Description
Highlights
Factory-specified Caterham Academy car, built for the marque's race championship
Carb-fed 1. 6-litre Vauxhall 8v on twin Webers, with a five-speed manual and live axle
Road-ready with a roll bar and half hood, and supplied with its FIA roll cage
Recommissioned in November 2025 at a cost of over £2, 500
Just 4 previous owners and low mileage
History and documentation
First registered on 1 February 2000
Three former keepers, the first from new until November 2019, and in current ownership since December 2025
Invoiced maintenance covers a differential (2007), new clutch (2008), aluminium radiator and brake discs (2012), rolling road tune with four new NGK plugs (2014), cambelt and tensioner (May 2018 @ 21, 342 miles), and steering rack gaiters, handbrake lever and exhaust re-seal (2019)
November 2025 recommissioning (£2, 549. 32 invoice) included balancing the carbs and setting the idle and mixture, and added a new Facet low-pressure fuel pump, rebuilt starter motor, two engine mount rubbers and a gearbox mount rubber, two A-frame bushes, four top rear damper bushes, a new auxiliary belt, Banner battery
Earlier work includes a November 2013 gearbox strip and rebuild, and 2010 McMillan Motorsport work on this chassis covering new springs and dampers, a flat-floor set-up and a live axle conversion kit
Invoice file includes the factory order letters, pro-forma and DVLA-stamped sales invoice, Classic Carriage Company build and SVA invoices with a January 2000 post-build check report, the 2000 dyno sheet, Caterham's 2018 provenance letter, parts invoices from 2000 to 2021 and old MOT certificates
Two keys
V5C present
Current MOT expires on 10 August 2027
HPI clear
Mileage has increased slightly since photography
Interior
Simple, purposeful cockpit with bare aluminium side panels and a black textured dash
Caterham-branded speedometer and rev counter sit alongside oil pressure, water temperature and fuel gauges and a row of illuminated rocker switches
Black cloth seats with Caterham-embroidered backrests; the cushions have flattened with use, with no tears seen
Four-point Caterham harnesses on both seats
Removable Momo suede steering wheel
Polished alloy ball gear knob
Fire extinguisher in the footwell
Lowered floor
Exterior
Pale blue with twin black stripes over the nose, bonnet and rear panel, black Caterham side graphics and K&N and Union Jack decals
Consistent finish across the whole car
Gloss-black 13-inch eight-spoke alloys with yellow Caterham centre caps, with no kerbing visible
Yokohama A539 185/ 60 R13 tyres with healthy tread, which are approaching five years old
Headlamps, indicators and lenses are intact
Standard H0 roll bar fitted, with the original tall FIA roll cage (painted blue) supplied
Soft Bits for Sevens half hood with zipped access on both sides
Long-nose shower cap included
Mechanical
1. 6-litre Vauxhall 8v four-cylinder, built in 1994 by Holden in Australia and supplied new from Vauxhall storage, per Caterham's letter
Twin 40 DCOE Weber carburettors with K&N air filters
Five-speed manual gearbox driving the rear wheels through a live axle
Interpro Automotive's rolling road recorded 104bhp (DIN-corrected) at 5, 490rpm and 115lb ft at 3, 760rpm in May 2000
Around 104bhp and a 7, 000rpm redline
Front disc and rear drum brakes
Recent recommissioning covered the carbs, fuel pump, starter motor, engine and gearbox mounts and suspension bushes
The Caterham Seven is about as visceral as four wheels get, and its simple, lightweight design makes it an affordable way into serious performance. In 1999, Caterham's Academy offered newcomers a fixed-price route into its novice race championship. Every car came with the 1600 Vauxhall 8v engine, a reconditioned five-speed gearbox and a reconditioned live rear axle.
This is one of those cars, supplied to its first customer in October 1999. Its 1. 6-litre Vauxhall breathes through twin 40 DCOE Webers, and it made 104bhp and 115 lb-ft on a rolling road in May 2000. That's a gloriously analogue, carb-fed recipe, housed in a narrow S3 body now finished in pale blue with twin black stripes.
Today it's set up for the road with a standard roll bar and a half hood. The original tall FIA roll cage comes with it, should the circuit start calling again. Caterham's own 2018 letter confirms its Academy origins, and a fat invoice file runs right back to the 1999 build.
It has been recently recommissioned so it comes with a freshly fettled, carb-fed driving experience. The result is a factory-specified Academy racer with its character intact and ready to use.
