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Schmoll's Coveted Vehicle, the Luck Car, is a Lotus Super Seven.

Manfred Schmoll, about three decades ago, realized his dream by acquiring a Lotus Super Seven, a nimble, open-road sports car. Since its purchase, this vehicle has continued to bring him joy.

Schmoll's distinctive vehicle is identified as a Lotus Super Seven, referred to as the "Luck car."
Schmoll's distinctive vehicle is identified as a Lotus Super Seven, referred to as the "Luck car."

Schmoll's Coveted Vehicle, the Luck Car, is a Lotus Super Seven.

In the picturesque town of Laichingen, Germany, Manfred Schmoll, a long-time sports car enthusiast, owns a 1995 Caterham Super Seven roadster that has been a source of joy and adventure for over three decades.

The Caterham Super Seven, a sports car based on the Lotus Seven and further developed by Caterham Cars in the UK, is renowned for its lightweight design, potent engines, and exceptional handling dynamics. Manfred's particular model, while not extensively documented, likely shares these performance characteristics due to the model year and typical specifications.

The 1995 Caterham Super Seven is equipped with a 4-cylinder engine, boasting around 1800 cubic centimeters of displacement and 86 horsepower. While the top speed is theoretically 170 km/h, Manfred prefers speeds between 80 and 120 km/h, finding immense joy in navigating tight curves.

Manfred's wife, Ute, appreciates the thrilling rides but finds the car incredibly uncomfortable, especially on longer journeys, preferring not to sit in the Super Seven for more than an hour. Despite this, Manfred still finds the Caterham Super Seven worth the investment, having purchased it for 33,500 marks from a dealer in Sindelfingen 30 years ago.

The car's raw driving experience, specialized engineering focused on lightweight construction, and tuned engines delivering high output for its size have made the 1990s Caterham Sevens iconic roadsters among enthusiasts. Manfred tested the Caterham Super Seven at a dealer in Villingen-Schwenningen, where it costs 350 marks per day to test drive.

Over the years, Manfred has enjoyed driving the Caterham Super Seven from Laichingen to Hohenstadt and back via Westerheim, as long as the road is dry. However, he acknowledges that the joy of driving is decreasing due to age, as getting into the car is becoming increasingly difficult for him.

Despite this, Manfred intends to pass the Caterham Super Seven to good hands in the future but not yet. He made a promise to his then-wife that he would sell the Caterham Super Seven with a profit after a few years, and he believes the car is worth more today than when he purchased it.

In summary, Manfred Schmoll's 1995 Caterham Super Seven is a testament to the enduring love for a classic sports car. Its raw driving experience, combined with its lightweight design and exceptional handling, continues to provide Manfred with a feeling of driving on rails, especially on country roads and federal highways. Despite some challenges, the joy of driving this iconic roadster remains for Manfred Schmoll.

[1] Caterham Cars. (n.d.). Caterham Super Seven. Retrieved from https://www.caterhamcars.com/cars/super-seven/ [5] Lotus Seven. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Seven

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