1965 Lotus Seven Roadster

This 1965 Lotus Super Seven S2 has been owned by the same California owner since it was purchased directly from Lotus in 1965. The engine is the standard 1,498cc Ford four-cylinder engine backed by a four-speed close-ratio gearbox. It was assembled in England by DJ Waters, who was also working at the time as a race engineer to Cooper F1 driver Jochen Rindt. After it was completed, it was registered in England and driven sufficiently to be classified as a used vehicle upon export, thus avoiding the 17% VAT on new vehicles. After it arrived in the United States, its owner raced it from 1967 to 1969 in SCCA road races that included Willow Springs, Riverside, Stardust, Sears Point, and Santa Barbara.

A restoration began in 1986 by Tom Beauchamp. The work included straightening and reinforcing the chassis, and replacing many of its original aluminum panels, including those damaged when the car was struck from behind during a race. The Ford engine was rebuilt by ex-Lotus employee Chris Schroeder. The restoration was completed in 1994, and the following year it went race in HMSA and VARA events.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2020