1970 Lotus Seven S4

Highlights

• Lightweight British sports car in rare Lotus Seven Series 4 guise
• Classic British Racing Green colour scheme with yellow nosecone
• Resprayed bodywork and retrimmed interior
• Engine overhauled under previous ownership
• MOT/road tax and ULEZ-exempt

The Appeal

The Lotus Seven remains one of the definitive lightweight British sports cars, built around the principle that low weight, simple engineering and minimal bodywork can deliver a more involving drive than far more powerful machinery. Its pared-back approach to performance created a car of remarkable immediacy, and its influence can still be seen in the Caterham Seven today.
Introduced in 1970, the Series 4 was the final Lotus-developed version of the Seven and marked a notable departure from the earlier formula. In place of the more familiar aluminium bodywork and sparse dashboard layout, the S4 adopted angular fibreglass styling, a more developed interior, centre-console instrumentation and a steering column-mounted indicator stalk. It was a short-lived redesign, and Caterham would later return to the simpler Series 3 format, making the S4 a particularly interesting and comparatively uncommon chapter in Seven history.
This 1970 example has been the subject of extensive restoration work, including resprayed bodywork, a retrimmed interior and an overhauled engine. The project has not quite reached completion, however, as the seller explains that personal circumstances and health issues prevented the final stages from being finished, the handbrake still has to be attached inside the cockpit, and a new exhaust box is needed.
The fuel tank was drained to facilitate a house move from the midlands to Ripon and the car garaged on axle stands. Last week fresh petrol was added to the tank, and the car was started first time and the engine run up to temperature.
As such, this Seven S4 should be approached as a rewarding recommissioning project rather than a ready-to-use example. Once completed, it should offer the lightweight, highly connected driving experience for which the Seven is renowned, while its unusual S4 specification gives it an added layer of rarity and interest for Lotus enthusiasts.

Key Information

• Mileage: 3 miles (indicated, 65,088 miles reported by seller)
• Country of registration: United Kingdom
• Technical inspection status: MOT-exempt
• Technical specs: 1.6-litre ‘Kent Crossflow’ inline-four, four-speed manual gearbox
• Paperwork: various invoices from Merlin Motorsport, Demon Tweeks and others, V5C registration document

The Detail

• British Racing Green paintwork with yellow nosecone
• Black upholstery and tonneau cover
• 13-inch Minilite-style wheels
• Removable side doors with sliding windows
• Equipment includes Smiths gauges and a heater
• Bodywork resprayed
• Seats reupholstered
• All metal parts shot-blasted and powder-coated
• Engine reportedly overhauled under previous ownership, with work including a polished crankshaft, new main and big-end bearings, reconditioned cylinder head and twin-choke carburettor
• Further renovation work included recalibrated instruments, overhauled gearbox, balanced propshaft, new clutch, aluminium radiator, coolant hoses, swirl pot, front and rear suspension, wiring loom, electronic ignition, wheel bearings, brake discs, brake drums and flexible hoses

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