http://www.sandsmuseum.com/cars/seven/
Quote
I'd like to make a statement.
For some of us, a Seven is more a spirit, an attitude, rather than a historical relic with certificates of authenticity. It's the Prisoner refusing the bureaucracy. It's us refusing the "sanitized plastic cocoons" that clog our roads nowadays. It's what brings us the sympathy of hard-core bikers who share the enjoyment of being exposed to the elements, to the noise and to the gravel, in exchange of top level acceleration and handling.
A Seven, it's that bit of rebellion against the obsession of comfort and security that chokes individuals and corners them in some sad
resignation before the apparently ineluctable and boring order of things. Resistance isn't futile: the sight of a Seven will bring a spark of life in the eye of the most extinct commuter sitting in his comfy chair, drinking some fade bottled capuccino from the local coffee chain, listing to insipid radio advertisements and surrounded by thousands of other motionless vehicles.
The Seven is what brings cheers from kids of all ages and vituperation from others, waving their cane as a threat to life that is passing by before their very eyes.
It smells gasoline and tire dust, it's noisy and it's fast. It is NOT a symbol of wealth and shouldn't ever be so. That's why people come to us with happy faces whereas they ignore Ferraris and Porsches.
The "Chapman concept", according to which you drive to the track, set the day's lap record and drive back home with the same vehicle, can't
be reduced to some depressing authorship or branding equity issue. If you read the book of Ron Champion, and particularily his introduction, you'll realize that Chapman was just one amongst the dozen of boys who
came up with more or less the same superb idea of lightweight, strikingly simple car with extremely modest budget. He was simply a notch more advanced with that concept, and with luck helping he got the recognition we know. I bet that if he was still around, he wouldn't reply to "copies" of the Seven with judicial attacks. He would make a better car instead.
I don't give a damn wether my Seven comes from Caterham, Fraser, Birkin or even myself (following the book of Ron Champion). Anyway "Caterham" doesn't sound anything like "Lotus", whatever their legal claims are, and afterall that's the combination of ultimate performance on track and on the road that interests me.
