Dirty weekend: Autoblog meets Caterham (Part I)

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The iconic Seven is a rare exception to the automotive industry's rule that newer equals better. Caterham's cars – which can still be purchased in kit form – are still based on the Lotus Seven designed by Colin Chapman in 1957. Things have evolved of course, but the advent of air-conditioning, cruise control, airbags, ABS, sat-nav, traction control and even doors have passed the company by.

We approached our chosen car on a Friday with a fair old dose of excitable anticipation tempered only by the nagging thought that maybe the Caterham had been oversold to us. The Seven recently celebrated its 50th year in continuous production – could the venerable open-topped car still cut it with the younger generation of lean machines? Or was it merely a shadow of its former self resting its reputation on faded laurels, like the Sony Walkman or Rod Stewart.

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