Caterham 620S Caterham
In what seems like a perpetual game of Pass the Parcel, the company of Caterham Cars has found itself with a new owner. This time, it’s the crew at Japan-headquartered automotive group VT Holdings who have snatched the keys.
The acquisition took place on March 31 but was only recently made public through official channels.
Caterham joins a group led by Chief Executive Kazuho Takahashi, who’s raced competitively in the likes of Super GT and JGTC series for the better part of two decades. With a gearhead like that at the helm, it seems there’s no danger of a Caterham SUV any time soon. This is a very good thing.
Japanese importer buys Caterham Mike Ryan
Japanese Caterham importer buys company outright, intends to continue Seven production.
Another British motoring brand is in foreign hands with Caterham Cars sold to Japanese firm VT Holdings.
Caterham’s Japanese importer since 2009, VT Holdings also retails several other brands in the country, including Lotus and Royal Enfield, across a 200+ dealer network and has interests overseas.
Japan has been one of Caterham’s most successful overseas markets, with around 120 cars shipped there annually.
The transfer of the long-lived company from current owners, Tony Fernandes and Kamarudin Meranun, to VT Holdings was announced on 6 April, ending 48 years of British ownership.
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Caterham, the tiny British sports car maker, is no longer quite as British. The company has been sold to Japanese auto group VT Holdings, which also imports Lotus cars to Japan.
Much loved by Hagerty’s own Sam Smith and, er, me, Caterham’s Seven is the ultimate continuation car. Back in 1973 Graham Nearn bought the rights to the Lotus Seven from Colin Chapman and founded Caterham Cars. In the decades since, the company has taken Chapman’s very simple recipe and kept it much the same, only making it progressively spicier.
Today’s Sevens come with a choice two Ford engines, a 1.6-liter Sigma or a two-liter Duratec in a wide range of tune. The entry level Seven 270 offers 137 hp and is a lovely way to enjoy catching flies in your teeth, while the 620 is an insane 314-hp track rocket that will tear your face off unless you wear a helmet as its supercharged engine fries tires, and accelerates from 0-60 mph in 2.79 seconds.
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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.
KUALA LUMPUR (April 7): Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and Datuk Kamarudin Meranun has sold UK-based Caterham Cars Ltd to Japan-headquartered automotive group VT Holdings as performance-car manufacturer Caterham looks ahead to write the next chapter of its corporate journey.
In a statement yesterday, Caterham said VT Holdings had last Wednesday (March 31, 2021) acquired Caterham from “businessmen Fernandes and Kamarudin.
Fernandes is AirAsia Group Bhd executive director and chief executive officer while Kamarudin is the budget airline’s executive chairman, according to AirAsia Group’s annual report.
In Caterham’s statement, the company had however not disclosed the value of the transaction and specified why Fernandes and Kamarudin sold Caterham to VT Holdings.