Vintage Motoring

As we count down to the new year, California motorists should be aware of some of the new laws going into effect Jan. 1, 2012.

These new traffic laws were passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor earlier this year, and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is asking the motoring public to familiarize themselves with the changes before they take effect.

“Our hope is by educating the public of these new traffic safety laws in advance, more lives will be saved in the new year,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow.

The following are highlights of a few of the significant changes for the upcoming year:

· A change to California’s Child Passenger Safety Seat law will now require children to ride in either a car seat or booster seat until the age of eight, or until they reach a height of 4 feet 9 inches. This law also requires children who do not meet the age or height requirement to ride in the rear seat of a vehicle unless the vehicle has no back seats, the restraint system cannot be properly installed or the rear seats are already occupied by children under age eight. However, the law still maintains that a child may not ride in the front seat of a vehicle with an active passenger airbag if they are under one year of age, less than 20 pounds, or riding in a rear-facing child safety seat. (SB 929, Evans)

· Drivers are required to stop and submit to a sobriety checkpoint. However, peace officers will be prohibited from impounding a vehicle for 30 days out of a sobriety checkpoint if the only offense by the driver is failing to hold a valid driver license. The new law requires that the officer make a reasonable attempt to identify the registered owner in order to release the vehicle. (AB 353, Cedillo)

· Anyone who is convicted of reckless driving under Section 23103.5 of the Vehicle Code can apply for a restricted driver license prior to the completion of their one-year suspension, provided they meet specified conditions, including the installation of an Ignition Interlock Device in their vehicle. (AB 520, Ammiano)

· Vehicles will be prohibited from crossing double parallel solid white lines except where permitted. (AB 1105, Gordon)

· Electric vehicles (EV) must now be plugged in for refueling when occupying an EVdesignated parking space, otherwise they may be towed. In addition, the law prohibits a person from obstructing, blocking, or otherwise barring access to an EV-designated parking space. (AB 475, Butler)

· The County of Riverside, or any city within the county, has been permitted to develop a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle transportation plan. (AB 61, Jeffries & SB 290, Correa)

· Inyo County, using a pilot program, has been granted authority to explore options for developing a greater network of linked Off-Highway Vehicle trails; they will be allowed to designate combined use highways on unincorporated county roads for up to 10 miles, subject to CHP approval. This program will remain in effect until January 1, 2017. (AB 628, Conway)

· The City of Santa Monica can now operate 25 city-owned buses with illuminated signs displaying advertising messages. This pilot program is authorized through January 1, 2017. (AB 607, Brownley)

· Local governments can now regulate advertising signs on any motor vehicle parked or left standing upon a public street, except for signs painted directly upon or permanently affixed to the vehicle for permanent decoration, identification, or display that do not extend beyond the overall length, width, or height of the vehicle. (AB 1298, Blumenfield)

· Licensed livestock carriers can continue to travel on Highway 101 within the counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, and Mendocino from its junction with Highway 1 near Leggett, north to the Oregon border until January 1, 2015. (AB 349, Chesbro) A law dealing with repeat driving under the influence (DUI) offenders that was passed in 2010 also goes into effect on January 1:

· Section 23579 was added to the Vehicle Code, which authorizes courts to revoke a driver’s license for 10 years if a person is convicted of three or more DUIs. Under this law enacted in 2010, a motorist may be allowed to apply for reinstatement of his or her driver’s license with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) after five years, if the person installs an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) in their vehicle. The law allows the DMV to terminate this restricted license if the IID requirements are not met. (AB 1601, Hill)

Source: KESQ.com

After months of intense debate over the fate and effectiveness of red-light cameras, the L.A. City Council on Wednesday delivered a final blow to the controversial program, voting unanimously to shut it down July 31.

The 13-0 vote came in the wake of a backlash over disclosures that paying hefty fines for camera-issued tickets is considered “voluntary” by many city officials and because the Los Angeles County Superior Court has opted not to aggressively enforce collections against those who simply ignore the citations.

“Let it die, enough already,” Councilman Paul Krekorian begged his colleagues. “Let’s just be done with this and move on.”

Since the Police Commission decided in early June to kill the program, the issue has ricocheted through a series of City Hall committee hearings and council debates.

Some council members, like Bernard C. Parks, insisted the program helps save lives and pays for itself in intangible safety improvements. Others said it should be terminated immediately.

Critics noted that most of the more than 180,000 photo tickets issued since the program began in 2004 were for illegal right turns, which many experts consider less dangerous than speeding through intersections against red lights.

But recent news that motorists in L.A. County can decline to pay or appear in court on camera-issued tickets without facing criminal charges, problems with the Department of Motor Vehicles or negative reports on credit scores, appeared to unite the council on Wednesday.

Parks, who joined the unanimous decision, said he was “not supportive of eliminating the system” and hopes to eventually bring back the cameras. He urged colleagues to concentrate on an orderly phase-out of the full program after the photo enforcement equipment is turned off.

City staff was directed to negotiate a contract extension with American Traffic Solutions, the private firm that operates the cameras. The extra time is needed, officials say, to deal with outstanding issues, including removing equipment and allowing the city to access the vendor’s records, including some 65,000 unpaid tickets.

Terms of the contract extension must be negotiated, but many council members said it should be “cost-neutral” and could last six to 18 months.

Much of Wednesday’s debate focused on the city’s inability to pursue those who simply ignore tickets. There has been an uproar in recent days from drivers who diligently paid their fines. Some drivers have unsuccessfully demanded refunds and contemplated the possibility of a class-action lawsuit to recover fines and fees that can top $500.

Court officials have chosen not to aggressively enforce penalties for camera tickets when the recipient fails to respond. They note the tickets are mailed to a vehicle’s registered owner, who may not be the person who committed the violation. The only potential problem for those who do not respond to the tickets, officials said, would be the appearance of a delinquent traffic violation on a background search of court files.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Last year, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and its partners announced July 8, 2011 as “Collector Car Appreciation Day”  with hopes that it will become an annual event to raise awareness of the vital role automotive restoration and collection plays in American society.  Efforts are now being made  to secure a Congressional resolution to recognize the day’s significance.

“Last year, the United States Senate helped launch the first national Collector Car Appreciation Day by passing Senate Resolution 513 at our request,” said SEMA Vice President of Government Affairs Steve McDonald.  “As a result, thousands of Americans gathered at car cruises, parades and other events to celebrate our nation’s automotive heritage.  As we move forward, SEMA’s commitment to preserving and promoting the automotive restoration industry through its projects and programs is evident in this special day.”

S. Res. 513 was sponsored by Congressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus members Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) and Senator Richard Burr (R-NC).  Senators Tester and Burr have been strong advocates for the automotive hobby in Washington, and the resolution reaffirmed their understanding of the cultural importance of collector cars.  The Caucus is an informal, non-partisan group that pays tribute to America’s ever growing love affair with the car and motorsports.  The Caucus recognizes the integral role collector cars have played in fostering our nation’s appreciation for the automobile’s unique historical place in our history.

“On July 8, 2011, collectors and enthusiasts will host hundreds of events across the country,” said Laura Bergan, Chairman of SEMA’s Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) Council.  “We will proudly partner with individuals, car clubs and businesses as they organize car cruises, club gatherings and other educational events to celebrate the day.”

Rick Love, Chairman-elect of SEMA’s Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) Council said, “The industry endeavors to preserve our nation’s automotive heritage while providing well-paying, high-skilled jobs nationwide.  Collector Car Appreciation Day is a singular tribute to this industry and the millions of hobbyists it supports.”

The Associated Press reported that an alliance of automakers, utilities and clean-air advocates hope to make California a “national leader” in the electric-car industry. Who knows? California may one day be overrun by Chevy Volts, Nissan Leafs (Leaves?) and Daimler Smart EDs (“ED” in this case means “electric drive”).

More than a century ago, however, Los Angeles had less than good fortune with its own homegrown car brand: the Erie and Sturgis Gasoline Carriage. Created by engineer J. Philip Erie and machine shop owner S.D. Sturgis, it was the first gasoline-powered vehicle to take to the streets of Los Angeles. But you had to get up early to see it.

The Erie-Sturgis made its debut at 2 a.m. on May 30, 1897, an hour when the streets would be deserted “except for a few sleepy policemen and wildly careering milkmen,” The Times said. The automakers wanted to avoid horses, which might be scared “because of the noise of the gasoline motors and the gasoline explosions.” For Erie, it was the culmination of a dream he’d had for two years after heading west with the idea for a “motor carriage.” He took out 30 patents and raised $30,000 for the prototype.

“The innocent-looking black tally-ho has about 25 miles an hour concealed in its vitals,” The Times said admiringly. Though German engineer Karl Benz had been granted a patent for a gasoline-powered auto in 1886, the concept was still novel to the dusty little pueblo of Los Angeles. A Times caption writer labeled a drawing of it “The New Motor-Cycle.”

Erie, Sturgis, their wives and a few other acquaintances gathered in the early morning hours to make the test run. The vehicle was rolled out of Sturgis’ shop on West 5th Street, then pushed down a long alley out onto Broadway. “The gasoline engine was set to working [and] with a twist of the lever” by Erie, the driver, the intrepid group set off southward on Broadway. (They were on their own in case trouble struck; the Auto Club wouldn’t be founded until 1900.)

The carriage turned left on 6th Street and handled the “awful 6th Street pavement so smoothly that the passengers scarcely felt any motion at all,” The Times marveled. Erie turned right on Main Street, “crossing car tracks and chuckholes innumerable without any trouble,” and turned on 7th Street. From there the passengers rumbled about a mile eastward to Erie’s house near Hollenbeck Park, “stopping occasionally for repairs.” They passed several horses who displayed “not the slightest fear of the novel spectacle.” The test run, The Times said, was “a gratifying success in every way.” And the newspaper assured readers “that in all probability it will not be long before a factory is established in Los Angeles for the manufacture of motor wagons.”

But a rival paper, the Sunday Herald, disagreed, asserting that the carriage — operating on just one of its four cylinders — “barely moved” faster than pedestrian traffic and didn’t come close to doing 25 mph. At least the tally-ho didn’t break the law — the speed limit in those days was 8 mph for bicycles.

It did have a problem, however: overheating. A few days after the test run, The Times blamed the snafu on a parts supplier. The asbestos that was wrapped around the engine “burned like brown paper,” the newspaper said, and was a “sham.” But even with real asbestos and “a fancy cooling device to spray water through the engine compartment air,” a historian told The Times in 1973, “the builders were unable to control the fiery emissions from their motor wagon.”

Erie took the contraption out on a few other “short trial runs,” including one with Boyle Workman, a banker from one of Los Angeles’ pioneer families. Perhaps the ride with Workman didn’t go smoothly. Erie, running low on cash and backers, couldn’t conquer the heat problem. He finally abandoned the operation before the year was out and reportedly went into mining.

The car never ran again and its fate was not recorded. Could it have been sent to L.A.’s first auto wrecking yard?

Source: Los Angeles Times

On July 31, 1983, Robert Andrews — then a Santa Ana resident — reported his 1973 Chevrolet Camaro stolen from a location in Orange County.  There were few leads and the 1973 Camaro was never found but last month, it showed up after a man — who had just purchased it from a woman in Los Angeles — tried to register the car at the DMV.

It turns out the vehicle was still listed as stolen, prompting DMV workers to call the police.   The investigation led to Andrews, who now lives in Nevada.  CHP Officer Travis Ruiz said an insurance claim was never filed for the stolen Camaro’s replacement value, so authorities determined that Andrews was still the legal owner.  He was notified that he could pick up his car at the CHP’s West Los Angeles Area office in Culver City.  The Camaro, which still runs, “doesn’t look too bad,” Ruiz said.  It had been painted black, and its interior is in good condition, he added.

The man who bought the car told authorities that the woman who sold it to him had told him that she had kept it in the backyard for more than 10 years, apparently abandoned there by relatives.  While the man is not a suspect, authorities say they plan to talk to the woman who sold him the car.

Washington, D.C. (May 10, 2010) — The United States Senate passed Senate Resolution 513 (S. Res. 513) at the request of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and the Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) Council designating July 9, 2010 as “Collector Car Appreciation Day.”  The resolution was the result of an effort undertaken by ARMO as a means to raise awareness of the vital role automotive restoration and collection plays in American society.

S. Res. 513 was sponsored by Congressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus members Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) and Senator Richard Burr (R-NC).  Senators Tester and Burr have been strong advocates for the automotive hobby in Washington, and S. Res. 513 reaffirms their understanding of the cultural importance of collector cars.  The Caucus is an informal, non-partisan group that pays tribute to America’s ever growing love affair with the car and motorsports.  The Caucus recognizes the integral role collector cars have played in fostering our nation’s appreciation for motorsports.

The resolution was the result of an effort undertaken by SEMA and its councils as a means to raise awareness of the vital role automotive restoration and collection plays in American society.  Restoration businesses help save our nation’s heritage while providing well-paying, high-skilled jobs nationwide.

SEMA Vice President of Government Affairs Steve McDonald said, “We greatly appreciate the United States Senate’s recognition of the important role classic car restoration serves in our country.  As Americans gather at car cruises and other events in conjunction with ‘Collector Car Appreciation Day’ on July 9, these vital contributions will be honored and preserved.”

In recognition of the day, collectors and enthusiasts will be hosting events across the country.  Jim Barber, Chairman of SEMA’s Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) Council said, “Individuals, car clubs, and businesses affiliated with ARMO are proud to be recognized as leaders in today’s economy.  Car cruises, club gatherings, and other educational events will be scheduled for July 9 nationwide.  ARMO is looking forward to assisting with these events and is appreciative of this special acknowledgment by the Senate.”

Dennis Overholser, Chairman of SEMA’s Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) Council said, “HRIA’s commitment to preserving and promoting the automotive restoration industry through its projects and education programs is well represented by this Resolution.  We are pleased that our elected officials have acknowledged our positive presence in local communities.  I look forward to working with other business owners, collectors, and enthusiasts to make the inaugural ‘Collector Car Appreciation Day’ a success nationwide.”

Source: http://www.sema.org/

Car clubs and other non-profit organizations across the country are finding themselves scrambling to file their 990 (tax exempt) return with the IRS in order to prevent the loss of their tax exempt status.  Small organizations were obligated to file by legislation in 2006, effective the 2007 tax year.  Not filing for 3 years will cause the loss of their tax exempt status.  Because this new rule was quietly passed, many clubs and organizations may not be aware of the issue at all.  Those who lose their tax-exempt status could face steep fees while trying to reclaim it.

2010 marks the third tax year since this rule was passed, so this would be the first year in which many car clubs could lose their tax exempt status if they do not file in time.  Those involved with car clubs or any other non-profit organization should contact their club officers to ensure that a 990 has been properly filed, in order to save much effort and cost later on.  If not done within the past three years, the deadline for filing a 990 form with the IRS is May 17, 2010.

The following is a statement copied from the official IRS web site:

A crucial filing deadline of May 17 is looming for many tax-exempt organizations that are required by law to file their Form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service or risk having their federal tax-exempt status revoked.The Pension Protection Act of 2006 mandates that all non-profit organizations, other than churches and church related organizations, must file an information form with the IRS.  This requirement has been in effect since the beginning of 2007, which made 2009 the third consecutive year under the new law. Any organization that fails to file for three consecutive years automatically loses its federal tax-exempt status.

Form 990-series information returns are due on the 15^th day of the fifth month after an organization’s fiscal year ends. Many organizations use the calendar year as their fiscal year, which makes May 15 the deadline for those tax-exempt organizations. May 15 falls on a Saturday this year so the deadline this year is actually Monday, May 17.  Organizations can request an extension of their filing date by filing Form 8868 by the original due date. Absent a request for extension, there is no grace period from filing by the original due date.

Small tax-exempt organizations with annual receipts of $25,000 or less can file an electronic notice Form 990-N (e-Postcard). This asks for a few basic pieces of information. Tax-exempts with annual receipts above $25,000 must file a Form 990 or 990-EZ, depending on their annual receipts. Private foundations file form 990-PF.

Any tax-exempt organization that has not filed the required form in the last three years automatically will lose its tax exempt status effective as of the due date of the annual filing. Under the law, the IRS does not have discretion in this matter.

A list of revoked organizations will be available to the public on IRS.gov.

If an organization loses its exemption, it will have to reapply with the IRS to regain its tax-exempt status. Any income received between the revocation date and renewed exemption may be taxable.

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“Supercar Sunday is back and is here to stay!” That’s the first sentence of a long-awaited announcement from Dustin Troyan, one of Southern California’s most passionate, selfless and determined car guys. Dusty started the Supercar Sunday show in front of the Village Coffee Roaster coffee shop he managed in Woodland Hills several years ago. The idea was to invite car people out to the empty lot on Sunday mornings to meet up and hopefully buy some java.

The show was a smashing success, as hundreds of car guys and gals from all over the Southland gathered once a week to share their love of classic and exotic automobiles. The last Sunday of the month was the big show, attracting thousands of folks, including a few local celebrities. Businesses often brought in several extra staffers on Sundays to handle all of the extra customers.

As good as that sounds for gearheads and the businesses in that strip mall, the show got too big for the lot. Under intense pressure and threatened legal action from the landlord, the show was shut down late last year. With the huge car community in the Los Angeles area we knew it couldn’t be the end of the road for the weekly Sunday meet, but all was a little too quiet on the Western front until today.

Seems Dustin has been working tirelessly these past several weeks to secure a new venue for the show. Troyan is the same guy behind the immensely successful Motor4Toys charity toy drive so we knew he would be able to make it happen – and make it happen in a way that would make us forget all about the unpleasantness of a few months ago.

Well, now we can look forward to a revived Supercar Sunday in an even better locale, with a bigger parking lot, full cooperation from the local merchants and landlord, and a Corner Bakery to handle breakfast needs. So if you’re in the area, if you’ve attended or wanted to attend Supercar Sunday in the past or just want to get your weekly collectible car fix again, check out the new venue.

The show kicked off this morning at the Topanga Westfield Promenade. It’s just off the 101, 8 miles West of the 405 at the corner of Topanga Canyon and Erwin. Hope to see you there in the weeks to come.

Article Source: Auto Blog

Woodland Hills – Lawsuit bans car buffs from shopping center

It was 6:15 a.m. on a Sunday when Tom Bellows pulled his treasured 1979 yellow MGB into the parking lot of a Woodland Hills shopping center and prepared to hang out with other classic car aficionados, as they had for years.

But instead of being greeted by longtime friends, he said, he was surrounded by four security guards hired by the owners of El Camino Shopping Center, who ordered him off the premises.

“They told me to get the blankety-blank-blank out,” said Bellows, 71, a family therapist from Northridge. “They said I couldn’t park my car there because it was a classic.”

It was a startling way to learn of a lawsuit filed Oct. 19 on behalf of Regency Centers, the Delaware-based owner of El Camino Shopping Center. The lawsuit targets the classic car lovers and the Village Coffee Roaster, a tenant that had spearheaded the informal Sunday gatherings.

Filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the lawsuit alleges trespassing and nuisance, and serves as a restraining order against the motorists, listed anonymously as John Does 1-500.

It claims that the owners of the Ferraris, Porsches, Mustangs and other classic cars hog too many parking spots at the 135,883 square-foot, Vons-anchored shopping center off Mulholland Drive near the Ventura Freeway.

Regency Centers would not comment, citing the pending litigation, said spokeswoman Bonnie Hayflick.

Ernie Park, an attorney representing Regency Centers, also would not comment. Vons, with its corporate headquarters based in Arcadia, did not respond to requests for comment.

The lawsuit has forced the classic car lovers to abandon the Woodland Hills strip mall and instead gather for coffee and socializing on Sunday mornings at a shopping center in the 19000 block of Plummer Street in Northridge.

To be fair, several classic car enthusiasts admit, the Woodland Hills mall’s large parking lot was occasionally near or at capacity with these tricked-out vehicles until about 10:30 a.m. on the last Sunday of the month. Some even parked illegally in the red zones.

But most of the gatherings drew about 80 vehicles. And after schmoozing with their buddies, most of the drivers were gone by 9:30 a.m., said Dustin Troyan, the Village Coffee Roaster manager and self-proclaimed “car guy” who was served with the lawsuit.

Troyan said he had specifically advertised to the classic car lover demographic several years ago and encouraged them to come to the shopping center on Sundays for an early morning cup of coffee. Word soon spread among the car-collecting community that El Camino was the place to be on Sunday mornings.

But three years ago, mall officials called Troyan and ordered him to stop promoting the car club gatherings, he said. The advertisements stopped, but the car lovers still pulled in. Aside from buying coffee, they also bought bagels, got haircuts and shopped at other open stores in the strip mall, Troyan said.

But Troyan said much of that Sunday morning bustle has stopped.

Officials from the strip mall have posted a sign outside the coffee shop doors warning of “no car show parking” and allowing for one-hour-only parking.

“We used to have regular customers here on Sunday and they’re gone,” Troyan said. “If you pull up in your Ferrari, you’re told to get out. They will intimidate the hell out of you. But if you pull up in a minivan, you can stay.”

Erica Borders, a hair stylist in the center at Head West Salon, has lost at least 35 customers from the vintage car crowd, because they won’t return to the mall with the ongoing lawsuit.

“I lost out,” she said. “I had started coming in at 8 a.m. on Sundays to build a clientele with them.”

Though several classic car drivers have said they understand the shopping center’s frustrations over parking, they are shocked that it was not communicated earlier, and that they learned of the problem through thuggish private security guards hired to keep them out.

Standing in the center of the parking lot, the security guards and a large dog have approached the classic car drivers as they drive in. One has operated as the process server, and with a stack of copies of the lawsuit and attempts to serve the drivers.

O’Linn Executive Security Services, the Agoura-based business hired by Regency Centers, would not comment on the allegations for this story.

Marlon Mitchell, 50, of Chatsworth, had copies of the lawsuit thrown at him on a recent Sunday by the private security guards who followed him into McDonald’s at 6:15 a.m. and told him to leave and then followed him into a drug store.

At the time, Mitchell was unaware of the lawsuit. The Sunday morning car show had been a tradition for him since 2003. Though he was at the center for the car show, he also had a haircut appointment there.

But the security guards had told Mitchell to leave or his car would get towed. Then they videotaped the license plate of his 1966 Mustang.

“We’re all between 35 and 80 years old. We’re not smashing beer bottles and doing burn-outs,” said Mitchell, who never got his hair cut that day and refuses to return to the center. “That’s the crazy thing.”

James Ellis Arden, the North Hollywood-based attorney representing Village Coffee Roasters, said the private security guards have since toned down their routine. He said that the shopping center should have towed any classic cars parked illegally in the lot.

Meanwhile, he filed a cross complaint against Regency Centers for discrimination.

“They are discriminating against people they don’t like by the looks of the cars they drive,” Arden said. “They are also discriminating against their own tenants.”

Classic car aficionados are known to gather around town in groups, showing off their beloved vehicles at Bob’s Big Boy restaurant in Toluca Lake and during the summer at Fields Market in West Hills.

Up to 300 people packed into the parking lot at Fresh Market in West Hills on Friday nights for $7.99 barbecue and tri-tip sandwiches and to socialize over the open hoods of up to 150 vintage cars, said Bill Rinck, co-owner of the grocery store.

But with the end of daylight saving time, the car lovers have dwindled away. Rinck plans to host the event again next summer.

“I had that Calabasas crew call in October and ask if I’d be OK with them showing up,” he said. “I said, `Show up.’ But no one has. But I have the permits.”

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Original story printed in the Los Angeles Daily News

In the grand scope of automotive history, Graham Nearn’s accomplishment may seem very small. The focus of his ambitions was the Lotus Seven, a niche sports car that he first sold as a Lotus dealer in 1959. The dealership was based in Caterham, England, and called Caterham Cars.

“I fell in love with the car then,” Mr. Nearn said in 1993. “I was a young man then. It was a two-seater open car that would do anything you could want a two-seater open car to do. You could go away in it for the weekend or you could race it.”

Mr. Nearn later bought the rights to the car, and Caterham Cars continued building the car, which developed a cult following among sports car enthusiasts. Mr. Nearn, now known as the man who saved the Seven, passed away last Saturday at the age of 76. The death was confirmed on the Caterham Web site.

The Lotus Seven was introduced in the late 1950s. It was a bare bones car — small, compact and extremely lightweight — that completely embodied the design philosophy of its creator, Colin Chapman, the founder of Lotus Cars. Its popularity soared when the British spy series “The Prisoner” cast the Seven as the lead car for the main character, known only as Number Six.

In 1972, Lotus ended production of the Seven as the company struggled to stay afloat. The following year, Mr. Nearn bought the rights to the car’s design, which has not changed much since. “Its basically 1950s aircraft technology,” Mr. Nearn recently told the Independent. “We’ll improve the suspension and put wider wheels on them but it’s essentially the same concept.”

Today, the company is owned by a management team that bought out the Nearn family in 2005. The company builds 600 cars a year and has expanded the lineup to several models. Though they all look roughly the same, the level of performance varies. The fastest is the Caterham Seven Superlight R500, which the company says can sprint from zero to 60 miles an hour in 2.88 seconds.

“I have the greatest respect for what Graham achieved with Caterham Cars and fully accept that it was his personal touch that made the brand what it is today,” said Ansar Ali, Caterham’s current managing director. “I know that, despite our involvement today, Graham will always be considered the heart and soul of Caterham Cars.”

At the Tokyo Motor Show last week, Caterham revealed plans to build a range of electric and hybrid cars. The models would be first tested on the racetrack before hitting production, predicted to be in 2012.

Article source: New York Times

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