Numbers of some classics have doubled over recent decades, according to DVLA figures collated by How Many Left , an online database of cars registered or declared off-road ( SORNed ) in the UK.
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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.