The timeless appeal of Colin Chapman's 1957-designed Caterham Seven remains; captivating the imagination of drivers, both on track and road.

Today, 45 years after the Seven was first shown at the British Motor Show and 30 years after the handover from Lotus, the demand for Caterhams has never been stronger nor the cars more exciting.

Taking centre stage at this year's Motor Show will be the firm's latest creation, the road-going Superlight R300, which boasts a

0-60mph sprint time of 4.7 seconds and a top-speed of 130mph.

Drawing its power exclusively from the reliable yet hugely flexible MG Rover K Series engine, the Seven family was redefined earlier this year as part of its aim to broaden the appeal of the world-famous marque.

As well as the Classic and the increased dimension Roadsport SV, visitors to the show at the Birmingham NEC in October will be able to see Caterham's entry into this year's Nurburgring 24-hour race.

Proving its strength and reliability, the car not only achieved a class victory, but went on to finish 11th overall in one of the world's toughest endurance races.