1965 Lotus Super Seven for sale on BaT Auctions – ending October 25 (Lot #168,019)

This 1965 Lotus Super Seven was acquired by the seller’s father in Massachusetts in 2005. Subsequent refurbishment work included rebuilding its 1.5-liter Cosworth Ford inline-four, rear axle, brakes, tachometer, fuel pump, and dual Weber carburetors as well as reupholstering the black vinyl seats, ceramic coating the exhaust manifold and muffler, cleaning and sealing the fuel tank, powder-coating the wheels and various suspension components, reconditioning the starter and generator, and replacing the shocks, tires, engine mounts, and bottom seat cushions. The car is finished in two-tone green and additional equipment includes a four-speed manual transmission, front disc brakes, independent front suspension, and 13″ steel wheels. This Series 2 Super Seven is now offered by the seller on behalf of his father with service records, correspondence from the Lotus Seven Register and Cosworth Engineering, an owner’s manual, replacement body parts, and a clean Massachusetts title in the owner’s name.

The car left the factory finished in British Racing Green and was repainted in the current shades under previous ownership. It features aluminum bodywork with a fiberglass nose cone and fenders fitted over a tubular steel spaceframe chassis in which the floor pans and transmission tunnel are stressed. Exterior details include a side mirror, wind wings, a folding soft top frame, a side-exit exhaust system, and a wheel arch stone guard on the right. Close-up photos showing paint blemishes and corrosion can be found in the gallery.

Black powder-coated 13″ steel wheels wearing silver-finished hub caps are mounted with older 155/80 Kumho Power Star 758 tires, and a matching spare is mounted at the rear. Suspension is handled by independent control arms incorporating an anti-roll bar up front, a live axle with upper trailing arms and a lower A-frame bracket out back, and replacement coil spring dampers all around. Steering is via rack-and-pinion while braking is provided by Girling front discs and rear drums.

The seats were reupholstered in black vinyl under current ownership and they are fitted with red TRW Sabelt cam-lock seatbelts. The car is equipped with a heater, and additional interior details include a shift lever topped by a wood knob, a dash-mounted rearview mirror, exposed aluminum footwells, and a painted tunnel. A worn brass plaque for the 1968 Watkins Glen 10th Annual Grand Prix is affixed to the dashboard.

The three-spoke wood-rimmed steering wheel fronts a rebuilt Smiths 8k-rpm tachometer flanked by AC coolant-temperature and oil-pressure gauges. A bank of aircraft-style switchgear occupies the center of the dashboard while a Smiths 130-mph speedometer and an AC ammeter are positioned to the right. The five-digit odometer shows 50k miles, approximately 3k of which were added under current ownership.

The 1.5-liter Cosworth Ford 116E inline-four features a pair of rebuilt Weber 40mm DCOE carburetors with velocity stacks as well as a Cosworth ribbed aluminum valve cover.

A rebuild of the engine at Advanced Engine Rebuilding of Wareham, Massachusetts, in 2006 included:

• Magnafluxing the block, crankshaft, cylinder head, and connecting rods
• Repairing a cylinder head crack
• Resurfacing the cylinder head
• Grinding and polishing the crankshaft
• Polishing the rocker shaft
• Honing and grinding the rocker arms
• Reconditioning the connecting rods
• Cleaning and grinding the flywheel
• Balancing the crankshaft, flywheel, clutch, and connecting rods
• Replacing the connecting rod and main bearings
• Boring and honing the cylinders .040″ over
• Replacing the pistons and rings
• Replacing the camshaft
• Replacing the timing chain and sprocket
• Replacing the valves and springs
• Installing hardened valve seats
• Performing a competition valve job
• Replacing the engine mounts

Power is sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission and a rebuilt rear axle.

The car is accompanied by an owner’s manual and service records, Lotus Seven Register and Cosworth Engineering correspondence, and a replacement fiberglass nose piece and fenders.

The car’s unit number—SB2071—is used as the VIN on the title with an “L” added to the beginning. A redacted photo of the title can be viewed in the gallery.