DATABASE: LOTUS ESPRIT 1975-2003
It’s recently been announced that this year will see the final Lotus Elise models and their descendants leaving the Lotus production line, ending a period of rebirth and reinvention at Lotus which first began under the control of former Bugatti owner, Italian entrepreneur Romano Artioli.
The featherweight minimalist elegance of the aluminium-chassised Elise was seen at the time of its launch to be a symbol of Lotus returning to the clever lightweight engineering philosophies which had earned it a reputation for brilliance both on and off the track. The new generation however will be a step up in size, price and general ambition, competing with blue chip German and Italian brands at the supercar level.
Lotus, however, has been here before and just as the new Lotus will be a pricey electric supercar, so the Esprit was born of Lotus’s desire to climb the ladder from the likes of the Elan.
BACKGROUND
The accepted story goes that Lotus founder Colin Chapman could see more profit potential in more expensive cars, while marque historians point to the appointment of ex-Rolls-Royce and BRM engineer Tony Rudd in 1969. Shortly after his appointment, Rudd was asked to look at longer-term model planning and it was he who suggested the car which would subsequently become the Esprit.
No doubt there was also a degree of personal pride involved on Chapman’s part though. On track, Lotus could mix it with the best of Europe’s car marques, yet his road cars were still sold with the option of a kit-build and no doubt he wanted to stand as an equal on the pit wall next to Ferrari executives.
There’s also no doubt that Lotus management would have been eyeing the ever-turbulent fortunes of the smaller UK car makers like TVR, Marcos and AC during this time
