Locost car group visits Ozark County


Motorists attending the Midwest Gathering of the Se7ens, an annual event that attracts Locost car owners from five states, chose Ozark County as their gathering point this year, touring the county and its sights, including Hodgson Mill, on May 11 and 12. Photo courtesy of Midwest Gathering of the Se7ens.

The owners of 18 Locost cars, homebuilt sports cars built loosely after the Lotus/Caterham 7 cars built in the 1950s and 1960s, spun their way through Ozark County Friday and Saturday, taking in the scenery of the Ozarks and stopping at Hodgson Mill, among other locations. 

The Midwest Gathering of the Se7ens, an annual event that attracts Locost car owners from Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Illinois and Texas, chose Ozark County as the event’s location this year. The speedy little cars typically weigh about 1,400 to 1,500 pounds. Some Locost cars, built especially for racing, weigh less than 1,000 pounds. 

The group had lunch at Cookie’s Restaurant in Theodosia on Friday, May 11. Participants enjoyed some sightseeing and spent the night in Mountain Home, Arkansas, before returning to Ozark County for lunch Saturday, May 12, at the Fried & Frozen food truck parked in the Knight’s Automotive parking lot at Highways 160 and 5 north in Gainesville. A casual car show was held after lunch Saturday in the Knight’s Automotive parking lot. 

Gainesville resident Mike Severson, who is in the early stages of planning his own Locost car build, says the hills, curves, scenery and friendly residents attracted the sports car enthusiasts to Ozark County. The last time the group was in the area was 2011, when they based the event out of the Marble Falls, Arkansas, area. 

Ozark County Times

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Gainesville, MO 65655

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