1958 | Lotus Seven

Colin Chapman’s first large volume ‘production’ car was the Lotus Mk7 after building multiple trials and road race cars. He offered the general public an opportunity to purchase a space frame chassis car in kit form to allow them to install any preferred engine and gearbox, making it eligible for a wider number of formulas. In the 1980’s Crosthwaite and Gardiner built four chassis, three of which were sold in period – including one to Lotus 7 guru Mike Brotherwood. The fourth chassis was retained by Dick Crosthwaite at the time and became the basis of the car presented here. Over a period of more than 20 years Dick fastidiously built the car as a personal project in his “shed” and included a host of personal and elegant engineering touches that make the car truly unique. Williams & Pritchard – the original suppliers for Lotus in period - made the body, which is resplendent in light green. The rest of the parts were either period or C&G reproduction parts and in many respects the car was made as close to how it would have been produced back in period as a very close reproduction of a Series 1 Seven. When it came to the drivetrain however, the car is most definitely not standard. From the outside, the beautifully elegant and fully functional, handcrafted external oil rails are the first hint that underneath the surface lurks something special. Up front, it boasts a period original Coventry Climax 2-litre Twin-Cam FPF engine (which is rare), and MGA gearbox, Di Dion rear axle and Triumph front suspension. To say the car delivers extremely spirited performance would be a gross understatement with comfortably more than enough speed for even the most daring driver. With the help of the late Simon Diffey, who road tested the car several times for Dick, the car was registered as a historic Series 1 Lotus 7 with period number plate and a modern-day chassis number. UK road registered in 2021 and with valid MOT, a full cabin Tonneau cover comes with the car. The value of rare and unusual parts alone far exceeds the asking price of the car which truly represents a unique link between the two engineering geniuses of Colin Chapman and Dick Crosthwaite. The car is fresh from the Goodwood Revival Lotus demonstration and awaits its next discerning owner.