THE LIGHT FANTASTIC

Caterham's CEO on why light is best, and why real driving doesn't need software

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'We don't like to talk about competitors,' says Caterham CEO Bob Laishley matter-of-factly, and without a hint of arrogance. 'The Seven is a completely different car that you buy for completely different reasons.' We're standing on the mezzanine floor overlooking the company's recently opened new factory in Dartford, where beneath us a kaleidoscope of Caterhams are in various states of orderly manufacture; one man, one car per build bay – one signature that signals their truly hand-built construction.

'They are pure, simple, fun cars,' Laishley enthuses. 'In a world where modern cars are becoming more controlling on what you can and can't do, way beyond stability programs, this is a car that is the antidote to all of that. It takes you back to that analogue age of pure driving fun. I can put my hand on my heart and say that I've never seen anybody get out of a Caterham without a smile on their face.'

That Laishley once held the very senior role of programme director for the Nissan GT-R in Japan is both ironic – given the weight and complexity of the GT-R – but also of immense reassurance, as evidence that this little British company we all care about is being led by a genuine car enthusiast. The Japanese connection is important, too, because it led to Caterham's current owners, the Japan-based global car retail group VT Holdings, approaching Laishley in 2022, after he had taken early retirement from Nissan, to lead Caterham into its new era. He is absolutely clear on where a minnow like Caterham fits in the modern motoring world.