Extra Lightweight Lotus Seven Project
If you’ve ever experienced a Lotus Seven, you know these cars are about as stripped down as you can get. As Colin Chapman use to say, “simplify, then add lightness”. Well it seems after simplifying the Seven as much as they could, the only way they could manage to shave any more weight from this lightweight was to just make it smaller… Alright, you caught me, that isn’t really what happened here with this pint sized Seven. This is a Grasshopper electric toy car for kids. You can find this fun little car here on eBay in Huddersfield, United Kingdom. Special thanks to Dik S from the Netherlands for this find!
What a fun toy! I would have loved to have one of these when I was a kid. The proportions actually work quite well, it almost looks full sized! I love all the little details, like the exhaust and hood bulge. It’s probably a good thing I don’t have any kids, otherwise I’d be bidding on this one!
I’m going to guess this car doesn’t currently run, as the seller admits a restoration was started once but never finished. It also looks like the electric motor is currently sitting in a box with some spare parts. Putting it back together shouldn’t be too difficult, there really isn’t much here, but getting it wired up and running might take some work. While it would be great to put it back to original, I wonder if you could fit a small petrol engine under the bonnet. Wouldn’t that be fun?
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Comments
It looks like it should be named Droopy McDroopnose
That could go along with the 190SL pedal car my grandson has.
Since I barely fit a fullsize Seven, I’m guessing I’ll pass on this! Even the (supposedly) more commodious Caterhams are a bit of a squeeze, though the fun is well worth the contortions required!
A great find for the kiddies, though…and yes, the Seven’s proportions are faithfully rendered in smaller size.
listing has ended. never knew they made these in that size. interesting but i would rather have a full size one for the ” kid in me “. great find.
Back in the late 80s I bought my then 7 year old stepdaughter one of those electric kiddie-sized Jeeps. I could actually fit in it if I draped my legs over the windshield and onto the front fenders (which is no small feat because I am 6’4″ and at the time weighed about 210 – I’m 240 now and long for the days back when I was “skinny” but I digress) Anyhow, my only complaint about the Jeep is that is was painfully slow, not much faster than a semi-brisk walk. But I was impressed that it was able to haul me around at all, although it was obvious that it put a major strain on it. I do hope that the kiddie Caterham is at least able to go a respectable speed, say like 25-30 mph, give the kids a thrill before they have to go to the ER, right?
i bought it
im restoring it as we speak
http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/topic/316090-my-daughters-new-project/