02 Apr 07
My first experience of a Caterham 7 was back in the autumn of 2002 and took the form of a passenger ride around a disused airfield in deepest, darkest Suffolk with Richard Bremner, the then editor of 4Car, at the wheel. The car in question was a 1.4-litre K-Series engined Classic - the baby of all Caterhams.
Conditions were far from ideal - it was dark and cold, and a light drizzle was setting in. There was no windscreen, just two small pieces of glass hinged at the bottom acting as a wind deflector - which, to be honest, were absolutely useless. My face bore the brunt of the elements and, as I'd removed my glasses to avoid them flying off my face, tears were streaming from my eyes.
It was a fast, uncomfortable, blurred ride - but it was fantastic. After I extracted myself from the cabin, I was left with a Caterham smile, which is just as permanent as a razorblade-induced Chelsea grin, but not as painful.
The multi-sensory experience that only comes when you drive in a completely open car like a Caterham is something to be savoured - and when possible, repeated as often as possible. Unfortunately for me, this wasn't to happen until four years later in the winter of 2006 - the car this time? The Caterham CSR260 Superlight - the daddy of today's Caterhams.
