The Lotus/Caterham 7 is one of the most distinctive sports cars ever made, and certainly one of the most memorable in terms of the driving experience it provides. I’ve had my eye on these cars for some time now, convinced they are absolutely undervalued in today’s market. However, it does take a certain lifestyle commitment to drive a 7 as Lotus, and later Caterham, intended, along with suitable backroads nearby. This particular car is a rare Caterham Super 7 Prisoner edition listed here on craigslist which was sold in limited quantities as a tribute car to the British television show “The Prisoner” starring Patrick McGoohan.
If you’ve spent any time looking at 7s, you’ll notice many owners have upgraded to the Prisoner wheels, which makes it harder to spot a true Prisoner edition from one that simply sports the upgraded parts. Other requirements of being an authentic model include green paint with a yellow nose cone, striking red interior trimmings, and a plaque on the dash signed by Patrick McGoohan himself. The Super 7 shown here was purchased by the seller from the original owner and shows just 4,000 original miles.
The 7 is designed to be a raw, authentic sports car, with little in the way of sound deadening and safety features. The luxurious appointments of the Prisoner edition creates a cockpit you actually want to spend time in, and while all of us are willing to say we’re diehard enthusiasts who don’t need to be cosseted, there’s no denying that carpeting and leather seats make for a more pleasant driving experience. The seller is asking $39,500 for this 7, by the way, but he’s not really asking. He knows how rare this car is, especially in left-hand drive form.
The mechanical specs are about as good as it gets: a recently rebuilt 1700 Crossflow with dual Webers, estimated to now kick out around 150 b.h.p. It’s also equipped with four-wheel disc brakes, Bilstein shocks, and high-performance rubber. If you’ve ever watched a video of a 7 being driven in anger, it’s difficult to not go immediately to your classifieds page of choice, looking for one to buy. If I lived near backroads with sufficient space and devoid of people, I might already own one; for now, I’ll just have to live vicariously through whomever buys this spectacular example. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Curvette for the tip.
It’s very luxurious compared to a Lotus super seven driver! I could barely squeeze into a spartan 7!! Yet…. they are very fun to drive!! it’s like driving roller skate!!!
4000 miles and a rebuild? Most cars are getting an oil change at that mileage.
While living in Monte Carlo, I bought a Westfield for my daughter who was graduating from AUP. I picked it up in England and drove it to Paris and then south to Monte Carlo. While in Paris I parked it at the expensive parking lot under the Invalides. To my pleasant surprise, it was low enough to pass under the barrier arm at the exit giving me free parking. My wife wanted chocolate chips for baking so I bought several large bags at an American specialty store and put them on the floor of the car- it was summer and by the time I got home, her chocolate chips were just a liquid blob. I then decided to convert it to left hand drive and a teenage neighbor helped me make a new dash out of an oak plank and move the pedals and steering etc. The steering rack was just held in with a couple rubber clamps kinda like a sway bar, so I thought I’ll just flop it over 180 degrees. When we got it done and hooked up the steering shaft and turned the wheel we roared in laughter imagining trying to drive it along the bas corniche. I ordered up a left hand steering rack and all was well. My teenage friend is now in his 50’s and we still laugh about it and bore our families with the story.