American 7 ?

[coffee break]

I made a stop (Roswell GA) on a blat and a guy was looking at my 7. He said he used to import them and mentioned something about an "American 7". Anyone know any history on these cars?

Also, oops. I for got to ask his name. :blush:

[Automoda]

The American 7 would have to be the Super Stalker. Its not just a seven made in America, but it is a seven that has been Americanized; Big displacement! Superchargers! V8s! Paint jobs with flames! Hood scoops! .... and a luxuriously spacious seat.

[xcarguy]

With Automoda in this one; the Stslker is the only 'sevenisque' type I know of produced in the lower 48.

[yellowss7]

Probably was Frank Bolton. he was the original USA Caterham importer I believe.

 

Tom

[anthonyseven]

Rotus was an American Lotus clone from years gone by. They were larger than the original, like the Stalker.

 

http://usa7s.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=66&pictureid=457

[Sean]

Could be Rotus (Maryland) possibly.

[super7guy]

I have heard that the American 7 was a clam shell fendered with an under 1 liter engine. Think it was allowed in FP; which did not allow the Super 7.

 

Wayne

[11Budlite]

If he used to import them it was probably a 1960's era Lotus Seven America. They were the early Series 2 model made for the US market and typically came with BMC 948cc or 1098cc engines, clamshell fenders/fiberglass nose, and a few other minor mods.

[super7guy]

Also heard it called 7 America.

 

Perhaps John D of Simplesevens will chime in.

 

Wayne

[jlumba81]

I believe "America 7" referred to a caterham 7 model built for the US market.

[m wirth]

could be the Lotus 7 America, this is the first page of a Road and Track test from 1961. I rode in one when I was 12 and finally got one, at least a reasonable facsimile.

[breezy7]

I looked through 4 of my books about Lotus and Caterham and they all say it was a Lotus designation. Production began in 1960 with Sprite engines and was the first 7 with clamshells since the cycle fenders were not legal. 0-60mph listed as 14.3 seconds and top speed of 85mph per the R&T article in the previous post.

Mike

Edited November 6, 2013 by breezy7

[scannon]

It appears from reading the above article that the first appearance of clamshell wings on a Lotus 7 occurred on the America.

[a.moore]

this is the first page of a Road and Track test from 1961

 

Its pretty funny that a review in 1961 called the design dated yet 52 years later we are still enjoying it.

[bigdog]

a.moore

That just shows how blinded and jaded most motor journalists are. If a car is not monumentally improved or faster than what they tested last month. It will get the do not buy this car. It's a POS recommendation by those journalists.

[Alaskossie]

Road & Track certainly did not pan the Seven, either in 1961 or in later test drives -- including the infamous Lotus twin-cam SS in 1968, or in later Caterham iterations. R&T has usually pointed out the shortcomings of the car (yes, it was a "dated" design, even in 1961), but the magazine has been consistently enthusiastic about the driving experience, and how the performance of the hottest versions consistently matched the quickest cars of the day (a fact that's even true today, 50 years on).

 

The only Seven road test or driving impression that I can recall reading that was entirely negative was one a few years ago in Car & Driver -- clearly, the author just didn't understand or appreciate the purpose of the car.

 

Skip, I believe the clamshell fenders were first added to Sevens (the "7 America") exported to USA to meet then-current SCCA or club-racing requirements, which did not allow open-wheel (including cycle-fender) cars.

[scannon]

Skip, I believe the clamshell fenders were first added to Sevens (the "7 America") exported to USA to meet then-current SCCA or club-racing requirements, which did not allow open-wheel (including cycle-fender) cars.

 

Yes, that's what the 1961 R&T article said.

[scannon]

Getting back to the original intent of the thread, American Sevens the book "Lotus Sevens & the Independents" by Dennis Ortenburger lists the following Sevens manufactured in the USA:

 

Centaur Seven, California 1986

 

Champion, start of the Locost Sevens

 

Diva Roadster, front half is Seven, rear half is Cobraesque, V8 Ford and Chevy power.

 

DSK, 1975. Re-engineered the Caterham adding 100 lb and more HP

 

Rotus, 1981. Haggerstown, Maryland. Toyota engines. "Rotus was a form of the Latin verb "rotare" which means to turn.

 

Sabre Seven, 1974, Ventura, California. Based on Pinto and Mustang II donors.

 

Stalker, Florida. We all know about this one. V6 & now V8 GM engines.

 

Super 8, three unfinished cars on eBay in September 2001. 5.0 Ford engines and E type rear suspensions.

 

WCM Ultralite, S2k engines and transmissions. We all know about this one too.

 

Viking Sport Roadster, early 1980s. Started with Toyota twin cam engines and then went to the turbocharged RX7 engine with up to 450 HP.

 

The book was published in 2004 and he lists 57 different makers of Sevens in the world. I seem to recall his mentioning somewhere in the book that at least 81 different brands of Seven clones have been marketed.

Edited November 7, 2013 by scannon

[captainawesome]

Although it appears to have already been solved, on the topic of American sevens H&S Engineering made a seven out in Ventua, California in the 80s. It was bigger like an SV, clamshelled, and usually pinto powered. Body had glass clamshells and fenders with an aluminum hood and some paneling. I've got one in my driveway and all the old documentation if anyone is curious about them.

 

*I see this was just brought up above (it's the Sabre)

Edited November 11, 2013 by captainawesome

[MichaelD]

The "7 America" was the name given to the Caterhams imported by Frank Bolton and fitted with a Zetec in 2000. At the time Frank was the US distributor for Caterham and was based in or near Atlanta.

 

My car was the first "7 America" and was sent to the SCCA for homologation into E production. It then served as the Demo car for Frank and then George Alderman. It is now a D Mod autocross/street car.