A hand-built car manufacturer has announced bold expansion plans as it moves to bigger premises on its 50th anniversary year.

Caterham Cars will have a new factory within Dartford - the size of which will allow production capacity to rise by 50%.

That equates to about 750 of its Seven brand of specialist lightweight sports cars each year.

The state-of-the-art building will be home to Caterham’s production, engineering, motorsport and commercial teams.

The move from the present Kennet Road site, expected by the end of this year, is a multi-million-pound investment from Caterham’s owners, VT Holding.

The future premises, at 54,000 sq ft, are nearby on a new nine-acre industrial park development called Dartford X.

The geographical closeness means the company's current skilled workforce can easily transfer there.

Caterham Cars will offer customers factory tours, open days, vehicle handovers and other events at the new site.

Bob Laishley, CEO of Caterham, said: “It’s fitting that, in our 50th anniversary year, we can invest in new premises to facilitate our ambitions, for the future of the Seven and the brand as a whole.

“The site not only increases our production capacity but enables us to advance our manufacturing capabilities into a modern setting.

"It will be a fantastic new home for the brand, our employees and our customers past, present and future to visit.”

The south east has been home to Caterham Cars since it started building its vehicles in 1973 in the town of Caterham, Surrey.

In 1987, production moved to Kennet Road in Dartford where the cars have been assembled ever since.

Dartford X, is currently owned by pension managers Railpen, which acquired the land in 2019.

Alastair Dawson, senior asset manager, said: “Caterham is a British manufacturing, engineering and marketing success story with a long-standing connection to Dartford.

"We have worked closely with the brand in its search for a new home, with Dartford X meeting all of Caterham’s criteria to support the business’ continued growth over the coming years while retaining local jobs and the vitality of its supply chain partners.”