Caterham 21

Caterham 21
Overview
ManufacturerCaterham Cars
Production1994–1999
DesignerIain Robertson
Body and chassis
ClassSports car
Body styleRoadster
LayoutLongitudinal front-engine, rear-wheel drive
RelatedCaterham Seven
Powertrain
EngineRover K-Series 1.6L I4
Rover K-Series 1.8L I4
Vauxhall 2.0L I4
Motopower RST-V8 2.4L Supercharged V8
Transmission5-speed manual (Ford Type 9)
6-speed manual (Caterham)
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,248 mm (88.5 in)
Length3,907 mm (153.8 in)
Width1,580 mm (62 in)
Curb weight665 kg (1,466 lb)
Chronology
SuccessorCaterham C120 (Cancelled)

The Caterham 21 is a two-seat roadster designed and hand built by Caterham Cars in the 1990s. It was based on the mechanicals of the Caterham 7 and was intended to be a more practical version of that car with more conventional sports car styling.[1]

The original car was announced at the 1994 British Motor Show to celebrate 21 years of Caterham Cars’ manufacture of the Lotus Seven. Styled by Iain Robertson and developed by a team under Jez Coates, the aim was to have a car that offered "the chance to experience Caterham motoring in a more practical format". The 21 was offered with a range of four-cylinder engines from 1.6 to 2.0 L, with 115–230 bhp (86–172 kW).[2] Caterham originally intended to produce 200 cars per year, but in fact only 40 to 50 examples were actually made before the project was quietly shelved in 1999.[1]

  1. ^ a b Rees, Chris (August 2013). The Magnificent 7 (Third ed.). Haynes Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85733-391-9.
  2. ^ "Caterham 21 1.6 & 1.6ss". Caterham21.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2015.