ABOUT THE BIRKIN
What, exactly, is a Birkin?
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The Birkin S3 sports car is a reproduction of the Lotus 7 Series 3, originally manufactured by Lotus Cars UK in 1968. Birkin Cars are manufactured in South Africa and have earned an international reputation for craftsmanship and quality. They are both street legal and competition-ready. |
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The Birkin S3 is one of a number of derivatives of classic “7” type cars. Most of these are only broadly similar to the original Lotus in appearance, and differ significantly in technical construction.
Birkin’s S3 is one of only two reproductions that bear real resemblance to the original Lotus, although both have been re-engineered in different directions to meet modern safety and emission standards.
Click here to see an article about the Birkin S3 in Kit Car magazine.
Birkin’s "Seven" Cousins, Lotus and Caterham
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The Lotus Seven was a small, simple, lightweight two-seater open-top sports car produced by Lotus Cars between 1957 and 1972. The designer was Lotus founder Colin Chapman, a Royal Air Force pilot who studied structural engineering and went on to become one of the great innovators in motorsports design. |
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Perhaps due to Chapman’s philosophy of “adding lightness,” the original model was highly successful, with more than 2,500 cars sold due to its attraction as a street legal car that could be used for clubman racing. After Lotus ended production of the Seven, Caterham bought the rights to it in 1972, and today make both kits and fully assembled cars. 2007 marked the 50th year of Lotus/Caterham 7 production. Both Lotus and Caterham are native to the UK. |
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