Caterham has found new owners in the shape of VT Holdings, its Japanese distributor
7 Apr 2021
Caterham has been sold to the Japanese retail group, VT Holdings, marking the first time the iconic brand has passed from British control in its near 50-year history.
The sale isn’t completely out of the blue, as VT Holdings has been Caterham’s Japanese importer since 2009, selling more than 120 Caterham cars annually across its network of 200 dealers. So the new owners have a pretty good grasp on Caterham’s key ideals.
The firm’s Chief Executive, Kazuho Takahashi, also shares many of Caterham’s interests, including a passion for racing. During the past 20 years, he’s competed in the Japanese Grand Touring Car, Super GT and Super Taikyu championships, claiming a couple of wins and a handful of podiums during his career.
Would you like to see the Caterham Seven launched in South Africa?
By Pritesh Ruthun
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JOHANNESBURG - In 1973, Caterham Cars (a dealership run by Graham Nearn that specialised in selling Lotus Cars) acquired the rights to manufacture the Lotus 7 from its creator, Colin Chapman.
Nearn built a respectable business, one that would eventually see its name on the wing of a Formula 1 car, but the business changed hands frequently as the motor car evolved and consumers tastes changed.
Caterham Seven 310R
Arguably one of the greatest driverâs cars ever made, and living on in several iterations to this day, the Caterham Seven remains a highly niche product that caters to very specific tastes. One could argue that this market is all but obliterated, due to the rise of the SUV and the new dawn of the electric car.
British Icon Caterham Cars Acquired By Japanese Automotive Group forbes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from forbes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Japanese firm buys Caterham and pledges to keep the Seven alive Autoblog 3 hrs ago Ronan Glon
British boutique carmaker Caterham moved a lot closer to Japan, one of its biggest markets. VT Holdings, its Japanese importer since 2009, purchased the brand and immediately pledged to honor its heritage.
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Neither party disclosed details about the sale, like how much VT Holdings paid or why Caterham was looking for a new owner. It sounds like one of the last purveyors of the light is right philosophy is in good hands, however. VT Holdings CEO Kazuho Takahashi has competed in top-level racing in Japan for about two decades, and he s aware of Caterham s storied past. It doesn t sound like he s going to put the company s name on a 5,000-pound SUV.
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.