Lot details

Year: 1980
Make: Caterham
Model: Super Sprint (1.7 Litre)
Registration: HUC 308W
Chassis No: CS33970MKRS
Engine No: tba
Mileage: 52,889
(a): Very good condition throughout
(b): Recent maintenance with specialists at a cost of £3,408
(c): Sizeable history file
(d): Converted lower floors by Caterham specialists Arch Motors

Caterham relaunched the Series 3 model in 1974 featuring the Lotus Twin Cam and Ford Crossflow engine options after Graham Nearn bought the tooling from Colin Chapman in 1973 initially building Series 4 cars before reverting to the classic styling of the Series 3.

This 1980 example is a rare early survivor for which the original purchase invoice is in the history file. Offered in its original classic colour combination of Lotus green and yellow the Caterham comes with its original registration number! Purchased by a previous owner in 2020 who found the car in Italy requiring restoration. A father and son repatriated it to the UK whereupon the chassis was sent to Arch Motors who were responsible for constructing the original chassis. They repaired and re-skinned the chassis using the correct jig. Invoices are on file for this work as well as more recent work by them to lower the floors and convert it to 'long cockpit' specification. Fitted with a 1700cc Ford Crossflow engine utilising a Mexico block in order for a five-speed gearbox to fit the engine. Offered with a recent MoT with no advisories and fitted with a new genuine Caterham tonneau cover and five new Yokohama tyres, amongst other recent maintenance work, the invoice totalling £3,408! As such the vendor reports that the Caterham drives very well indeed and is ready to be enjoyed by its new custodian and is on the button producing approximately 130 bhp. The general condition of the car is very good, the paintwork is in good order with very few blemishes to show and the interior is in fine fettle.

The current vendor purchased the vehicle as a fun and mechanically uncomplicated car which would also be eligible, due to its age, for many classic car rallies. This is a superb opportunity to snap up a rare early survivor. The lowered floors make this a very desirable proposition and having recently been treated to much maintenance work the Caterham is ready to be enjoyed immediately. Consigned by Daniel Godin