Lotus 7 S4 Twin Cam

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The epitome of Colin Chapman’s ‘simplify then add lightness’ design philosophy, the Lotus Seven was designed with one purpose in mind – to deliver a thrilling driving experience at a very modest cost.

Built around a tubular steel spaceframe chassis clothed in lightweight aluminium panels (replaced with cheaper fibreglass in later models), it was powered by a variety of mainly Ford engines ranging from 1.1 to 1.6-litres in capacity. Weighing less than 1,000lbs the 1.6-litre version could sprint to 60mph in just 7 seconds with a top speed of 108mph. However it was the handling that really grabbed everyone’s attention and the Seven could be chucked around a racetrack at truly improbable speeds, leaving far more exotic machinery floundering in its wake.

A cult classic from the day it was launched in 1957, it became immortalised in 1967 when Patrick ‘Number Six’ McGoohan was seen driving a Series 2 model in the enigmatic TV series ‘The Prisoner’.

After three series of Sevens, Chapman decided that the future of Lotus lay in making luxury sports cars that could compete with Porsche and Ferrari so a radically different Series 4 was introduced in 1970. This had a more modern and spacious all-fibreglass body and even offered a few creature comforts - such as a heater. Cheaper to produce than previous models, the S4 also had a simplified chassis with less tubes and more flat steel sections.

Traditionally the least revered of the Seven family, the S4 has in recent years staged something of a comeback as a new generation of classic car lovers have now donned their rose-tinted specs and decided that all those dreadful Seventies flared trousers and Zapata moustaches weren’t so bad after all! Although Lotus stopped producing the Seven in 1972, demand for the giant slayer remained so strong that the firm of Caterham has continued to build versions of the car to this day.

This particular S4 dates from 1971 and has had just three owners from new, the vendor buying it in something of a sorry state in 2007. It was then refreshed enough to run around in that summer, looking smart enough in a quick coat of pale blue. With the summer over, the vendor realised that to do the job properly the whole car needed to be taken apart and thoroughly sorted out.

The fibreglass panels were sanded down to the gel coat, any cracking and crazing was repaired, then many layers of primer were applied followed by a fresh coat of the original Tangerine Orange at Bushnell’s of Hereford. The chassis was chemically dipped, any suspect tubes replaced, then the whole frame was etch primed red and repainted black.

The twin cam engine was rebuilt with new rings, bearings, valves, oil pump and clutch and the gearbox was overhauled by Mike Jones of Leominster. A new wiring loom was bought and the electrics were installed by the vendor’s company, Raw-Striker of Shelwick. The seats were retrimmed by Weavers Upholstery and lastly the wonderful Dunlop D1 wheels were sent to Leominster Powder Coating before new Yokohama A539 tyres were fitted all round.

In all the vendor reckons that over 1,000 hours have gone into the rebuild, but due to new business commitments he has found little time in which to enjoy the car and it has only covered some 400 miles since the restoration was completed.

MOTd until March 2016, this sparkling S4 Twin Cam is now raring to get up and go and looks remarkable value at the modest guide price suggested.