Where have all the Caterham JPE gone?

[v8vantage]

Hard to think it's over 30 years since the dayglow yellow JPE was first unleashed on the public. Seems there were 54 built between 1992 and 1998...and not all in yellow! At least 27 were sold to Japan and 24 to the UK. In the meantime they have become less common and it's rare to see one nowadays.

Does anyone know what happened to them all? Did they all crash or rust away, it's been years since I've seen one come up for sale anywhere in the world. Has a Caterham collector bought them up and stashed them away. They were pretty exciting in their day and probably still are.

I heard the original car was crashed by an Italian journalist and the remains sit atop a container out the back of Arch. Wonder what happened to the rest. If you know of any please post the details.

[suthol]

There's one here in Sydney, Australia and another that is claimed to be a JPE.

Whether the 2nd one was a JPE that was bent and rebuilt or a lesser model that was bent and rebuilt to JPE specs has been up for debate.

I know the guy who imported the one in Sydney and also the current owner who has owned it for more than 15 years, he rarely gets it out because it's too loud and is much to valuable to bend. He also has a Locost that gets plenty of road and track time.

[Blue 7]

I remember this one coming up for sale at Sevens & Classics. I think that was back in 2019, because it was shortly after I’d bought my current Seven. It took a while to sell. I haven’t spotted a JPE for sale since then.

It popped up on Blatchat shorty after it had sold. I remember being amused by the fact that the guy who bought it had never owned a Caterham before!

I’m sure they’re lovely cars. EVO magazine once did a fairly comprehensive Caterham group test at Cadwell Park & concluded that the JPE was their favourite.

https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/record-breaker-...

[v8vantage]

suthol said:

There's one here in Sydney, Australia and another that is claimed to be a JPE.

Whether the 2nd one was a JPE that was bent and rebuilt or a lesser model that was bent and rebuilt to JPE specs has been up for debate.

I know the guy who imported the one in Sydney and also the current owner who has owned it for more than 15 years, he rarely gets it out because it's too loud and is much to valuable to bend. He also has a Locost that gets plenty of road and track time.

I think the first one is green with a yellow nose. The current owner lives in the USA but keeps it at his place in Australia.

Hadn't heard of the second rebuilt one, would be great to get more details.

Roo (Melbourne ex-pat now in Oregon)

[v8vantage]

Blue 7 said:

I remember this one coming up for sale at Sevens & Classics. I think that was back in 2019, because it was shortly after I’d bought my current Seven. It took a while to sell. I haven’t spotted a JPE for sale since then.

It popped up on Blatchat shorty after it had sold. I remember being amused by the fact that the guy who bought it had never owned a Caterham before!

I’m sure they’re lovely cars. EVO magazine once did a fairly comprehensive Caterham group test at Cadwell Park & concluded that the JPE was their favourite.

https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/record-breaker-...

Yes I remember the Blue one, it's up in Norfolk now. They are pretty special, hence my interest. When JP was developing it for Caterham back in 1992 he took me out for a blat near his house at Dogsmersfield. Pretty much sideways all the time and airborne on a few occasions. I don't think he knew how to drive in a straight line!

[jeremyc]

There's a few listed on the Caterham JPE Register

[v8vantage]

jeremyc said:

There's a few listed on the Caterham JPE Register

Thanks for that jeremyc, I was familiar with all those. I wonder where the other 40 have vanished to. They are quite unique so I doubt they would have just been left to rot.

[Blue 7]

v8vantage said:

Yes I remember the Blue one, it's up in Norfolk now. They are pretty special, hence my interest. When JP was developing it for Caterham back in 1992 he took me out for a blat near his house at Dogsmersfield. Pretty much sideways all the time and airborne on a few occasions. I don't think he knew how to drive in a straight line!

Wow! That sounds like an incredible experience, you’re a lucky man.

[v8vantage]

Blue 7 said:

Wow! That sounds like an incredible experience, you’re a lucky man.

I certainly am, had some amazing adventures over the years.

Here's JP in the first JPE, not my photo but around the same time. The prototype didn't have all the decals on it and was pretty plain other than the fluro yellow paint. Sadly it sits rotting away after it was wrecked. Apparently a journalist made the mistake of going to overtake a truck and put pedal straight to the metal. The resulting high speed impact with the back of the truck was so hard that the engine block was broken by the impact, although the driver was OK.

[v8vantage]

suthol said:

There's one here in Sydney, Australia and another that is claimed to be a JPE.

Whether the 2nd one was a JPE that was bent and rebuilt or a lesser model that was bent and rebuilt to JPE specs has been up for debate.

I know the guy who imported the one in Sydney and also the current owner who has owned it for more than 15 years, he rarely gets it out because it's too loud and is much to valuable to bend. He also has a Locost that gets plenty of road and track time.

Dave, do you have any more details on the Caterham that was rebuilt to JPE specs? Did it come from Japan? Feel free to message me if you don't want to discuss on here. Cheers, Roo

[culminator]

I sold mine to a guy in the south of France, not sure if he’s still got it a it was some time ago.

[BertBert]

I reckon the JPE would be mega on ACB10s!

[v8vantage]

culminator said:

I sold mine to a guy in the south of France, not sure if he’s still got it a it was some time ago.

I believe it has been sold a few times since then. Not sure where it ended up.

[JonCSR]

A bit late to the party on this post...

JPE # 32 was the first Caterham I ever drove and was completely blown away by it! 24 years later I got my own and JPE # 19 as Roo mentioned now resides in Norfolk and puts a smile on my face on every drive.

[slime bomb]

Also late to the party but there is a guy who owns a garage local to me that has two stored there, he owns both but never uses them!

[v8vantage]

slime bomb said:

Also late to the party but there is a guy who owns a garage local to me that has two stored there, he owns both but never uses them!

Thanks for the information, glad to know there's still a few around waiting to be unleashed back onto the road again.

[markyo]

I spec'd up my JPE in 2006 - sold in 2019. Red, carbon and unlike standard JPE spec, I discussed at some long length the engine with Swindon and we decided upon an all steel engine. Dynod at 275. 6 speed box which gave a cruising 'overdrive' with the rest of gears quite close coupled. At the same time as miy build, there was a doctor who followed by spec in most cases (but I cant remember if he followed me with the all steel engine as it was rather pricey). His was aubergine.

Mine ran on ACB10 tyres which worked well when in the dry and warm but I also kept the Yokos on Speedlines which looked great but not quite as grippy. Used the older 'S' type modular seats in fabric (not so sticky in the warm weather) which were super adjustable, and 6 point harnesses. Needed to put in a dialed in traction control system. Fantastic car. Still looking for something to replace it.

[v8vantage]

markyo said:

I spec'd up my JPE in 2006 - sold in 2019. Red, carbon and unlike standard JPE spec, I discussed at some long length the engine with Swindon and we decided upon an all steel engine. Dynod at 275. 6 speed box which gave a cruising 'overdrive' with the rest of gears quite close coupled. At the same time as miy build, there was a doctor who followed by spec in most cases (but I cant remember if he followed me with the all steel engine as it was rather pricey). His was aubergine.

Mine ran on ACB10 tyres which worked well when in the dry and warm but I also kept the Yokos on Speedlines which looked great but not quite as grippy. Used the older 'S' type modular seats in fabric (not so sticky in the warm weather) which were super adjustable, and 6 point harnesses. Needed to put in a dialed in traction control system. Fantastic car. Still looking for something to replace it.

Thanks for the update Markus, Len from Caterham at the time mentioned you and your car. I think it was this one #47:



The Aubergine one is #41:

Edited by v8vantage on Wednesday 16th July 23:34

[Simon_A]

And No 43 is currently for sale at GP Sevens

https://www.gpsevens.co.uk/portfolio-item/caterham...

[Blatter]

Simon_A said:

And No 43 is currently for sale at GP Sevens

https://www.gpsevens.co.uk/portfolio-item/caterham...

Built by Gary May (of Freestyle Motorsport Solutions fame)