Caterham 21
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Caterham 21 is a two seat roadster designed and hand built by Caterham Cars. It was intended to be a more standard styled version of the Caterham 7.
The original car was produced for the 1994 British Motor Show to celebrate 21 years of Caterham Cars manufacture of the Lotus Seven. Styled by Iain Robertson and developed by a team under Jez Coates, the aim was to have a car that offered "the chance to experience Caterham motoring in a more practical format". To quote the first official newsletter, "The 21 represents a synthesis of all that is best in a Caterham and offers a level of practicality that will be appreciated by a new and wider range of customers."
The 21 was offered with a range of 4 cylinder engines from 1.6 to 2.0 L, with 115 to 260 hp.[1] Caterham originally intended to produce 200 cars per year, but less than 50 were actually made before production ceased. Several variations were created to participate in racing events.
The 21 is essentially the same car as a Caterham 7, sharing almost all major parts. The chassis is stiffer than in a Caterham 7 due to the use of "toblerones" in the driver and passenger door sills and extra strengthening at the front of the car.
The current owners run a lively regular gathering at a sprint track in the UK, with over 16 cars attending each year out of 48 made.
