Caterham rebrands to spearhead its continued expansion plans.

Caterham today unveils its fresh new branding, designed to spearhead the Caterham Group’s continuing international expansion and diversification into new sectors.

The new corporate identity features a bold new selection of green tones and a coloured Union Flag emblem, all reflecting Caterham’s proud British heritage.

Since Malaysian entrepreneurs Tony Fernandes and Datuk Kamarudin Meranun purchased the Caterham brand in 2011, the original sportscar company has been joined in the Group by Caterham Technology & Innovation (CTI), Caterham Composites, Caterham Bikes, Caterham Moto Racing Team, Caterham Challenge and the F1 and GP2 race teams.

The rebrand will be applied across all arms of the Group and has been designed to mirror the brand’s commitment to deliver ‘accessible fun’ across its whole spectrum of businesses.

Tony Fernandes, Caterham Group Co-Chairman said: “The Caterham coloured Union Flag emblem is our celebration of Caterham’s British heritage. The Caterham brand has been in existence for over 40 years and, in simple terms, is a brand that puts smiles on people’s faces. It is a proud British brand, one that celebrates Britain’s engineering prowess and we, in turn, are proud to showcase our British heritage.

“This is an exciting time for Caterham across all our interests; our F1 team is embarking on its fifth season with everything in place to make serious progress this year. On the roads, Caterham Cars goes from strength to strength, winning universal praise for launching its fastest ever road car, the 620R and the same acclaim for our lowest-priced model, the 160. We also have our roadcar partnership with Renault, which started in F1, and that is now firmly into the development phase of our first product, which will be on the roads in early 2016.

“In late 2013, we launched Caterham’s first two-wheeled ventures, while CTI is involved in a number of fascinating projects. Many of these we cannot talk about for confidentiality reasons, but there is a team in Hingham, working very closely with Caterham Cars and Renault on our new road car, bringing their skill set to bear alongside a major international car manufacturer.

“Caterham Composites, our specialist composite design and manufacturing consultancy in Germany, is also working on a range of concepts, including a project with Airbus Group on new, lightweight aircraft seats. The benefits of that project are obvious, and they are a good example of how we are creating innovation and revenue across the Group.

“Overall, this is an incredibly exciting time to be part of Caterham in all its guises. I am very pleased to see that companies of the stature of GE, Airbus Group and Dell / Intel continue to share our vision and I am excited about seeing how much further we can grow in 2014. I firmly believe that we will look back on 2014 as the year the Caterham story really began.”

Caterham cars breaks export sales record for 2013

Caterham Cars has sold more vehicles to overseas buyers in 2013 than in any other year in the firm’s history. Its export sales now represent over 61 percent of all units sold.

Thanks to its expanding export team, the British sportscar marque has notched up over 300 export sales of its famous two-seater Seven model in 2013, outstripping last year’s total by 25 per cent.

Outside of the UK, Caterham Cars’ largest market is France accounting for almost a third of its overseas sales in 2013.  Japan follows closely, almost doubling its sales year on year. More progress is expected in the Japanese market, thanks to the introduction of the new Seven 130*.

Meanwhile Swiss dealer Kumschick Sports Cars cemented its 30-year relationship with the iconic British sports car with the most successful sales year in over a decade; the best-selling model being the Seven 485.

Caterham’s profile also continues to rise across the Atlantic, thanks to the success of its partnership with Dyson Racing which imports the SP/300.R racer. Caterham recently announced Superformance as its sole new North American importer for its Seven products and the appointment has already seen a positive impact on sales. Caterham intends to see USA sales volumes rise over the next three years as it further develops the local market.

Overseas expansion continues further afield with new dealers already appointed in South American markets Chile, Peru and Colombia.

David Ridley, Chief Commercial Officer of Caterham Cars, said: “Caterham’s ethos - to deliver accessible fun – is well-known by the motoring public in the UK, but we are now applying that philosophy across Europe and beyond. It’s satisfying to see consistent demand in our established markets like France, Japan and the USA, and it’s also very encouraging to see a growing demand from our new territories. Our on-going participation in Formula One is, in part, to thank for our growing global brand awareness”

“Caterham is the sort of brand which attracts genuine fans who are passionate about its heritage and potential. These unique qualities and a growing demand for genuine British products have helped us to steadily expand sales overseas. Several new models at the top and entry point of the range have also attracted new customers to the brand.”

Contributing to the strong export performance are new models which conform to strict EU6 regulations, including the powerful, 240ps Seven 485 and the innovative entry-level Seven 165. Caterham’s one-make racing championships also continue to develop strongly in markets outside of the UK.

Known for its extreme performance, handling finesse and low weight, the Seven range starts at £14,995** in the UK and €19,995 in mainland Europe (+ local taxes).

The Caterham Group – formed by a team led by Tony Fernandes – incorporates Caterham Cars, Caterham F1 Team, Caterham Technology & Innovation, Caterham Composites and the recently-announced Caterham Bikes division.

Friend of Bubble Visor - Eicma part 3

Fun, Fast and fully built for £18k, the new Caterham Seven 160

• Priced from £14,995 or 17,995 fully built
• Suzuki-powered 660cc Seven with new live-axle will be ultimate in ‘accessible fun’
• UK variant named Seven 160; EU gets 165

Caterham Cars has opened the order book for the Seven 160 – its new entry-level variant of the iconic sportscar, powered by a super-compact, turbocharged Suzuki engine.

Priced from £14,995 in component form, the car’s live-axle rear suspension, compact engine and low weight embody the pioneering spirit of early Sevens and represent a new entry-point to the Seven range.

The Seven 160 – EU customers will get an altered version, called 165 – produces 80hp from its 660cc, three-cylinder, turbocharged engine, enabling it to accelerate to 60mph in a brisk 6.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 100mph.

With fleet-of-foot charm and handling finesse, rather than outright performance dictating the driving experience, the new car redefines the budget sportscar segment while introducing new levels of efficiency and value for money to the Caterham range.

Caterham Cars CEO, Graham Macdonald, said: “As the Caterham Group as a whole grows and expands into new sectors and industries, our commitment to keep evolving the Seven is very much alive.

“The 160 offers something truly different to the entry-level market. It’s more economical, more accessible and every bit as fun on the road as other Sevens but has its own unique personality.”

The new rear axle, a throwback to early Sevens in terms of simplicity and purity of design, complements the Suzuki Motor Corporation engine and lower overall body weight, while delivering Caterham’s acclaimed, intuitive handling experience and a balanced yet playful chassis.

To meet the desired performance criteria, the Caterham Group’s engineering consultancy, Caterham Technology & Innovation (CTI), fine-tuned engine performance from its standard output of 64hp to 80hp, while boosting fuel economy and reducing vehicle emissions. The vehicle conforms to EU5, EU6 and JC08 emissions regulations.

Macdonald continued: “The engineering challenges we faced when developing the new vehicle were significant. The engine, suspension and the overall dynamics all needed to work in harmony and the various arms of the Group have been successful in pooling facilities and expertise to achieve that.”

The number five at the end of the EU spec car’s moniker signifies that the vehicle complies with the EU5 emissions standards, allowing it to be sold across mainland Europe and beyond.

Production of the Caterham Seven 160 and 165 is expected to begin in January 2014, with first deliveries later that Spring.