He died in 2007 and his family was shocked to find it there, dust covered, but in good condition. It may fetch up to £3m ($4.35m) when it goes under the hammer.

The classic car is thought to be one of just 17 built. It was capable of reaching speeds of 130 miles per hour, at a time when most cars topped out at under 70 mph.

A similar model, cleaned up, is also shown.

In 1998 Volkswagen purchased the rights to the legendary Bugatti name. VW has kept the brand alive, most recently with the Bugatti Veyron, one of the world’s fastest and most expensive cars.

Not exactly a sports car story, except that it involves an engineer for the famous F1.

Gordon Murray, who is the engineer behind the McLaren F1, is at work on a green city car called the Type 25, aka T.25. Although the actual design is a secret, Gordon did say that, “Our goal is to make the T.25 the next iconic city car, from a styling point of view, as was the 1957 Fiat 500 and the 1959 Mini.”

Unfortunately, the T.25 will not initially have a U.S. version. It is a vehicle where the size has been optimized for European roads and parking. The U.S. version will have to be a bigger vehicle in order to pass the unbelted occupant crash tests.

Ferrari California

NO!

A 4 seat Ferrari? Tell me it ain’t so.

Yes, I know it’s a hard-top convertible. But Grandpa Richard’s classical thoughts on sports cars, like the ones Ferrari make, do not include 4 seats. The Ferrari California, a 4.3 liter V-8 front-engined, first-of-its-kind for Ferrari, looks like a classic Ferrari. This one includes two comfortable, but impossible to get into, small rear seats, with complete leather interiors.

Missing, unfortunately, are Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Ferrari, Fiat, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Skoda, Volkswagen and Volvo.

For more on the show, use your favourite search engine, or start at this site.

Daniel Mastretta says the Mastretta MXT is the first car ever to be designed and built in Mexico, and the brothers believe the sporty two-seater will be a strong rival to lightweight sports cars such as the Lotus Elise and Exige. And the UK will be the launch market for the car.

Specifications

Chassis: Semimonocoque aluminum extrusions And box sections. Composite/aluminum sandwich floor. Bonded with epoxy structural adhesives. Rear substructure and rollbar of Chromoly 4130 Tubing. Front energy absorbing crash box.

Body: Polyester composite RTM moldings

Engine: L4; 2.0 liter; DOHC; 16 valve 240 HP; turbocharged and aftercooled.

Gearbox: 5 speed manual

Suspension: Independent double wishbone. Coil springs and shocks, front anti roll bar

Brakes: Vented discs. 12” diameter

Steering: Rack and pinion; 2.8 turns lock to lock

DOT approved windshield and glass package

3 point seatbelts

Electronic instrumentation: road mode and race mode

Equipment: MP3 sound. Bucket seats, heating and air conditioning. Hella lighting

General dimensions L: 3900 mm. W: 1750 mm H: 1150 mm Wheelbase: 2415 mm

Fuel Tank : Aluminum construction; 40 liters

There are scores of companies and individuals offering car kits. How can you decide which seller is right for particular needs? There is no easy answer, but there are certain considerations that are likely to lead you in the right direction.

When choosing a sports car kit provider, remember the following tips:

You don’t want to deal with a company or seller who is only interested in shipping you a kit without care for its quality or exact make-up. Honesty and integrity are essential.

Finding out about the integrity of a kit supplier is not as simple as calling them on the phone and asking! Instead, one needs to seek out the experience of third parties with whom the supplier has done business.

You can find a network of likeminded kit car enthusiasts in your area or via the internet. Ask others who have been there before about their experiences with various companies.

Were the promised items delivered? You don’t want to end up with the wrong items, mismatched parts, or something unlike your desired final product.

Were the manuals accurate? Inaccuracies in manuals and directions can create unneeded frustration and may even cause you to do something dangerous. Appropriate documentation and information is an absolute must.

Was the cost as promised? Beware of suppliers who pad their shipping costs to the point it becomes a secondary profit center. Also make buyers from a considered company received what they wanted at the price to which they had agreed.

Was shipping prompt? Long delays in order fulfillment can be worrisome. It could be a sign of inadequate resources on the part of the company. At the very least, it is certainly a sign of subpart customer service.

Was customer support and assistance available? One should be able to quickly call and get necessary information and support from the sports car kit supplier. Do not enter into a purchase arrangement with an outfit that cannot answer your queries or is unwilling to do so.

These questions will get you the kind of answers you need to make an informed decision about your sports car kit investment.

You can also seek out information from kit car publications. There are magazine titles devoted completely to the replicar industry, and they can be a tremendous asset when determining with whom you would like to do business.

Finally, one of the best ways to make sure you will be buying what you want is to seek out finished examples of the kits under consideration. By looking at the finished product, you can be sure you will be investing in the kind and quality of kit you that really fits your needs.

Although car kit hobbyists are not as common as other sports car hobbyists, this interesting diversion is populated by a collection of helpful individuals and is supported by some solid publications. One need not enter into the purchase of a replicar sports car kit blindly. Do your research by asking the right questions and by evaluating the right resources and your replicar buying experience can be a productive one.

Driving Quality

Most automobiles are designed with function and affordability in mind. Sports cars are focused on performance. The quality of a sports car driving experience is unparalleled. Drivers are able to hug turns, accelerate quickly when necessary, and have a level of driving control not offered by the larger vehicles with whom they must share the road.

If you, as a driver, are concerned with the quality of your driving experience, there is no real alternative to a true sports car. Designed with the most discriminating drivers in mind, sports cars trump the performance of other vehicles easily. One need only take a spin in an oversized SUV and compare it to the driving experience they find in a quality sports car to understand the significant difference.

Beauty

Appearance may not be the chief reason to make an automotive investment, but when confronted with today’s highways littered with cookie-cutter cars, a discriminating buyer can find an escape with a beautifully designed sports car.

Function can be important, but there is room even in the utilitarian world of automobiles to seek out something more aesthetically pleasing. We often spend a great deal of time in and around are cars. Those who want to spend that time in the company of good design are likely to find the sleek lines and measured appearance of sports cars a welcome respite from the dull boxes on wheels so many people choose to use for transportation.

Residual Value

Every new car depreciates the second the ignition key is turned, but some cars are better at holding their value than others. A scant few may actually become more valuable with the passage of time. Sports cars, due to their aforementioned beauty and quality are more likely to become future classics and strong value-holders than many other automobiles.

Take a quick glance through the classified advertisements. Which older cars are still demanding a strong price? You are sure to notice that economy cars and generic pickup trucks are fetching far less than high-performance sports cars. And consider the classic cars for which collectors now yearn. How many enthusiasts are searching for old Chryslers? By comparison, how many would be interested in a vintage Corvette? Sports cars have a much greater potential of becoming coveted possessions.

Individual Expression

Every purchase says something about the buyer. Someone who wants to blend into the crowd is likely to purchase an automobile that blends into traffic. There are those, however, who want to take ach and every opportunity to express their individuality. Sports cars make up a relatively small percentage of the cars on the road. Sports car ownership thus gives one an opportunity to distinguish themselves from the crowd.

One need not turn their automobile choice into a statement. But the opportunity to do so is there if one desires. Sports car ownership makes a statement of individuality and displays a desire to stand out where others seek only to blend in.

Fun

There are intangible benefits to sports car ownership that difficult to qualify or quantify. Chief among these is the pure entertainment and fun one can have with their sports car. One can talk about hugging a curve without taking their foot off the gas or zipping through slow traffic while remaining in complete control. One can discuss the feeling of satisfaction they take from knowing they are operating a true example of great engineering. These various observations and explanations all add up to the almost inexplicable fun inherent in sports car driving.

Sports cars are iconic. They have a mystique. That mystique is impossible to totally define or pigeonhole, but it exists. Its existence is born out again and again as top designers fret over the smallest details and accomplished drivers relish the opportunity to test the latest models. Sports car ownership is, at its core, fun.

There is undoubtedly a litany of justifications for purchasing an economy car. SUV owners certainly have a logical explanation for their purchases. None of the utilitarian laundry lists favoring other models, however, can be quite as compelling as the reasons to buy a sports car.

The Seven is the original British lightweight sportscar. Originally created by Colin Chapman and launched as the Lotus 7 in 1957, the car embodies the Chapman design ethos of ‘adding lightness’. The low mass of the car makes it inherently agile, gives startling performance and, most of all, imbues the driving experience with its unparalleled sense of purity, control and reward. It is, quite simply, a motoring icon.

Caterham Cars has been selling the Seven since the late 1950’s. In 1973 Caterham purchased the rights to manufacture the car from Lotus, and has been building and selling it ever since. Over the decades Caterham have continued to refine and enhance the design, whilst always respecting the brilliance of the original formula.

Visit their website at Caterham Cars.