K7 (?, 1964)

The K7 was designed in 1964 as a development of the ideas expressed in K4. It was a two seater sports coupé featuring transverse rear engine mounted ahead of the rear wheels. A de Dion type axle was used with twin radius rods and coil over sprung dampers.

The body design of the K7 features smoothly curved front and rear screens and a flat "Camm" tail. The idea is said to have been originated by Sir Sydney Camm, who was in charge of aerodynamics at Hawker Aircraft in Kingston upon Thames, where the Cooper garage manufacturing Coventry Climax engined F2 and later F1 cars was also based. The design has also been attributed (John Cooper believed wrongly) to Professor Kamm, a German aerodynamicist who, in addition to having a similar sounding name, had similar ideas. Frank Costin, another famous aerodynamicist, suggested using the Camm tail rather than rear wing fins to keep the Lotus Elite stable when cornering and it was used in a number of his other designs. See Flying on Four Wheels by Denis Ortenburger. The Imp based Costin Nathan was built using similar principles. The Camm tail was used again later on K18 and K19.

It is thought that K7 was never actually built, although a drawing and picture of the model of the K7 (with mock number plate TEK 64) appeared in "Motor" magazine 20/3/65 accompanying some thoughts by Killeen on the ideal engine and transmission layout for different types of car. The K7 design does however have a strong resemblance to the K9 which was built a couple of years later by Jensens on behalf of the Alan Fraser racing team.

[drawing and photo of model, Motor 20/3/65]