Fearnley . ^{[ 5 ]}  L'album fa diversi riferimenti all'auto in diverse tracce, così come nel video della canzone omonima, ^{[ 6 ]}  e la sua illustrazione di copertina è stata utilizzata per le sue pubblicità. Nel 2005, Rea ha venduto l'auto all'asta." (da Wikipedia)

 

 

La copertina di "Auberge". Il video del brano omonimo vede la partecipazione di Seven di Chris in primo piano.

Dopo "Auberge" seguirono ben dodici altri album. Il suo apice fu raggiunto con la magistrale edizione deluxe di "La Passione", che conteneva l'omonimo CD, nonché il video da lui stesso montato del film omonimo da lui scritto. Era presente anche un libretto da lui scritto e illustrato.

 

La storia di "La Passione" era autobiografica e includeva un omaggio a Wolfgang Von Trips e alla Ferrari 156 "Sharknose" di Formula 1 che aveva guidato e con cui perse la vita a Monza durante il Gran Premio d'Italia del 1961. Enzo fece distruggere l'intera produzione della 156.

 

 

Von Trips sulla 156 "Sharknose". Per me, questo modello è l'emblema delle Ferrari di Formula 1, e a quanto pare anche Rea la pensava così, visto che per il film fece costruire una replica esatta dell'auto, finanziandola di tasca propria. Ammirevole. Consiglio l'edizione deluxe dell'album e del film.

 

Questo è tutto ciò che dirò su questo argomento. La mia dolce moglie mi chiama "vecchio brontolone" e ha ragione. 

Thank you — this is much more than a comment, it is a wonderful piece of motoring history.

What I find fascinating about the story of Chris Rea and Auberge is precisely this: a Seven can be simply a car, but sometimes it becomes part of a person’s language, their memories and even their creative work.

For Chris Rea it became part of his music and imagery; for me, in a completely different way, my Seven is gradually becoming part of my work as an artist.

Perhaps that is what makes these little cars so extraordinary: they don’t simply take us somewhere. They create stories, encounters and conversations.

And judging by what you have just added to this discussion, your wife’s “old grumbler” clearly still has some very good stories to tell! 😉

Thank you for sharing this one with us.

[Croc]

1 hour ago, sergio brambillasca said:

Perhaps that is what makes these little cars so extraordinary: they don’t simply take us somewhere. They create stories, encounters and conversations.

 

 

This says it all.  The driving is just but one part of the broader experience.  

 

[UglyFast]

7’s are nothing if not art. Everywhere they go they inspire emotions, reactions. That is the very definition of art.
 

I love driving 7’s but for me the best part is how happy they make others. It makes me happy that they make others happy. Even just passersby in other cars smile, wave, everyone gets caught up in it, the excitement, the singularity of seeing something so preposterous toodling down the road.  
 

I run around with what I call my “Ferrari dudes” (the slow cars!) and people like Ferraris.  They do.  But Ferraris have air conditioning. Ferraris have windows. Ferraris have iPad displays. They’re almost pedestrian by comparison. They sometimes wanna sit in the Ferraris. They ALWAYS wanna sit in my 7. And I ALWAYS let them. 
 

When people connect to the car, in any way, THAT’S art. 
 

Just my two pence. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

[UglyFast]

On 9/21/2026 at 6:38 AM, sergio brambillasca said:

Hi Scott,

since you were curious about the journey, I think I should tell you what is really behind it.

In June 2027, I hope to leave Italy with my Caterham and travel across part of Eastern Europe. But this will not simply be a road trip. I am a contemporary artist, and the journey itself will become the process through which an artwork will be created.

There is also an idea behind the project that I believe could open a new road between automotive culture and art.

For fifty years, BMW has created its Art Cars by inviting artists such as Alexander Calder, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, David Hockney and Jeff Koons to bring their artistic language onto the automobile.

OLTRE IL CONFINE opens a new road.

I will not paint the Caterham. I will not turn it into a sculpture or physically transform it in any way.

The Caterham will remain a Caterham.

What enters the artistic process is something else: its philosophy.

Caterham is based on simplicity, lightness and the direct relationship between driver, machine and road.

My artistic research is based on a parallel relationship between artist, reality and people.

These two philosophies will travel together through real places, encounters and thousands of kilometres, becoming part of the genesis of an artwork that does not yet exist.

At the end of the journey, the Caterham itself will be part of the final exhibition — unchanged — together with the artwork, photographs, film and everything the journey has generated.

BMW opened an extraordinary road between the automobile and art fifty years ago.

OLTRE IL CONFINE opens a new one.

We have presented this concept to Caterham, and we are now waiting for their response.

I have also launched the project on Kickstarter, because I still need to raise the budget necessary to make the journey possible.

I have a conceptual image of the final exhibition that probably explains all this better than many words. I'll post it here.

If you're curious, I'd be happy to send you the Kickstarter link so you can see the complete project.

Sergio

This is dope!  Send the link Sergio!