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110-632: The Lotus Seven is a sports car produced by the British manufacturer Lotus Cars (initially called Lotus Engineering) between 1957 and 1973. The Seven is an open-wheel car with two seats and an open top. It was designed by Lotus founder Colin Chapman and has been considered the embodiment of the Lotus philosophy of performance through low weight and simplicity. The original model was highly successful with more than 2,500 cars sold, due to its attraction as

220-434: A Triumph Spitfire and Ferrari 488 Pista can be considered sports cars, despite vastly different levels of performance. Broader definitions of sports cars include cars "in which performance takes precedence over carrying capacity", or that emphasise the "thrill of driving" or are marketed "using the excitement of speed and the glamour of the (race)track" However, other people have more specific definitions, such as "must be

330-614: A catalytic converter - Weber carburettors were specified to replace the unreliable Ford Variable Venturi (VV) unit. The engine was renamed the Ford HCS (standing for High Compression Swirl ), although some internal Ford service publications call it the Valencia-HCS in reference to its heritage. This engine used a much leaner fuel-to-air mix than a typical engine, at a 1:19 ratio. In addition to lowered emissions, Ford claimed that fuel economy increased by 11 to 18 percent while power

440-525: A Fiesta/Escort III/Orion the engine relies on the transaxle mountings for lateral location in the vehicle. Because of these differences, Ford officially regarded the Valencia as a completely new engine despite being derived from the Kent/Crossflow family and initially dubbed it as the "L-Series" or "Valencia-L" engine ("VL" is cast into the cylinder head and block), however it became better known as

550-534: A capacity of 1.0 L (996.7 cc) developing 39 bhp (29 kW) at 5,000 rpm – unusually high for the time. With a 80.96 mm × 48.41 mm (3.19 in × 1.91 in) bore and stroke, combined with independent (non-siamesed) four intake and four exhaust ports, it was a departure from traditional undersquare English engine design. The same engine, with its bore unchanged, but with longer 65 and 72.75 mm (2.56 and 2.86 in) stroke and thus larger capacities were subsequently used in

660-403: A change in combustion chamber design, using a Heron type combustion chamber in the top of the piston rather than in the head. The head itself was flat with each engine capacity (1.1 and 1.3 L (1,098 and 1,298 cc)) featuring different pistons with different sized bowls in 681F and 711M blocks. The 1.6 L (1,599 cc) 691M block had the stronger 'square' bearing caps later used in

770-399: A controversial choice for a "purist" sports car. The Elan sold poorly and was discontinued after three years. The 1996 Lotus Elise , a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive roadster, was much more successful and remained in production until 2021. Roadsters enjoyed a resurgence in the mid-1990s, including the 1989-present Mazda MX-5 , the 1995-2002 BMW Z3 (succeeded by the 2002-2016 BMW Z4 ),

880-707: A cross-flow type cylinder head, hence the Kent's alternative name Ford Crossflow . It would go on to power the smaller-engined versions of the Ford Cortina and Ford Capri , the first and second editions of the European Escort as well as the North American Ford Pinto (1971, 1972 and 1973 only). In South Africa it also powered the 1.6 L Mk II, Mk III, Mk IV, & Mk V Ford Cortina and 1.6 L Ford Sierra . The Crossflow featured

990-752: A different tubular frame similar to the Lotus Eleven , the Seven was powered by a 36 bhp (27 kW; 36 PS) Ford Sidevalve 1,172 cc inline-four engine . In addition to the Ford unit, both BMC series A and Coventry Climax FWA engines were available for fitment. Under the Purchase Tax system of the time cars supplied as a kit did not attract the tax surcharge that would apply if sold in assembled form. Tax rules specified assembly instructions could not be included. This situation remained until 1973 and

1100-423: A fixed roof (which were previously considered grand tourers ). Attributing the definition of 'sports car' to any particular model can be controversial or the subject of debate among enthusiasts. Authors and experts have often contributed their ideas to capture a definition. Insurance companies have also attempted to use mathematical formulae to categorise sports cars, often charging more for insurance due to

1210-401: A further unusual feature of the Kent engine at its introduction was an externally mounted combined oil filter/pump unit designed to facilitate low-cost production and easy maintenance. The engine is now referred to as the pre-crossflow Kent, in reverse-flow cylinder head configuration with both the inlet and exhaust being on the same side of the head. Applications: A 1967 redesign gave it

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1320-714: A large proportion of Sevens sold in the United Kingdom were delivered in kit form as a result. The Seven Series 1 was used both on the road and for club racing (750 motor club in the UK). The Lotus Seven S2 followed in June 1960 and was supplemented by the Lotus Super Seven S2 from 1961. These were slightly more road-oriented than the Series 1, and received a somewhat simpler chassis. The Series 1's aluminium nosecone

1430-450: A leftover from the original Kent which was normally mounted longitudinally for rear-wheel drive. This mounting position makes it very difficult to access from underneath the car (without a mechanic's ramp), and despite being very short, the can-type oil filter still manages to protrude past the tip of the adjacent starter motor, meaning it is very difficult to remove using chain-type grips. Endura-E engine specs (Ka): Ford Kent engines had

1540-459: A new transmission flange to suit the BC4/5 transaxle and the cylinder head was redesigned using flat-top pistons and the traditional combustion chamber in the head. Another key difference from the 711M Crossflow block is the absence of mounting spigots cast into the faces; therefore the Valencia (and the later HCS and Endura-E versions) cannot be mounted in a longitudinal application: when installed in

1650-399: A pressed-steel chassis, a gated 4-speed transmission, pushrod-actuated overhead inlet valves , a honeycomb radiator, low-tension magneto ignition , a long wheelbase, a low center of mass and a very effective suspension system. The overall result was a "safe and well-balanced machine" with a higher performance than any other contemporary production car. At the 1903 Gordon Bennett Cup ,

1760-427: A production Simplex 60 hp was entered only due to a specially-built 90 hp racing car being destroyed in a fire; the 60 hp famously went on to win the race. The 1910 Austro-Daimler 27/80 is another early sports car which had success in motor racing. The 27/80 was designed by Ferdinand Porsche , who drove the car to victory in the 1910 Prince Henry Tour motor race. The Vauxhall and Austro-Daimler —like

1870-654: A profound influence on motorsport, possibly more so than any other mass-produced engines did in the history of motorsport. The Satta / Hruska designed Alfa Romeo 750/101 1.3 L (1,290 cc) DOHC engine, and the Alex von Falkenhausen Motorenbau designed SOHC 1.8 L (1,773 cc) BMW M118 engine may have had similar influence on the motorsport scenes in Italy and Germany respectively, but not internationally. Lotus used Ford Kent engines on Lotus Mk.VII to establish its corporate foundation, and subsequently used most of

1980-448: A pseudo-wishbone which was semi-independent in nature. This approach worked well with early cross-ply tyres, but with later radials, the configuration seriously affected its adjustability. For the rear suspension, Lotus originally used a live axle (or solid axle ). This approach was very cost-effective since most production saloon cars up to the 1980s used these components. A mixture of Ford, Standard Motor Company and Austin components

2090-522: A return to the flat head. These changes represented a significant improvement in the reliability of the engines, and the blocks are commonly referred to as '711M' blocks. The Ford Crossflow engine (1.3 and 1.6 L (1,298 and 1,599 cc)) also powered the Reliant Anadol (1968–1984). Other makes such as Morgan used the Crossflow on Morgan 4/4 , Caterham on Caterham 7 , and TVR used

2200-481: A rigid frame with few tubes and very little bodyweight that does not contribute to the frame stiffness. The flat panels avoid difficulties in shaping aluminum sheet into smooth compound curves. On the downside, it does not allow attractive curves or streamlining. Originally equipped with the Ford Sidevalve engine , the Series 2 received the new Ford Kent engine . The original "Super Seven" received versions of

2310-457: A road legal car that could be used for clubman racing . After Lotus ended production of the Seven, Caterham bought the rights and today Caterham makes both kits and fully assembled cars based on the original design known as the Caterham 7 . The Lotus Seven design has spawned a host of imitations on the kit car market, generally called Sevens or Sevenesque roadsters. The Lotus Seven

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2420-556: A two-seater or a 2+2 seater" or a car with two seats only. In the United Kingdom, early recorded usage of the "sports car" was in The Times newspaper in 1919. The first known use of the term in the United States was in 1928. Sports cars started to become popular during the 1920s. The term initially described two-seat roadsters (cars without a fixed roof), however, since the 1970s the term has also been used for cars with

2530-516: Is 5W-30 semi synthetic oil. Another reason is the large tappet clearance on the exhaust valve. This could of course be reduced to lower the noise level but the engine would then suffer from a rough idle and usually stall. Despite Ford's engines being well regarded for their ease of service, the Endura-E has a very awkward placing for its oil filter, at the back of the engine and facing from left to right rather than pointing downwards or out, this being

2640-494: Is a type of car that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling , acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1910s and are currently produced by many manufacturers around the world. Definitions of sports cars often relate to how the car design is optimised for dynamic performance, without any specific minimum requirements; both

2750-404: Is about three feet (900 mm) from the road and it has a cloth top and side curtains with plastic back and side windows. The supports for the top and the windshield frame are aluminium. The lower chassis tubes are five inches (127 mm) from the road, while the wet-sump, bell housing, and one chassis tube are lower, meaning the centre of gravity is very low. The front/rear weight distribution

2860-411: Is accentuated by the slight natural lift caused by rotating wheels. Consequently, Sevens have exhibited understeer at high speeds. The rack and pinion steering provide a minimum of play and friction. It is a stressed skin construction, in which the flat aluminium body panels, and especially the floor, stiffen and effectively triangulate the largely rectangular steel tubular frame structure. This gives

2970-452: Is an iconic sports car of the early 1960s, due to its attractive styling and claimed top speed of 241 km/h (150 mph). The E-type was produced for 14 years and was initially powered by a six-cylinder engine, followed by a V12 engine for the final generation. In 1962, the MG B introduced a new era of affordable lightweight four-cylinder roadsters. The MG B used a unibody construction and

3080-448: Is nearly equal and the lack of a boot and small petrol tank assure that it remains fairly constant. It is, however, more front-heavy than more modern high-performance cars. In the original Seven, the front lower A-arm (or "wishbone") of the double wishbone suspension is traditional, but for the purpose of reducing weight, the upper suspension integrated an anti-roll (anti-sway) bar into a horizontal suspension arm. This approach formed

3190-469: Is not usually important in a car intended for public roads. While the car's frontal area is small, the Lotus Seven has a drag coefficient ( C d {\displaystyle \scriptstyle C_{\mathrm {d} }\,} ) among the highest of any known production car - ranging from 0.65 to 0.75, depending on the bodywork. Additionally, the clamshell front wings develop lift. This

3300-406: Is notable for using a three-seat layout, where the front row consists of a centrally-located driver's seat. The location of the engine and driven wheels significantly influence the handling characteristics of a car and are therefore crucial in the design of a sports car. Traditionally, most sports cars have used rear-wheel drive with the engine either located at the front ( FR layout ) or in

3410-472: Is said that the Kent name was actually born with the A711 and A711M blocks (commonly called the 711M block) with square main bearing caps for the Crossflow series, which represented a vast improvement in the durability of the engines. However, the name caught on to be used outside the company to include pre-711M engines as well. The original OHV three main bearing Kent engine appeared in the 1959 Anglia with

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3520-753: The 1962 Natal Grand Prix . In addition, clamshell style wings tend to create drag and generate lift at higher speeds. Cycle wings help alleviate this tendency, and low height Brookland aeroscreens or the lighter Perspex variants that can replace the windscreen help improve top end speed. Sevens do suffer from front end lift at high speed – the nose creates more lift than downforce at speeds over around 70 mph (110 km/h), although retro fitted "winglets" may counter this. Nearly all Sevens, due to their extremely light weight (around 10cwt / 500 kg) have excellent acceleration, especially up to 70 mph (110 km/h), depending on power. The original late 1950s Sevens could beat most contemporary saloon cars—and by

3630-520: The Audi RS 2 Avant . Ford Europe withdrew from the sports car market at the end of 1986 when the Capri was discontinued after a production run of nearly two decades. There was no direct successor, as Ford was concentrating on higher-performance versions of its hatchback and saloon models at the time. In 1989, a new generation of Lotus Elan roadster was released which used a front-wheel drive layout,

3740-541: The BMW 303 , Citroën Traction Avant and Fiat 508 — offered similar handling and comfort to the more expensive sports cars. Powerful, reliable, and economical (although softly suspended) American saloons began to be imported to Europe in significant numbers. Sports car ownership was increased through models such as the Austin 7 and Wolseley Hornet six , however many of these sports cars did not offer any performance upgrades over

3850-623: The Bentley Speed Six (1928-1930), with the former famously described by Bugatti's founder as "the fastest lorry in the world". Between the Great Depression and the World War II the pre-war era was a period of decline in importance for sports car manufacturers, although the period was not devoid of advances, for example streamlining . Cheap, light-weight family sedans with independent front suspension— such as

3960-641: The Cosworth early racing engines for the legendary success in motorsport. Lotus also built the successful Lotus TwinCam engine for Lotus Elan on the Kent block, crank and conrods. Cosworth 's initial products were all Ford Kent based, and the later SCA , FVA and the BD series used Kent blocks to dominate many FIA categories including Formula 2 and Formula 3. In addition, many respected racing engine builder/tuners, such as Holbay , Vegantune, Novamotor, Brian Hart , Richardson and Wilcox owe their foundations to

4070-555: The Ford Consul Classic (1.3 L (1,339 cc)) and Consul Capri (1.3 and 1.5 L (1,339 and 1,498 cc) - the latter with five main bearings), the Mk1 and early Mk2 Cortinas (58.2 mm (2.29 in) stroke 1.2 L (1,198 cc) 63 mm (2.48 in) stroke five main bearing 1.3 and 1.5 L (1,297 and 1,498 cc)), and the early Corsairs . In addition to its ' over-square ' cylinder dimensions,

4180-520: The Jensen FF became the first sports car to use all-wheel drive . The Ford Capri is a 2+2 coupe that was produced from 1968 to 1986 and intended to be a smaller European equivalent of the Ford Mustang. A main rival to the Capri was Opel Manta , which was produced from 1970 to 1988. The 1973-1978 Lancia Stratos was a mid-engined two-seat coupe that was powered by a Ferrari V6 engine. This

4290-471: The Lotus Twin Cam engine . Only 13 examples were built. While only manufactured by Lotus for around two years, the Series 3 was the model later revived by Caterham after they ran out of Series 4 kits some time in the first half of the 1970s. In modified form, the design continues to be produced until today (2023). Between 1970 and 1975, following a representation agreement, Lotus Argentina SA obtained

4400-555: The Valencia to the wider world, after the Valencia plant where it was manufactured, but eventually the name was officially adopted by Ford as well – although in sales literature it was always called simply OHV . Although the engines were assembled at Amulssafes, the blocks and heads were in fact cast in Dagenham alongside the full-size Crossflow and shipped to Spain for assembly. A five bearing 1.3 L (1,297 cc) version of

4510-552: The twin cam . Until now, most Sevens in the UK had been sold in kit form in order to avoid paying purchase tax . However, once the UK joined the EEC on 1 January 1973, the VAT system was adopted instead so the tax advantage of the kit-built Lotus Seven came to an end. Accordingly, in 1973, Lotus decided to shed fully its "British tax system"-inspired kit car image. As part of this plan, it sold

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4620-403: The 1905 Isotta Fraschini Tipo D, the 1906 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost , the 1908 Delage , the 1910 Bugatti Type 13 , and the 1912 DFP 12/15 . Early motor racing events included the 1903 Paris–Madrid race , the 1905-1907 Herkomer Trophy, the 1908-1911 Prince Henry Tour and the 1911–present Monte Carlo Rally . The Prince Henry Tours (which were similar to modern car rallies) were among

4730-495: The 1921 Coppa Florio . Another approach— such as that used by Morris Garages— was to convert touring cars into sports cars. The first 24 Hours of Le Mans race for sports cars was held in 1923, although the two-seat sports cars only competed in the smallest class, with the majority of cars entered being four-seat fast touring cars. "This race, together with the Tourist Trophy Series of Races , organised after

4840-404: The 1948 Ferrari 166 S . A new concept altogether was the modern Gran Turismo class from Italy, which was in effect unknown before the war: sustained high-speed motoring from relatively modest engine size and compact closed or berlinetta coachwork. The 1947 Maserati A6 1500 two-seat berlinetta was the first production model from Maserati. In Germany, the motor industry was devastated by

4950-499: The 1980 Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft and Giro d'Italia automobilistico marathon. The Montecarlo was a basis for the silhouette racing car , Lancia Rally 037 . In the 1970s, turbocharging began to be adopted by sports cars, such as the BMW 2002 Turbo in 1973, the first Porsche 911 Turbo in 1975, and the Saab 99 Turbo in 1978. Turbocharging became increasingly popular in the 1980s, from relatively affordable coupes such as

5060-452: The 1980–1986 Renault Fuego and 1992–1996 Rover 220 Coupé Turbo , to expensive supercars such as the 1984-1987 Ferrari 288 GTO and 1987-1992 Ferrari F40 . In the late 1980s and early 1990s, several manufacturers developed supercars that competed for production car top speed records . These cars included the 1986–1993 Porsche 959 , 1991–1995 Bugatti EB 110 , 1992–1994 Jaguar XJ220 and 1993–998 McLaren F1 . The 1980-1995 Audi Quattro

5170-506: The 1990s, all-wheel drive has become more common in sports cars. All-wheel drive offers better acceleration and favorable handling characteristics (especially in slippery conditions), but is often heavier and more mechanically complex than traditional layouts. Examples of all-wheel drive sports cars are the Lamborghini Huracan , Bugatti Veyron , and Nissan GT-R . Rear engine layouts are not typical for sports cars, with

5280-584: The 1995-2002 MG F , the 1996–present Porsche Boxster and the 1998–present Audi TT . Ford Kent engine The Kent family can be divided into three basic sub-families; the original pre-Crossflow Kent, the Crossflow (the most prolific of all versions of the Kent), and the transverse mounted Valencia variants. The arrival of the Duratec-E engine in the fifth generation Fiesta range in 2002 signalled

5390-406: The 711M, and small combustion chambers in the near-flat head (the bulk of the volume being in the piston bowl). In 1970, the new A711 block for 1.3 L (1,298 cc) and A711M block for 1.6 L (1,599 cc) were introduced with thicker block wall, square main bearing caps, large diameter cam followers and wider cam lobes, with the latter block having a 7/16" taller deck height, together with

5500-695: The CVH, leaving only the Valencia variants (below) in the Fiesta I/II and entry versions of the Escort III. A redesigned version of the Kent engine was conceived to suit transverse installation in 1976, primarily for the Mk1 Ford Fiesta , although entry level versions of the Escort Mk3 also used the engine. This derivative went through two major revisions in 1988 and 1995, detailed below, and

5610-492: The Cosworth 1,340 cc "Super Seven" delivered 85 bhp (63 kW; 86 PS) and the later "Super Seven 1500" 105 bhp (78 kW; 106 PS). Some Series 2 Sevens built during 1968 (oftentimes referred to as "Series 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 ") were fitted with the later crossflow Kent engine of 1,599 cc. The series II had problems with its Standard Companion estate car rear axle and differential, unable to cope with

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5720-474: The Crossflow head, and was equipped with a Dura-Spark electronic ignition . This version was used in the short-lived (1977–1980) USA-market Mk1 Fiesta . Fitting the Crossflow into the Mk1 Fiesta posed a challenge for engineers, since the car had been designed around the shorter Valencia version (below), therefore the engine had to be mounted lower down in the chassis with shorter driveshafts in order to allow

5830-702: The Ford Kent engine (SCCA does not sanction Duratec or Ecoboost classes). The 1300 cc was the engine of choice for BriSCA Formula 2 Stock Cars until a rule change about carburettors pushed people towards the 2000 cc Ford Pinto engine . Harry Mundy designed the Lotus TwinCam engine for Colin Chapman , who needed the replacement for the Coventry Climax FWE engine used in Lotus Elite . As Keith Duckworth and Mike Costin ,

5940-695: The Ford Kent-based engines. Furthermore, the Kent Crossflow engine was used as the regulation engine in Formula Ford , although it was originally proposed to be the pre-crossflow 1498 cc Cortina GT unit in 1967 (before the establishment of the series). In Europe, Formula Ford switched to the Zetec , but American Formula Ford continued to be Kent-powered until 2010; the SCCA having approved

6050-634: The Kent block back into production in order to supply the historic racing community and active Formula Ford series that use the Kent engine with spares. According to a Ford press-release, engineering work began at Ford Racing's Performance Parts division in the US, with sales scheduled to start in 2010. This coincided with a Sports Car Club of America rule change allowing the Honda L15A7 engine to be used in Formula Ford events in that country, which uses

6160-483: The Kent unit with Cosworth modifications. Later, the Kent engine was updated to the crossflow design ; this 1.6-litre engine was the most commonly installed one in the Series 3 as well as Series 4. A limited number of earlier cars received Coventry Climax FWA engines, while the later cars were offered with the Lotus-Ford Twin Cam engine. The Lotus Seven was designed with racing in mind, and lightness

6270-468: The Mercedes Simplex 60 hp— were production fast touring cars. The 1912 Hispano-Suiza Alfonso XIII is also considered one of the earliest sports cars, as it was a "purpose built, high performance, two-seater production automobile". The model was named after King Alfonso XIII of Spain , a patron of the car's chief designer and an enthusiast for the marque. Other early sports cars include

6380-533: The North American market models – ultimately the 1.6L Crossflow also was used in the Mk1 Fiesta XR2 when the North American market Fiesta ceased production in 1980). The bore diameter was reduced to 74mm (from 81mm on the full-size Kent), and was standard across both the 957 and 1117 versions; the extra capacity was achieved by varying the stroke. In addition to these changes, the Valencia featured

6490-427: The Seven's relatively simple design, over 160 companies have offered replicas or Seven-type cars over the years. Many have been challenged over the years by the UK rights-holder, Caterham . Such cars are often referred to as "sevenesque" or simply a "seven" or "se7en". Sometimes they are also called clubmans or "locost". Some examples are: Also, see Category:Lotus Seven replicas Sports car A sports car

6600-469: The Valencia became available in 1986 for the facelift "Erika-86" version of the Escort and Orion, replacing the similarly sized CVH unit, which increased to 1.4 L (1,392 cc) for higher specification models. The cylinder heads and pistons were modified in 1986 for unleaded fuel and the cams changed to meet the new European emissions standards along with the addition of electronic ignition. In 1988

6710-479: The car appeared during the next year or two, all conforming to the same basic design and earning for themselves a reputation second to none for fast and reliable travel. The 60-h.p. cars were announced late in 1902. The cars were possessed of a very real performance superior to anything else which could be bought at the time... and the model achieved an almost invincible position among the fast cars of its day. The Sports Car: Development and Design The basis for

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6820-463: The co-founders of Cosworth , used to be Lotus Development Ltd employees, the initial racing adaptation of Lotus TwinCam was carried out by Cosworth, and the Kent block Cosworth SCA was designed using the basic SOHC reverse-flow cylinder head configuration of the FWE. Due to Mundy being also the co-designer of the FWE, the Kent block Lotus TwinCam initially used the cam profile of the FWE, and shared

6930-411: The development of performance cars such as the 1910 Vauxhall Prince Henry , 1910 Sunbeam 12/16 , 1910 Talbot 25 hp , 1910 Straker-Squire 15 hp and 1913 Star 15.9 hp . Following the halt in sports car production caused by World War I , Europe returned to manufacturing automobiles from around 1920. It was around this time that the term 'Sports Car' began to appear in the motor catalogues, although

7040-400: The early 1920s, the cost to produce a racing car was not significantly higher than a road car, therefore several manufacturers used the design from the current year's racing car for the next year's sports car. For example, the 1921 Ballot 2LS based on the racing car that finished third at the 1921 French Grand Prix. The Benz 28/95PS was also a successful racing car, with victories including

7150-401: The early 1960s, with improved Ford-Cosworth engines could take on most high-performance sports cars with 0–60 mph time in the low 7 seconds. The less powerful early models had drum brakes all around, in common with most road cars of the time. Later models had front disc brakes. Physics favours small cars in braking and Sevens have excellent stopping distances. The highest part of the car

7260-544: The end of the engine's use in production vehicles after a 44-year career, although the Valencia derivative remained in limited production in Brazil, as an industrial use engine by Ford's Power Products division, where it is known as the VSG-411 and VSG-413 . Since 2010, it has been actively produced in the United States factories for Formula Ford globally because of its popularity in motorsport. Originally within Ford, it

7370-601: The engine in the Grantura , Vixen , and 1600M . It has been fitted in countless other applications as well, being a favourite of kit-car builders not only in Great Britain. Destined for the American market, beginning with the 1977 model year, the Valencia plant began manufacturing a 1.6L, 63 bhp (47 kW), five-main bearing version that included a low emission bowl-in-pistons combustion chamber design based on

7480-460: The engine to fit transversely across the Fiesta engine bay, while still allowing the transmission unit to be comfortably removed for clutch replacement. However, this difference means that very few parts of the Valencia engine are interchangeable with a Crossflow. (Ford ended up installing the Crossflow engine into the Fiesta anyway, when the market demanded a 1.3L capacity, and later a 1.6L version for

7590-463: The exact origin of the name is not known. The decade that followed became known as the vintage era and featured rapid technical advances over the preceding Brass Era cars . Engine performance benefited from the abandonment of " tax horsepower " (where vehicles were taxed based on bore and number of cylinders, rather than actual power output) and the introduction of leaded fuel , which increased power by allowing for higher compression ratios . In

7700-472: The first supercars . Other significant European models of the 1960s and 1970s which might be considered supercars today are the Ferrari 250 GTO (1962-1964), Ferrari 250 GT Lusso (1963-1964), Ferrari 275 GTB/4 (1966-1968), Maserati Ghibli (1967-1973), Ferrari Daytona (1968-1973), Dino 246 (1969-1974), De Tomaso Pantera (1971-1993), Ferrari 308 GTB (1975-1980) and BMW M1 (1978-1981). In 1966,

7810-528: The first World War by the R.A.C. , appealed to the public imagination and offered to the manufacturers of the more sporting cars an excellent opportunity for boosting sales of their products." The classic Italian road races— the Targa Florio , and the Mille Miglia (first held in 1927)— also captured the public's imagination. By 1925, the higher profits available for four-seater cars resulted in

7920-650: The high power and cornering forces of the Seven. This was later solved on the Series III by installing a Ford Cortina rear end. Production of the Series 2 ended in August 1968, after 1310 examples had been built. The Seven S3 was released in 1968. As for late Series 2s, the S3 typically received the 1,599 cc crossflow Kent engine . First shown at Earl's Court in 1969, the Super Seven Twin Cam SS used

8030-799: The inherent risk of performance driving. There is no fixed distinction between sports cars and other categories of performance cars, such as muscle cars and grand tourers , with some cars being members of several categories. Traditionally, the most common layout for sports cars was a roadster (a two-seat car without a fixed roof). However, there are also several examples of early sports cars with four seats. Sports cars are not usually intended to transport more than two adult occupants regularly, so most modern sports cars are generally two-seat or 2+2 layout (two smaller rear seats for children or occasional adult use). Larger cars with more spacious rear-seat accommodation are usually considered sports sedans rather than sports cars. The 1993-1998 McLaren F1

8140-561: The larger capacity 1.6L was supplanted by the overhead camshaft Pinto (Lynx) unit in the Ford Cortina and Ford Capri by the late 1970s, and all versions ceased to be used in the Escort when it was replaced by the CVH engine as the Escort moved to its third generation in 1980. The final "official" use of the Crossflow was in the aforementioned 1.3L and XR2 versions of the Fiesta I which ceased production in 1983, when these were again replaced by

8250-535: The last Lotus badged Seven, a Series 4, was therefore produced in New Zealand. Steel Brothers Limited attempted to make a wider, modernised version of the Series 4, the Lotus Super 907, using the twin cam Lotus 907 engine. In the spring of 1978 it was announced that this was to be sold in the United States - but the American importer had no funds and the project came to naught. The single finished Super 907

8360-506: The last of the 95 kits provided by Lotus was used up. Steel Brothers had a much wider range of factory options than the UK models with carpet, centre console glove-box, radio, window-washer and hardtop. Sold largely to competition enthusiasts, the NZ cars also had engine modifications, close-ratio gears, and adjustable suspension as factory options. As such, they were very successful in local racing. With officially licensed production stopping in 1979,

8470-573: The late 1920s were AC Cars , Alfa Romeo , Alvis , Amilcar , Bignan and Samson, Chenard-Walcker , Delage , Hispano-Suiza , Hotchkiss , Mercedes-Benz and Nazzaro . Two cars from the Vintage Era that would influence sports cars for many years were the Austin Seven and MG M-type "Midget". Successful sports cars from Bentley during this era were the Bentley 3 Litre (1921-1929) and

8580-582: The licence to manufacture the Lotus Seven in Argentina. This production reached approximately 51 units. These vehicles were not replicas but built under licence and branded as Lotuses. In 1970, Lotus radically changed the shape of the car to create the slightly more conventional sized Series 4 (S4), with a squarer fibreglass shell replacing most of the aluminium bodywork. It also offered some luxuries as standard, such as an internal heater matrix. The S4 Seven could be supplied with 1298 or 1599 cc Kent engines or

8690-518: The mass-produced cars upon which they were based. The highest selling sports car company of the 1930s was Morris Garages , who produced 'MG Midget' models of the M-Type , J-Type , P-Type and T-Type . The K3 version of the K-Type Magnette was a successful racing car, achieving success in the Mille Miglia , Tourist Trophy and 24 Hours of Le Mans . The Bugatti Type 57 (1934-1940)

8800-482: The middle of the vehicle ( MR layout ). Examples of FR layout sports cars include the Caterham 7 , Mazda MX-5 , and the Dodge Viper . Examples of MR layout sports cars are the Ferrari 488 , Ford GT , and Toyota MR2 . To avoid a front-heavy weight distribution , many FR layout sports cars are designed so that the engine is located further back in the engine bay, as close to the firewall as possible. Since

8910-809: The notable exception of the Porsche 911 . The front-wheel drive layout with the engine at the front ( FF layout ) is generally the most common for cars, but it is not as common among traditional sports cars. Nonetheless, the FF layout is used by sport compacts and hot hatches such as the Mazdaspeed3 . Sports cars with an FF layout include the Fiat Barchetta , Saab Sonett , or Opel Tigra . The ancestor of all high-performance cars had its origin in Germany. The 28-h.p. Cannstatt-Daimler racing car of 1899

9020-406: The original Valencia by the rocker cover, head and block being painted grey instead of black, the presence of a crankshaft position sensor adjacent to the starter motor, and the absence of a distributor drive on the rear face of the cylinder block. The mechanical fuel pump also has a return line to tank, whereas the original Valencia did not. The HCS also has a "mirrored" spark plug arrangement where

9130-457: The parts from Lotus, £100 for the Ford engine and gearbox and £27 for the BMC rear axle. A Seven's top speed greatly depends upon the body configuration, engine power and gearing. Early models with low-powered engines had difficulty exceeding 90 mph (140 km/h), although a race-prepared Seven was clocked at 127 mph (204 km/h) whilst driven by Brausch Niemann through a speed-trap at

9240-456: The philosophy of achieving performance through minimizing weight and has been rated as one of the top 10 sports cars of the 1960s. The Elan featured fibreglass bodies, a backbone chassis, and overhead camshaft engines. A different style of roadster was the AC Cobra , released in 1962, which was fitted with V8 engines up to 7.0 L (427 cu in) in size by Shelby . The Porsche 911

9350-563: The plug leads appear to be splayed outwards: on the original Valencia they are all at the same angle. The final redesign came in 1995 with the launch of the fourth-generation Ford Fiesta . This edition was effectively another redesign of the Valencia/HCS derivative, known as the Endura-E , and featured many revisions to combat noise and harshness, including a thickened cylinder block and a cast aluminium sump. The RH engine mount position

9460-423: The production of two-seat sports cars being limited to smaller manufacturers such as Aston-Martin (350 Astons built from 1921 to 1939) and Frazer-Nash (323 cars built from 1924 to 1939). Then by the late 1920s, the cost of producing racing cars (especially Grand Prix cars) escalated, causing more manufacturers to produce cars for the growing sports car market instead. Significant manufacturers of sports cars in

9570-740: The rights to the Seven to its only remaining agents Caterham Cars in England and Steel Brothers Limited in New Zealand. Caterham ran out of the Lotus Series 4 kits in the early 1970s. When this occurred and in accordance with their agreement with Lotus, Caterham introduced its own brand version of the Series 3. They have been manufacturing the car ever since as the Caterham Seven . Steel Brothers Limited in Christchurch , New Zealand, assembled Lotus Seven Series 4s until March 1979 when

9680-496: The second generation of the Valencia unit was launched to meet with tightening European emissions legislation. The substantial redesign of the engine included an all-new cylinder head with reshaped combustion chambers and inlet ports for 'lean-burn' operation, hardened valve seats and valves for operation on unleaded fuel, and the Ford EDIS fully electronic ignition system, with the option of single-point fuel injection for use with

9790-558: The sporting events of the period, bringing renown to successful entrants. The Prince Henry Tours started the evolution of reasonably large and technically advanced production sports cars. In England, the development of sporting cars was inhibited by the Motor Car Act 1903 , which imposed a speed limit of 20 mph (32 km/h) on all public roads. This led to the 1907 opening of the Brooklands motor circuit , which inspired

9900-408: The sports car is traced to the early 20th century touring cars and roadsters , and the term 'sports car' would not be coined until after World War One. A car considered to be "a sports-car years ahead of its time" is the 1903 Mercedes Simplex 60 hp , described at the time as a fast touring car and designed by Wilhelm Maybach and Paul Daimler . The Mercedes included pioneering features such as

10010-476: The sports car, but also the most important and diverse technical developments [and] very rapid and genuine improvement in the qualities of every modern production car; assisted by new design and manufacturing techniques a consistently higher level of handling properties has been achieved." In Italy, a small but wealthy market segment allowed for the manufacture of a limited number of high-performance models directly allied to contemporary Grand Prix machines, such as

10120-522: The transaxle to be removed from the car for clutch replacement. This engine would be later used in the XR2 version of the Mk.1 Fiesta, using the US 1600 bottom end and GT spec head and cam but without the catalytic converter or emission control equipment. 1.3L versions of the Mk I Fiesta also used the Crossflow, as opposed to the Valencia (see below). The Crossflow was superseded in Ford of Europe vehicles in stages -

10230-593: The use of the Honda L15A i-VTEC for Formula F. As it was nearly impossible to succeed in motorsport without some activities in Formula 2, 3 or Formula Ford, most of the well-known racing drivers in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s owe their careers to Ford Kent to some extent, and the current historic motor racing depends heavily on the Kent-based engines. On 16 October 2009, Ford announced that it would be putting

10340-478: The war, but a small number of manufacturers returned it to prominence. In 1948, the Porsche 356 was released as the debut model from Porsche. The significance of the Porsche 356 and its successors was described in 1957 as "future historians must see them as among the most important of mid-century production cars". The 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL is another significant car from this era. The 1961 Jaguar E-Type

10450-443: The weight crept upward as production progressed, it remained remarkably low for a production car of over a litre displacement. The front was by "A" arms and coil springs with an anti-roll bar serving as the front half of the top A-arm. The rear had trailing arms, a triangular centre locating member, and a solid rear axle. The Lotus Seven has spawned many books, test reports, and articles, many of which are still in print. Because of

10560-416: Was a mainstay of Ford's entry level compact range for nearly 25 years. The Valencia was initially available in 1.0 L (957 cc) (in both high compression and low compression versions ) and a high compression 1.1 L (1,117 cc) version. To adapt the Kent Crossflow for front wheel drive the ancillaries were repositioned, and the cylinder block shortened by 30 mm (1.2 in). This allowed

10670-415: Was a pioneering all-wheel drive sports car. The 1995 Porsche 911 Turbo (993) saw the 911 Turbo model switch to all-wheel drive, a drivetrain layout that the model uses to this day. The BMW M3 was released in 1986 and has been produced for every generation since. The 1993-1996 Mercedes-Benz W124 E36 AMG was the mass-produced AMG model. Audi's equivalent division, called "RS", was launched in 1994 with

10780-684: Was an unusual arrangement for a car used to compete in rallying, nonetheless it was very successful and won the World Rally Championship in 1974 , 1975 , and 1976 . The Lancia Montecarlo was produced from 1975 to 1981 and is a mid-engine two-seater, available as a coupé or a targa-top. It was sold as Lancia Scorpion in the USA. Its racing variant, Montecarlo Turbo, won the 1979 World Championship for Makes in its division and overall for 1980 World Championship for Makes and 1981 World Endurance Championship for Makes . Montecarlo also won

10890-627: Was another significant sports car of the pre-war era and is now among the most valuable cars in the world. The T57 was successful in sports car races, including winning the 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans and 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans . Another successful Bugatti sports car was the Bugatti Type 55 (1932-1935), which was based on the Type 51 Grand Prix racing car. The decade following the Second World War saw an "immense growth of interest in

11000-410: Was changed to a fibreglass unit. Cycle fenders were originally standard, with clamshell units standard fitment on the 1500, Super Seven, and America or available as an option. While the 1172 cc Sidevalve unit remained available until 1962, the series 2 typically used Ford Kent engines of 1,340 or 1,499 cc from the Ford Consul Classic . These were also available with Cosworth modifications;

11110-582: Was changed to the top of the cylinder block. Multipoint fuel injection was now standard. This engine would also be used in the Ka until 2002 where it was replaced by the Duratec and the 1.3 Escort until 2002. This type of engine still has tappet noise even after adjustment. This noise is said to come from the cams due to incorrect valve setup (when setting valve clearance each cylinder must be set to TDC) or from age and use of incorrect oil grade. The correct oil grade

11220-454: Was covered with stressed aluminium panel bodywork. The body panels were mainly flat to avoid the expense of more elaborate curved bodywork, and the simple cloth lined plastic doors were hinged from the windscreen. The nose-cone and wheel arches were originally aluminium parts, but these were replaced in the later S2 and S3 models with painted or self-coloured fibreglass. Early Lotus Sevens weighed around 1,100 lb (10cwt/500 kg). Although

11330-634: Was launched in 1957 to replace the Mark VI as the entry-level Lotus model. The Seven name was left over from a model that Lotus abandoned, which would have been a Riley-engine single-seater that Lotus intended to enter into the Formula Two in 1952 or 1953. However, the car was completed on Chapman's chassis as a sports car by its backers and christened the Clairmonte Special. Externally similar to Chapman's earlier Lotus Mark VI , but with

11440-604: Was moved from New Zealand to the United States in 2010 to undergo a full restoration. A car with a tuned Ford 1172 cc engine and close-ratio gearbox was tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1958. It was found to have a top speed of 80.4 mph (129.4 km/h), could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.2 seconds and had a fuel consumption of 31.0 miles per imperial gallon (9.1 L/100 km; 25.8 mpg ‑US ). The test car cost £1,157 including taxes of £386. They commented that car could be bought in component form and then it would have cost £399 for

11550-407: Was of primary concern to Chapman. Like racing cars of the time, it was therefore built around a multi-tube space frame with high sides to allow a stiffer frame (longer lever arm). The Series II and later road versions had simpler frames than the more race-oriented Series I. A front-mounted engine driving the rear wheels (a similar layout to most cars of the day) and a very lightweight steel spaceframe

11660-694: Was produced until 1980. Other successful lightweight roadsters include the Triumph Spitfire (1962-1980) and the Alfa Romeo Spider (1966-1993). The Fiat X1/9 (1972-1989) was unusual for its use of a mid-engine design in an affordable roadster model. A late entrant to the affordable roadster market was the 1975 Triumph TR7 , however by the late 1970s the demand for this style of car was in decline, resulting in production ceasing in 1982. The original Lotus Elan (1962-1975) two-seat coupe and roadster models are an early commercial success for

11770-675: Was released in 1964 and has remained in production since. The 911 is notable for its use of the uncommon rear-engine design and the use of a flat-six engine . Another successful rear-engine sports car was the original Alpine A110 (1961-1977), which was a successful rally car during the Group 4 era. In 1965, the BMW New Class Coupes were released, leading to the BMW 6 Series which remains in production to this day. The Lamborghini Miura (1966) and Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale (1967) mid-engined high-performance cars are often cited as

11880-463: Was up from 5 to 8 percent, depending on the model. It first appeared in 1.1 and 1.3 L (1,118 and 1,297 cc) guises on the Ford Escort and Orion for the 1989 model year, and on the then-new Ford Fiesta Mark III the same year, which also offered a smaller 1.0 L (999 cc) version to replace the older 1.0 L (957 cc) Valencia. The HCS engine is easily distinguishable from

11990-416: Was used. One disadvantage of live axles is higher unsprung weight , affecting handling and ride on rough surfaces. In general, cars with non-optimised aerodynamics tend to be free of adverse aerodynamic effects on handling, but the front wheel arches, of all but the Series I, cause lift at high speeds. Like the good straight-line performance, the car's nimble handling is limited in the speed range, and this

12100-417: Was without a doubt the first attempt to give real performance to a road car. Many of its features, such as a honeycomb radiator and gate gear change, were continued on the much improved version which Paul Daimler designed in 1899-1900. This was of course the famous Mercedes. It also laid down standards of chassis design which were to be followed, almost unthinkingly, for the next thirty years. Several variants of

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