What’s Lotus and when did it start making cars?
Lotus dates back to 1948, when a smart fellow called Colin Chapman built his first racing car in his garden shed – much in the manner of all great British sports car companies of the middle 20th century.
The Mark III of 1951 was the first car to be called a Lotus – it was a racing car built to 750 Motor Club rules – while the iconic Seven was the first road car from the firm (the rights to the Series 3 were sold to Caterham when production of the lightweight sports car ended in 1972).
Lotus entered F1 from 1958 onwards, Stirling Moss winning its first GP in Monaco in 1960. Lotus was famed for pushing the boundaries of innovation during the Sixties and Seventies, enjoying particular success with Scot Jim Clark.
Lotus moved into its first proper factory in 1959 – that was in Hertfordshire. It was 1966 when the company moved into a former World War Two airfield in the middle of Norfolk; it’s been at RAF Hethel ever since.
The Eighties were tough – financial troubles and Chapman’s death in 1982 meant instability. Lotus has been bounced around various owners, but Geely’s purchase in 2017 looks like it could be the one to deliver a meaningful future. Even if it looks a lot different to Lotus’ past.
Lotus’ greatest hits
