When I went to the caterham show room it was full of amazing caterhams, from the fastest to the slowest, plus a 21 a f1 car a clay model of the caterham/alpine car plus track cars

i tried not to look at the faster cars as I knew I had a very limited budget

the salesmen (James Wilson) came over and after a discussion explaining my situation he showed the one in my budget. He did try to get me to spend more, with the 3 next cheapest cars, but i stuck to my guns, telling myself just to be happy that your getting a caterham at all.

James did say that the car won't go down in value any more and that if anything the value will go up , but I took that as salesman talk and guaranteed if I needed to sell it I would get far less for it

So the one I chose was a 1999 k-series 1.6 roadsport 120 with 35000 on the clock, which was standard except for a track day rear roll bar (with a added diagonal bar) and a removable steering wheel

I was like a kid at Christmas, I was so excited, but I did have in the back of my mind it might be not as fast as I hoped. I did hire a caterham roadsport 140 about 20years ago and that was just about the minimum right speed I wanted, so I was concerned a 120 roadsport would be to slow.

i agreed to buy the car on the proviso that when I came to collect it I could test drive it first to see if it was fast enough. So I paid a deposit. James said it would take a week to service, mot, and check the car over. In that week I had an email from James saying it was all done, they had to replace the Dion tube as there was a hairline crack. 

So I rolled up one Saturday later, James sat me in the car , explained all the controls and we went for a test drive. I had forgotten how amazing just driving a caterham is. I couldn't stop smiling and the speed thing didn't seem to matter anymore. I did give it a couple of boots down the dual carriageways and though while it's not tear your face off fast it was scare my wife fast, which I thought will do.

so we got back, I agreed to buy it, I paid the money, James taxed the car online, I had already insured the car in the week with the caterham recommended one £235 ( including 5 track days). James gave me the history, service book etc. Plus a £150 vouch for a track day, plus membership of the lotus7 club

It was then mine. It was a bucket list moment, very surreal, it didn't feel right, things like this don't happen to me - this must be the feeling you get when you win the lottery