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.

Caterham to wow the crowds with its most exciting stand ever, at 2014 Autosport show

Caterham is set to showcase its most exciting line-up to date at the 2014 Autosport International Show on 9th – 12th January 2014 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham.

The British sportscar maker has enjoyed a landmark year and will display a whole host of products from across the entire Caterham Group; headlined by the AeroSeven concept car which was revealed at the Singapore Grand Prix earlier this year.

In addition to the concept, the 2013 CT03 Caterham F1 car will be on the stand, alongside the SP/300.R racing and trackday car, the new Superlight R300 championship race car, the Seven 485 SV  and the Caterham Kart.

In Hall 4, the ever-popular Caterham Experience will be running for the duration of the 4-day-long show. Visitors can experience a thrilling passenger ride in a Seven alongside Caterham’s team of professional drivers on a bespoke indoor drift course. In addition, a limited number of lucky visitors will also have the chance to get behind the wheel and master the art of donutting for themselves with Caterham’s team of expert tyre screechers. Spaces on the Caterham Donut School are limited and are a firm favourite with show goers; book early to avoid disappointment.

The AeroSeven concept, which will go on sale next year, was designed with significant input from all of the Caterham Group divisions and draws heavily on methods and technologies used by the F1 team. The AeroSeven will be the very first Caterham to be fitted with traction control, thanks to a newly-developed Caterham Engine Management System. The concept features styling that hints strongly towards the future of Caterham design.

In October, Caterham launched its most accessible model to date – the Caterham Seven 160 – which is powered by a three-cylinder 80hp Suzuki engine and is priced from just £14,995 in component form. A special, handmade cut-away model of the entry-level car will be on show alongside Caterham’s most powerful Seven ever, the 620R. At the opposite end of the performance spectrum to the 160, the 620R boasts 310bhp and achieves 0-60 mph in just 2.79 seconds.

At last year’s Autosport International Show, the firm revealed the brand new Caterham Kart - which will form the basis of a new, accessible karting championship in the UK.

The new championship is open to 13 – 16 year olds and entry into the series is priced at just £5,994. True to Caterham’s ethos of making performance accessible, the championship intends to revive karting as a sport in its own right and will commence in 2015.

Visitors to the show will find Caterham on stand 2540 in Hall 20 and the Caterham Drive Experience can be found in hall 4. Any Caterham driver who brings their Seven key to the stand will also be entitled to a complimentary beverage in the exclusive customer area.