By Dean Larson

Photos: Seller on BringaTrailer.com

The Lotus Seven and all its derivations in the replica car market are about one singular thing — driving. Void of most creature comforts that add weight and hamper performance, the Lotus Seven design makes the most of small, four-cylinder powerplants. These cars are thrilling at most any speed, and are a great little car for wracking up fun miles on the weekends. With these thoughts in mind, it’s a bit saddening to see a Lotus 7 sit idle, especially one that looks as enjoyable as this Caterham Super 7 Roadsport for auction here on BringaTrailer.com.

This 2005 Caterham 7 is a happy little combination. A low-maintenance, naturally aspirated Ford Zetec 2.3-liter four cylinder hooked up to a six-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential — now that’s a recipe for fun! There’s nothing showy about this particular Seven, just a bulletproof drivetrain and a well-setup chassis fit for plenty of back road blasts. Pleasant two-tone Caterham yellow and British racing green paintwork gives the car a clean presentation, and eight-spoke wheels and Avon CR500 tires add just the right amount of attitude.

The cockpit is extremely reserved, just a handful of gauges and switches for basic functions and two plain leather seats. But in its own particular way, it’s kinda nice. There hasn’t been an extreme effort to make the cockpit luxurious or exceptionally period correct, just a handful of tools laid out to make the most of public roadways and the occasional closed circuit. Should you encounter some adverse weather, the Seven is equipped with a soft top and side curtains, a welcome addition for a dedicated weekend cruiser.

Thus it seems a bit unfortunate that such a nice Lotus Seven replica should be found, some 13 years later with only 472 miles on the odometer. Obviously a hobbyist machine like this isn’t going to roll the odometer like your old Toyota Camry did, but this Seven has hardly been enjoyed over all these years, and surely “isn’t even broken in.

The Caterham Roadsport is up for auction on BringaTrailer.com, and has a current high bid of $15,000 with six days remaining. While the original purchaser paid $51,758 for the car, including upgraded camshafts, the present value of the Seven is probably $27,000 to $30,000. A similarly finished car sold for $27,750 earlier this year on BaT, taking much of the guesswork out of this sale.

See the seller’s ad here on BringaTrailer.com.