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British sports car maker Caterham Cars has been acquired by Japanese importer and AM100 franchised car retail group owner VT Holdings.
The move takes the iconic lightweight brand out of British ownership for the first time in its 48-year history, according to a report in Autocar magazine this week.
Caterham, which added its latest UK franchisee in the form of Krazy Horse in Bury St Edmunds last October also has dealerships in Cheshire, Towcester, Bristol and Gatwick but exports to 20 overseas markets – accounting for 60% of all its sales.
It also operates a network of over 200 franchised car retail sites in Japan.
Caterham bought by Japanese importer VT Holdings, taking over from AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes
6 April 2021 6:08 pm / 2 comments
It’s the footnote of a saga that started when AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes went racing in Formula 1 back in 2010. Caterham Cars, the iconic British kit car maker owned by the Malaysian entrepreneur and his business partner Kamarudin Meranun since 2011, has been bought over by the brand’s Japanese importer VT Holdings effective March 31.
The new owner has officially represented Caterham in the country since 2009, where it sells over 120 cars a year – an impressive figure for such a niche carmaker. The press release says that VT Holdings is one of Japan’s largest retailer groups, with over 200 showrooms nationwide and investments in the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand and South Africa.
Toyota to show six classic-liveried 86s at Goodwood
4 June 2015 10:45 am / 5 comments
Nothing brings back memories quite like digging up those old dresses. This year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed is set to welcome six Toyota 86s, each decked out in a classic livery from the Japanese carmaker’s motorsports history.
The cars recall two sporting 2000GTs, Ove Andersson’s 1970s Celica 1600GT rally car, the 1980s IMSA GTU Celica, the World Rally Championship Celica GT-Four and the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship’s Esso Ultron Tiger Supra.
And it’s not just the paint and promos – the 86s sport new springs that lower the ride height by 40 mm, stainless steel Milltek Sport exhausts and retro Rota rollers.