Car made from Puma helicopter parts to be auctioned for Fund and Mission Motorsport

Caterham car manufacturers and the RAF have teamed up to create a special-edition Seven 360R using parts of a Puma HC2 helicopter to raise money for the RAF Benevolent Fund and Mission Motorsport.

This car is part of a joint project between the Royal Air Force, Caterham, Mission Motorsport and the RAF Benevolent Fund with hopes to raise more than £100,000 for the two charities.

The unique Caterham Seven 360R has been built using the skin, interior and other components from a Puma HC2 helicopter that has come to the end of its service life, paying tribute to the remarkable aircraft.

Puma HC2 medium support helicopters are used for a variety of combat roles, including tactical movement of troops and weapons, as well as the extraction of casualties on the frontline. They are also employed for humanitarian and disaster relief operations.

Operated by Joint Aviation Command (JAC) at RAF Benson, when XW232 came to the end of its 50-year service life, the teams at Benson and Caterham decided to create a tribute to the service men and women the Puma has protected, and the lives saved by this unsung hero of the military.

For authenticity, the external skin of the car has been kept as it was when taken from the aircraft, whilst the remaining panels have been painted matching NATO green. The chassis has been finished in Desert Sand.

The car was assembled by Caterham Cars and serving personnel from RAF Benson who were all involved throughout the build process.

The car was first unveiled at the Silverstone British Grand Prix in July, and also featured at Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Neil Tomlin, Area Director for South England and South Wales at the RAF Benevolent Fund said: “We are delighted to have been invited by the Royal Air Force and Caterham Car Company to work on this exciting project with our charity partners, Mission Motorsport. The completed car showcases the engineering excellence of those who have taken part in building this truly unique Caterham while simultaneously raising awareness of both charities supporting serving and retired military personnel and their families.

“The money donated to the Fund through the sale of this outstanding car will enable us to provide a range of welfare support to our beneficiaries and helps ensure that no member of the RAF Family will ever have to face adversity alone.”

The auction has now opened on classic car auction site Collecting Cars and will be live until September.