Expert Buyer

Lotus/Caterham Seven

CONCOURS £20k- 40k+

1 PAY MORE FOR A LOTUS

Lotus Sevens command a premium because they’re so rare. Look for low mileage, history and originality. Top S3s can now fetch up to £40,000.

2 POWER COSTS MORE

Less rare models are priced by performance as much as condition, with £50,000 being typical of a used, modern Caterham 620R.

3 DON’T PAY TOO MUCH

Crossflow-engined Caterhams fall lower in the pecking order, and the Lotus Seven S4 tops out at around £20,000.

GOOD £10k- 30k

1 CHECK THE VARIANTS

A decent Crossflow Caterham or Lotus Seven S4 can be found for around £12,000. A DIY homage might be much less.

2 LOOK FOR HISTORY

Since most are easy to look after and owned by petrolheads, an excellent service history should be expected. If it’s missing, walk away.

3 DRIVE, NOT INVEST

S1-S3s make the best investments (Coventry Climax, Lotus Twin Cam and Cosworth engines) but – a plea from the rest of us – do drive them sometimes!

USABLE £6k- 20k

1 CHECK THE UPGRADES

These aren’t necessarily bad news, but get an independent expert to assess if you’re unsure. Lotus buyers are increasingly looking for originality.

2 AVOID THE NAILS

Steer clear of cars with evidence of heavy track day use. Addressing mechanical failure on highly-stressed cars can be expensive.

3 LOOK FOR DAMAGE

Check for dodgy chassis repairs – these can be as a result of crash damage or (in the case of early Lotuses) corrosion.

PROJECT £3k- 15k

1 IS IT THE REAL DEAL?

Lotus- or Caterham-badged cars seldom fall below £10k. This bracket is for home builds, crashed cars or projects.

2 CHECK THE PARTS

Parts availability with earlier models will cause issues, and rebuilding early engines can often cost big money.

3 LOOK FOR RUST

Caterham corrosion is rarely structural and unlikely to cause MoT hiccups; not the case with Lotuses. Replacements chassis are available.