Caterham 21 History

Announced at the 1994 British Motor Show to mark the company's 21 years producing the Seven, the Caterham 21 was a deliberate departure: a more conventional, weather-friendly two-seater with a smooth glass-reinforced plastic body, a fixed scuttle-mounted windscreen, side doors for easier entry, and a proper folding hood — all built on a modified version of the Seven's tubular spaceframe chassis.

Engines were shared with the contemporary Seven range: Rover K-series units displacing 1.6 to 1.8 litres, producing 115 to 230 bhp depending on tune. Despite its more conventional body, the 21 was intended to compete with the new Lotus Elise and MG F, but development resources were limited and the arrival of the superior Lotus Elise in 1996 overshadowed it. Only around 40 to 50 cars were built before production ended in 1999, leaving the 21 as a rare curiosity — and one of very few occasions Caterham seriously explored an identity beyond the Seven.