True meaning of "SE" and "i"

[Steve L]

Hi, I am posting from Germany and just last night had a curious conversation at the local Seven owners meeting.

People came up with some remarkable meanings for SE and SEi, for example, SE means "Seven Economical" and that the "i" is for a wide bodied version.

I am confident that the "i" is for independent suspension, but I am not sure what "SE" stands for. I thought it might simply be a veiled reference to "SEven".

Anyone know for sure?

Steve

[adhawkins]

I thought it might simply be a veiled reference to "SEven".

I'm with you on that one, that's just what I assumed it to mean. Don't know for sure though.

As far as the other letters go, 'i' is independant suspension as you've summised and 'W' refers to wide bodied versions.

However, all cars are now wide bodies, so I think they're now just called SE and SEi by the factory.

Andy

[Martin Keene]

I'm not sure it stood for anything. They were not allowed to call them Sevens after the saga with Caterham, and them came up with SE...

[sportstergray]

SE sports edition

W wide

i independant suspension

[the bear]

Ckecked me book and they originally called it a Westfield Seven, then there was the litigation against Westfield and others and it just got shortened to SE.

[markcoopers]

"Seven Economical"

Well it made me laugh    

As mentioned by others, SE is what the factory called their post litigation cars. The "I" appeared with reference to the independent suspension and the "W" denoting the wide body style.

[Matt Lucas]

I used to think it meant "Someone elses' "

[markcoopers]

On one of the early I it ment built with "Selotape and Elasticbands.