A Royal Air Force Puma HC2 helicopter provided the raw material for this unique Caterham Seven 360R, making it the ultimate in military chic. Created to support Mission Motorsport and the RAF Benevolent Fund, this 360R also showcases Caterham’s ability to customise and create unique fixtures and fittings for its clients.
Caterham Seven 360R RAF Benson
The bodywork, trim and switchgear have all been derived from a decommissioned Puma HC2, a French helicopter introduced by the RAF way back in 1971. A couple of dozen Pumas are still in service, based at RAF Benson, but the aircraft is nearing the end of its service life.
Caterham Seven 360R RAF Benson and the Puma HC2
The helicopter that gave up its parts to Caterham first flew in 1972. XW232 saw service around the world and its aluminium fuselage was used to make the Caterham’s body panels. The metal was taken from the aircraft’s doors and tail boom, with the external finishes left exactly as they were, while any new metal on the car was painted in stock issue Nato green.
Details of the doors on the Caterham Seven 360R RAF Benson
This gives the 360R a thoroughly militaristic attitude, with exposed rivets, markings and graphics along with the famous RAF roundel all present and correct on the patinated door and body panels. The carbon fibre seats are padded in the distinctive quilted soundproofing used in the passenger compartment of the Puma, as are the transmission tunnel and door panels.
Details of the bonnet on the Caterham Seven 360R RAF Benson
The Caterham Seven 360R even has a helicopter-style ignition
The Puma’s switchgear has also been recycled, transformed into a military-grade dashboard that would be the envy of any Land-Rover enthusiast. Finished in satin black, the dashboard has been inset with original switchgear, including the lighting panel and original navigation clock, as well as a three-stage helicopter-style ignition switch (‘for added theatre to start-up’). Underneath the bonnet, a traditional ammunition box has been repurposed as a battery case.
The dashboard features original switches and dials from the Puma HC2
Caterham worked alongside personnel from the RAF base to complete the car (a roll call of those involved is featured on the bonnet), with the intention of bolstering RAF Benson’s STEM skills and links to industry. The 360R comes with a track suspension pack and a 2.0 Ford Duratec 4-cylinder engine; the 180 bhp gives the ultra-light Caterham a huge power-to-weight ratio.
It might not be a conventional swords-into-ploughshares project, but this collaboration offers up new ways of thinking about waste materials and mechanical skills.
Caterham Seven 360R x RAF special edition, bidding for the car will open on 15 August through the Collecting Cars website, CollectingCars.com
Caterham Cars, CaterhamCars.com, @CaterhamCarsLtd
-
Morgan announces nine limited editions of its Super 3 three-wheelerThe Super 3 Origins Collection assembles nine elaborate design specifications for the diminutive Morgan Super 3, drawing on the influences and inspirations that shaped this high-performance three-wheeler
-
Vipp’s new guesthouse in Latvia’s Salaca National Park is its cosiest to dateDanish design brand Vipp transforms a 19th-century Latvian riverside log cabin into its ninth guesthouse
-
Step inside Le Harlequin, an imaginative redesign of a Mumbai apartmentLe Harlequin by Design Hex is an imaginative redesign of a Mumbai apartment in the bustling Indian city's Lower Parel neighbourhood
-
Meet the Alvis continuation series – a storied name in British motoring history is backThe Alvis name is more than a century old yet you can still order a factory-fresh model from its impressive back catalogue, thanks to the survival of its unique archive
-
Will this UK company secure the future of classic cars?Everrati, a specialist UK engineering firm hailing from the rolling hills of the Cotswolds in the UK, thinks it holds the key to classic car electrification
-
NAIC's architectural facility in England’s car-making heartlandDesigned by Cullinan Studio, the centre sits at the entrance to the University of Warwick campus
-
Striking footbridge reconnects Tintagel Castle to the Cornish cliffsSeparated over 500 years ago by a dramatic gorge, Tintagel Castle has been reconnected to the mainland with a red steel footbridge. Paved with slate and quartzite tiles, it slices through the Cornish coastal landscape, unexpectedly – yet successfully – connecting history and legend to the present
-
Brutalist icon Preston Bus Station gets facelift by John Puttick Associates -
The fastest electric bike on earth is a tech toy for thrill-seekers -
Ocean Liners at the V&A Museum explores the history of transatlantic seafaring design -
The Volvo Cross Country V90 puts driver engagement front and centre
