The Lotus Seven is a lightweight, compact sports car built by Lotus starting in 1957. A perfect example of Lotus' lightweight and simple construction philosophy, the Lotus Seven featured an iconic open wheel, open top design that continues to be emulated to this day. The Lotus Seven was built in four generations: Series 1 (1957-1960), Series 2 (1961-1967), Series 3 (1968-1969), and Series 4 (1970-1979). After the end of Lotus Seven production, Lotus licenced the Seven design to Caterham, who continues to make variants of their Caterham Seven to this day.