The Caterham logo guarantees harmonious design and optimal interior content. The company’s machines are perfect and cause universal delight. The emblem predicts sports victories for cars, thanks to a well-thought-out design.
Caterham: Brand overview
Founded: | 1973 |
Founder: | Graham Nearn |
Headquarters: | Crawley, Sussex, England |
Website: | caterhamcars.com |
Caterham is a British automotive brand that develops and manufactures specialized sports cars. Its full name is Caterham Cars. It appeared in 1963 and was founded by Graham Nearn. The manufacturing facility is located in Surrey County – in the town of Caterham, after which it was named. It is headquartered in Crawley, Sussex County. The company is the sole distributor of the legendary Lotus Seven race car, designed by Colin Chapman. She sells it as a Caterham 7. In the spring of 2011, Malaysian entrepreneur Anthony Francis Fernandes announced the purchase of the company. But in 2021, information appeared that the Caterham brand was completely transferred to the Japanese VT Holdings.
In the 60s of the last century, Caterham Cars became the largest sports car dealer of the latest model, Lotus 7. Seeing the great demand for the car and feeling a great future, Graham Nearn, the company’s founder, bought the rights to manufacture this sports car. He made a deal with Colin Chapman himself, its inventor. This event took place in 1973 when a design engineer announced a desire to cancel production.
The brand’s new owner decided to continue with the Lotus Seven Series 4, but the model turned out to be unpopular, and he switched to its predecessor. In 1974, the manufacturer put twenty-one sports cars on the market. All variants were equipped with a 1557 cc Ford Lotus Twin Cam engine. The only exception was one model – the seventh, designed for racing. It was equipped with a 1962 cc engine with two camshafts from Alfa Romeo. Today, the Caterham 7 is highly regarded by car enthusiasts as one of the iconic sports cars of the 20th century. It was her sign that formed the basis of the corporate logo.
At this time, the company has expanded: it has expanded its assortment and increased the number of technical sites. Its factories, exhibition centers, and offices are scattered across many cities in the UK. They have been in Caterham, Dartford, Crawley, Leafield, Hingham, and some other places.
Meaning and History
The company’s visual identity is directly linked to the Lotus Cars group, whose cars it has been distributing since 1963, buying the rights to manufacture them in 1973. The corporate logo has the shape of a classic rondel with a middle where the key element of the identity is usually placed. For Lotus Seven, this is, of course, the number “7”. It sits in an inverted triangle with rounded corners. Such an extraordinary design is associated with the seven since it is much wider at the top than at the bottom. Therefore, the designers decided to make her a harmonious background. In addition, they have placed the word “Super” above it, emphasizing the high value of the car and the brand that offers it.
Next is a small green circle. It effectively backs the central element because yellow on green looks distinct and instantly catches the eye. Moreover, the green circle is followed by a wide yellow stripe, which would otherwise visually merge with the middle. And so, it is separated from the green field by a thin white line and outlined along the edge with a double frame. The inscription on it is also white. The company name is in bold serif type and is placed in an arch at the top.
What is Caterham?
Caterham Cars is a sports car manufacturer from the English town of Caterham. The company began its operations in 1973, acquiring the rights to produce its version of the Lotus Seven. This British automotive icon became popular due to its recognizable retro style. Later, other high-speed models with unique designs were created, many of which participated in races, including Formula One.
The manufacturer also uses a separate text designation – the word “Caterham” in the form of an imprint. It consists of geometrically proportional letters of the same size. All characters are uppercase. C, T, and E have beveled ends, while R and H look almost identical. Moreover, right angles are preserved on the inside of the letters, and on the outside, they are rounded.
Caterham: Interesting Facts
Caterham Cars, based in Surrey, England, since 1973, specializes in making lightweight sports cars. It’s famous for keeping the classic Lotus Seven alive, focusing on a pure and thrilling driving experience.
- Lotus Seven Roots: Caterham started by selling Lotus Cars, then took over making the Lotus Seven in 1973 when Lotus stopped. The Seven is a simple sports car from 1957 designed by Colin Chapman.
- Sticking to the Seven: Caterham focuses on improving the Seven, unlike other car companies that often change their car models. This has allowed the company to master a design that’s light, simple, and fun to drive.
- Build Your Own: You can buy a Caterham car that is fully built or as a kit. The kit lets buyers build their car, creating a special bond with their vehicle.
- Speed Records: Caterham cars, like the Seven 620R, are incredibly fast. The 620R can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.79 seconds, making it one of the quickest cars in the world when it came out.
- Racing: Caterham is deeply involved in racing, running its series for new drivers. This shows the brand’s commitment to high-performance driving.
- Formula 1 Effort: From 2012 to 2014, Caterham even had a Formula 1 team. Though it didn’t win big, this move showed Caterham’s ambition in the racing world.
- Worldwide Fans: Caterham has fans from Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Its driving experience has universal appeal and has led to global clubs and communities.
- Collaborations: Caterham has worked with other car makers and engineers to bring new ideas to its cars, like the AeroSeven Concept with advanced aerodynamics.
- The CSR Series: Introduced in the mid-2000s, the CSR series updated the Seven with better performance, comfort, and aerodynamics, proving that classic designs could evolve.
- New Ownership: In 2011, Tony Fernandes bought Caterham, opening a new chapter for the company. Despite attempts to expand the range, the focus on the Seven remains strong.
Caterham Cars stand out in the automotive world for believing that innovation doesn’t have to be complex. Its ongoing popularity and dedicated fan base worldwide highlight the Seven’s enduring charm and the unmatched driving joy it delivers.
Font and Colors
The designers chose a typeface reminiscent of Bogue Bold or ITC Souvenir Greek Demi for the graphic logo. They used a modern font with a slight italic sans serif for the separate text mark, which is close to the Hyperspace Race Extended Bold Italic.
The traditional palette of the Caterham logo is associated with the Lotus Cars identity. It also consists of white, yellow, and green colors. True, their shades are slightly different – not as saturated as those of the original company.
Caterham color codes
Black | Hex color: | #000000 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 0 0 0 | |
CMYK: | 0 0 0 100 | |
Pantone: | PMS Process Black C |