Caterham and Royal Air Force unveil one-off Helicar to be auctioned for injured soldiers

British sports car firm Caterham and the Royal Air Force (RAF) of the UK have unveiled a special one-off car, built using the skin, interior and other components from a Puma HC2 helicopter that had come to the end of its service life.

The exclusive Caterham Seven 360 R is scheduled to be auctioned from August 15 to September 12 in a bid to raise more than £100,000 (R2.3m) for injured servicemen and women in the UK.

Puma HC2 medium support helicopters are used for a variety of combat roles, including tactical movement of troops and weapons, as well as the extraction of casualties on the front line.

They are also used for humanitarian and disaster relief operations.

The donor craft first entered service in 1972, a year before Caterham Cars was established.

This particular Puma XW232 was deployed for operations in Northern Ireland, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo and

Iraq during both Gulf conflicts, and many more roles.

Established in 1957, the Caterham company started producing the Seven range after acquiring the rights to build and develop the lightweight sports car from Lotus founder Colin Chapman in

1973.

The late pioneer wanted owners to be able to experience the joy and pride of building their own car weighing slightly more than 500kg, and then take it on track.

Caterham said it was sticking to Chapman’s original philosophy, and the 360 R base vehicle for the project put out 134kW from a 2.0l four-cylinder engine.

Aluminium skin from the aircraft’s tail boom and doors has been used to panel the Seven’s exterior, and the internal rear bulkhead with the emergency door jettison handle remains in place.

The aircraft’s quilted soundproofing now lines the side panels and tunnel top, and pads the carbon fibre seats, retaining the helicopter’s evacuation instructions stitched into the lining.

The satin black dashboard mirrors the Puma’s with the switch gear repurposed to replace the regular dash switches, and the car boasts a helicopter-style three-stage ignition sequence.

Furthermore, the aircraft’s navigational clock is the centrepiece of the dash while the ammunition box now houses the car’s battery.

Caterham CEO Bob Laishley said: “When the RAF approached us about this project, we jumped at the chance to be involved.

“First, because it was an interesting build process for us as it’s the first time in our history that a Seven has been made from old helicopter parts.”

The car is scheduled to be displayed at several events, with its first appearance at this past weekend’s Formula 1 British Grand Prix.

The satin black dashboard boasts a helicopter-style three-stage ignition sequence