Lotus History - The Story of Lotus

THE
LOTUS
STORY

A REVOLUTION OF PURE PERFORMANCE

EXPANDING OUR LEGACY

INNOVATOR. GROUNDBREAKER. RULE BENDER.

Characteristics that define Lotus and its founder Colin Chapman, and won the hearts of generations of race fans and car enthusiasts.

As we enter a new era in automotive, Lotus is determined to build on the pioneering legacy that runs through our past, present and future.

OUR VISION AND MISSION

THE EARLY YEARS

It’s 1947 when Colin Chapman gets his first taste of motorsport as a passenger in a muddy trials event. The experience lights a spark.

Chapman begins building his own car, in a lock-up garage behind his girlfriend Hazel’s parents’ house. Using a 1928 Austin Seven as the base, he crafts his first trials machine, the Mark I.

Other models quickly follow, already showcasing Chapman’s unique and innovative approach. It doesn’t take long before the cars he builds create customer demand.

In 1952, Lotus is born.

THE STORY OF COLIN CHAPMAN

THE FIRST ICONS

The Mark VI is Chapman’s first production car. Its successor, the Mark VIII, brings Lotus its first internationally recognised racing successes in the 1954 season.

The car is quickly followed by the IX, X and the Lotus Eleven, an all-time classic.

In 1957 the Lotus 7 is launched. Lotus Engineering Company sells over 2,500 7s until 1972, the year production ends and Colin Chapman sells the rights to Caterham. They continue to build a version of the 7, which today is still one of the most popular club racing models.

THE FIRST LOTUS CARS

RACING IN THE BIG LEAGUES

Colin Chapman matched his undeniable engineering talent with a relentless drive. And as his racing prototypes became more serious, so did his ambitions. Club racing was followed by Le Mans in 1957 and Lotus’ first Grand Prix in Formula 1 in 1958.

It would be the starting point of 3 decades of unprecedented racing history that etches the Lotus name in the annals of international motorsport.

LOTUS IN FORMULA 1

INNOVATIONS, TITLES AND LEGACY

With 79 Grand Prix wins, 7 Constructor’s and 6 Driver’s titles, there’s no doubt about Lotus’ legacy in Formula 1. But the impact of Colin Chapman and Team Lotus goes well beyond the silverware.

Their innovative approach to engineering resulted in pure strokes of genius. Out of which some of the most groundbreaking and iconic race cars materialised.

Cars that rewrote the rules, redefined designs and still dictate how today’s race cars are built.

THE FORMULA 1 LEGACY OF LOTUS

LOTUS F1RSTS

Colin Chapman was the first who understood racing wasn’t just about raw power.

He added efficiency and aerodynamics to the equation. Resulting in cars that were lighter, stiffer, sleeker, faster, smarter. And featured many Lotus F1RSTS that radically changed F1 design.

The sequential gearbox of the Type 12, the inboard suspension of the Type 21, the monocoque chassis of the Type 25, the ground-effect of the Type 79 and the active suspension of the Type 99T, to name a few.

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ROAD CARS

Colin Chapman’s first dedicated production car, the Lotus Elite, was actually born out of necessity. To be able to keep pursuing his racing ambitions, cashflow was needed.

The car was a poster child for Chapman’s ‘Simplify, then add lightness’ ethos. And set the tone for every road car that followed wearing the Lotus badge. Cementing Lotus’ place in history as the world's lightest-car company.

One-of-a-kind cars, inspired by their race-track brethren. Offering ride and handling that’s unequalled, and became synonymous with the Lotus name.

TIMELESS ICONS

The illustrious line-up of Lotus road cars has united and inspired generations of passionate drivers. Cars that became cultural icons, and bring to life the era in which they first connected with the asphalt.

Like the 1957 Elite, the epitome of Chapman’s unconventional, entrepreneurial drive. Or its successor the 1962 Lotus Elan, that delivered incomparable ‘feel’ behind the wheel — a Lotus trademark.

Other icons include the famous Lotus Esprit Turbo from 1980. A car with star power that featured in several Hollywood blockbusters.

And of course the immortal Lotus Elise (1996), the instant classic that proved Colin’s minimalist philosophy was as powerful as ever, decades later.

EVERY ICONIC LOTUS ROAD CAR

GLOBAL CRAFTSMANSHIP

What started in 1948 in a modest garage has evolved into a state-of-the art approach and presence around the world. From the original Hethel factory to the Lotus Global EV Production Centre in Wuhan, Lotus manufacturing has revolutionised the ways that cars are designed, developed, and built.

Looking forward, Lotus continues to operate at the forefront of engineering excellence. Embracing and developing revolutionary ideas, designs and technology, while leading the way into new frontiers.

FOR THE DRIVERS

The story of Lotus started in the genius mind of a maverick carmaker who turned his philosophy and ambition into a legacy of groundbreaking cars. Cars that led a revolution of pure performance.

This uncompromising pursuit of greatness remains the driving force of Lotus. It’s the DNA that runs through the core of every car carrying the Lotus badge. From the stripped-down, lightweight sports racers to our luxury Hyper-EVs that define a new class.

Every Lotus is designed to deliver a driving experience that’s second to none. A chemistry between car and driver, that hits you the moment you take the wheel.

DISCOVER OUR FULL LINE-UP

WELCOME TO THE FUTURE

Lotus Theory 1. The first expression of our new design manifesto. An experimental concept car that merges our past, present and future, based on 3 core principles that make up our DNA:

Digital. Natural. Analogue.

Crafted with highly advanced materials and the ultimate immersive and responsive driving system, Theory 1 humanises the latest cutting-edge technologies. Breathing new life into the dynamic relationship between driver, car and road.

Welcome to the future of intelligent performance.

ENTER THEORY 1

TIMELINE

1940s
1948	Lotus Founder, Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman, studies structural engineering at University College in London when he builds his first competition car — an Austin Seven special trials car, registered OX 9292.

1950s
1950	During his leave periods from the RAF, Chapman builds his second trials car. It is a dual-purpose car, which makes it the first Lotus to be usable on the road. Later that year it wins the Wrotham Cup.
1952	Colin Chapman builds The Mark III. It is the first of Chapman’s cars to be called a Lotus. The true origin of the name remains a secret known only to Colin and Hazel Chapman. The Mark 3 is also the first Lotus circuit racer, capable of 0–50 in 6.6 seconds and a top speed of 90mph.
1954	The Mark 8 becomes an overnight success and allows Lotus to enter international motor racing. Team Lotus is born.
1956	The Lotus Eleven. The tradition of naming models with an ‘E’ begins.
1957	The Lotus Seven earns early recognition by winning the 750cc Class of the Index of Performance at Le Mans. A version of the iconic club racer is still being produced by Caterham today. The Lotus Elite. With a glass fibre monocoque chassis and drag coefficient of just 0.29, the Elite was years ahead of its time.
1959	Lotus moves to a purpose-built factory at Cheshunt.

1960s
1960	The Lotus Type 18 is the first mid-engined Lotus and first Lotus F1 car to win a World Championship Grand Prix. Stirling Moss gets the chequered flag in Monaco on the 29th of May.
1961	The Lotus Type 21 is the first Team Lotus F1 car to win a World Championship Grand Prix. Innes Ireland drives to victory in Watkins Glen, USA on the 8th of October.
1962	The Lotus Type 25. The radical Lotus race car is the first with an aluminium monocoque chassis in Formula 1. Jim Clark steers the Lotus 25 to four Grand Prix wins. The Lotus Elan (Type 26). The Elan remains in production until 1973 and is still revered as an all-time-great pure driver’s car.
1963	Jim Clark wins the Formula One Drivers’ World Championship in the Lotus Type 25. Team Lotus wins their first Formula One Constructors’ World Championship. The Lotus Cortina (Type 28) wins the British Saloon Car Championship. The Lotus Type 29 is Chapman’s first Indycar. Driven by Jim Clark, it finishes 2nd in the Indy 500.
1965	Jim Clark takes on the world and achieves something no other driver has been able to match. He delivers another F1 World Championship double in the Lotus Type 33 and wins the Indy in the Lotus Type 38. On top of that he also wins the British and French F2 Championships and Tasman Series.
1966	Lotus relocates to a new factory built on a former US Air Force base in Hethel, Norfolk. The Type 43 is the first F1 car to use the engine as a structural member. Lotus launches the Elan S3 drophead, followed by the mid-engined Lotus Europa (Type 46).
1967	The Lotus Type 49 is the first F1 car powered by the immortal Cosworth-Ford DFV V8. Lotus launches the Lotus Elan +2 (Type 50).
1968	Lotus and the racing world mourn the tragic loss of Jim Clark in a Formula 2 race at Hockenheim. Graham Hill wins the Formula One Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships in the Lotus 49. Lotus 49B introduces aerofoil wings for the first time in Formula 1. Lotus establishes Group Lotus PLC.

1970s
1970	Lotus launches the 126bhp ‘Big Valve’ Elan Sprint. The Lotus Type 72 introduces mid-mounted radiators and multi-element wings among other innovations to Formula 1. Another F1 Constructors’ World Championship for Team Lotus. Jochen Rindt wins the F1 Drivers’ World Championship despite tragically losing his life at Monza with four rounds still to go.
1972	Emerson Fittipaldi wins the F1 Drivers’ World Championship in the iconic black and gold Lotus Type 72. Team Lotus wins the F1 Constructors’ World Championship. The Lotus Esprit ItalDesign concept debuts for the first time.
1973	Team Lotus wins the F1 Constructors’ World Championship for the 6th time. Fittipaldi comes in 2nd in the Drivers’ Championship, with Ronnie Peterson claiming 3rd place.
1975	Lotus makes a shift with the sophisticated, stylish and more luxurious Lotus Type 75 Elite. The design comes from the bold, avant-garde Oliver Winterbottom.
1977	A Monaco White Lotus Esprit with tartan cloth interior stars in ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’. Famous for plunging into the Sardinian sea and turning into a submarine, 007’s latest company car is driven by Lotus test driver Roger Becker for the high-speed stunts and Roger Moore for the close-ups.
1978	Team Lotus dominates Formula 1 with the Lotus Type 79 ‘ground effect’ car. Twelve pole positions. Eight wins. F1 Constructors’ World Championship for Team Lotus. F1 Drivers’ World Championship for Mario Andretti. The Type 79 is a development of the Type 78 which pioneers the use of underbody aerodynamics, using ‘skirts’ to generate levels of downforce not previously seen in Formula 1.

1980s
1980	Lotus shows the Type 82 Turbo Esprit to the world in tremendous style at the Royal Albert Hall in London. 210bhp, 150mph and 0–60mph in 5.5 seconds takes the Esprit into supercar territory. The first cars are very richly equipped and finished with the Team Essex Lotus Racing livery.
1981	Two Turbo Esprits star in the latest Bond film, ‘For Your Eyes Only’. The first, a Monaco White car, is famous for its explosive burglar alarm. The second, painted Copper Fire bronze, is fitted with ski racks and used for filming scenes in the ski resort of Cortina in Italy. The revolutionary Lotus Type 88 is the first F1 car to be designed with a carbon fibre monocoque and twin chassis. It is banned by the sport’s governing body, becoming the infamous Lotus F1 car that never raced.
1982	The 2+2 Lotus Type 89 Excel launches in October. Elio de Angelis wins the Austrian Grand Prix in the Lotus Type 91. It turns out to be the last time Colin Chapman celebrates a Team Lotus Grand Prix victory. Lotus’ inspirational founder dies suddenly of a heart attack on the 16th of December. He is just 54 years of age.
1983	Toyota acquires a 16.5% stake in Lotus and begins a period of closer collaboration between the two companies.
1984	The total tally of cars produced at the Norfolk factory since 1966 is 30,000. The Giugiaro-designed Lotus Etna concept is revealed at the Birmingham Motor Show.
1985	Ayrton Senna joins Team Lotus. On 21st April he wins the Portuguese Grand Prix in the pouring rain at Estoril. It is the first of Senna’s 41 Grand Prix wins. The turbocharged Lotus Type 97T, which wins again at Spa on 15th September, is the first F1 car to feature aerodynamic barge boards.
1986	Senna wins the Spanish F1 Grand Prix in April and the Detroit F1 Grand Prix in June in the ferocious Lotus Type 98T. F1’s first turbo era reaches its peak in the 1986 season and Renault introduces a pneumatic valvetrain for the 98T, which helps produce in excess of 1200bhp in qualifying. General Motors buys Group Lotus.
1987	Team Lotus switches to Honda power and Camel sponsorship for the Lotus Type 99T. It is the first Lotus to successfully use Active Suspension and goes on to win two more F1 Grands Prix on the street circuits of Monaco and Detroit. It turns out to be Team Lotus’ final GP win. Senna leaves Team Lotus for McLaren at the end of the season. The Peter Stevens restyle of the Lotus Esprit makes its debut at the London Motorfair.
1988	Reigning Formula One World Champion Nelson Piquet joins Team Lotus. As a result, his Lotus Type 100T wears the number 1 for the season.
1989	Lotus launches the chargecooled, 264bhp, Lotus Esprit Turbo SE. It would later star in Hollywood blockbusters Pretty Woman (1990) and Basic Instinct (1992). Lotus reveals the new, front-wheel drive Lotus Elan (Type 100) roadster at the London Motorfair.

1990s
1990	The world meets the Lotus Carlton, also known as the Lotus Omega across Europe. It remains one of the fastest saloon cars ever made. 377bhp, 419lb ft of torque and tested at 174mph.
1992	Chris Boardman wins the 4000m Pursuit Gold Medal with a world record time at the Barcelona Olympics on a LotusSport Type 108 Pursuit Bicycle. Doc Bundy wins the SCCA World Challenge Drivers’ title driving the Esprit X180R.
1993	Bugatti buys Group Lotus from General Motors. Romano Artioli becomes acting CEO. Lotus introduces the Esprit S4, the first production Esprit with power assisted steering. Based on the championship-winning Esprit X180R, the Esprit Sport 300 enters production in May. Two of them enter Le Mans a month later.
1994	Lotus launches the Elan S2 and faster Esprit S4s. An Esprit Sport 300, driven by Thorkild Thyrring, wins the British National GT series.
1995	Lotus unveils the Lotus Type 111 at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Named Elise after Chairman Romano Artioli’s granddaughter, it represents the return of Lotus to its founding principles. Simple, pure, innovative and ultra-light. It is an instant hit and remains in production today. Total Lotus production reaches 50,000 in March of 1995.
1996	Proton announces an 80% majority stake in Group Lotus. The launch of the Esprit V8 with an all-new, Lotus-designed, 3.5 litre, twin-turbo V8 producing 350bhp and 400Nm of torque. Lotus unveils the Esprit GT1 race car.
1997	Lotus ramp up production of the Elise to cope with demand. The 1,000th Elise rolls off the production line in May. The Esprit V8 and lighter Esprit V8 GT get an upgrade with a revised interior.
1998	Lotus 50th Anniversary, celebrated with a party at Hethel. Elise-based 340R concept shown at the Birmingham Motor Show in October. Limited production Esprit Sport 350 and Elise Sport 135 launched.
1999	Lotus launches the Elise 111S and reveals the Opel Speedster concept at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

2000s
2000	Lotus unveils the new Exige, styled on the Sport Elise racer. An exhilarating yet well-mannered road car, with the soul of a track car. The new bespoke Research and Development Centre at Hethel opens in June. Lotus Design is the first to move in.
2002	Lotus Cars receive the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, for contribution to International Trade.
2003	The last Lotus Esprit rolls off the production line, marking the end of over 27 years of production.
2004	Lotus presents the new Lotus Exige to the world at the 2004 Geneva Show, as well as a track version — the Lotus Exige Series 2. The 20,000th Elise rolls out of the factory, making it the most popular Lotus car ever.
2005	The Lotus Sport Exige — 400bhp, 850kg GT2 — wins the Petronas Primax 3 Merdeka Millennium 12 Hour Endurance race trophy at the International Sepang circuit in Malaysia.
2006	Lotus Engineering unveils APX (Aluminium Performance Crossover) at the Geneva Motor Show. It is a fully running prototype that embodies many philosophies of Lotus R&D. The Sport Exige GT3 secures victory in the 2006 British GT Manufacturers Championship. Drivers are George Mackintosh and Sam Blogg.
2007	Lotus enters the Guinness Book of Records for the biggest meet of any marque. 311 Lotus sports cars turn up at Brands Hatch and form a nose-to-tail lap.
2008	Lotus launches the all-new Evora. It is the first all-new Lotus since the debut of the Elise in 1995. The Evora is the only mid-engined 2+2 on the market, powered by a Lotus-tuned 3.5L V6 engine. It produces 280 PS and weighs just 1382kg. The 2-Eleven GT4 Supersport arrives, a track car that will enter the GT4 Sports Light Race series.
2009	Lotus Engineering unveils the Range Extender engine at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in a series hybrid vehicle.

2010s
2010	The Lotus name returns to Formula One, the pinnacle of motorsport. Lotus announces the new 2011MY Lotus Elise in July.
2011	Announcement of the Elise Club Racer. The Lotus test track re-opens on 21st June after extensive modernisation. Nigel Mansell, Jean Alesi, Vitaly Petrov and Bruno Senna attend the opening ceremony. Lotus unveils the first V6 powered Exige at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
2012	DRB Hicom buy a majority stake in Proton. Lotus headline the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Over 45 historic and modern Lotus race cars set times on the famous hill climb course, blasting past a huge sculpture commissioned to celebrate Lotus’ past and present racing achievements. Entitled ‘Past, Present and Future’ a Lotus 49, Lotus 79, Lotus 99T and Lotus E20 steal the show high above the lawn outside Goodwood House. The supercharged Lotus Exige V6S wins Evo Magazine’s ‘Car of the Year’ award, sharing joint honours with the Pagani Zonda.
2014	Jean-Marc Gales becomes the new CEO of Lotus. Lotus launches the aerodynamically advanced Elise S Cup, along with an automatic version of the Exige V6S.
2015	Geneva Motor Show: launch of the Lotus Evora 400. Goodwood: launch of the extreme, 410hp 3-Eleven.
2016	The promise of lighter, faster models is fulfilled with the launch of the Lotus Evora Sport 410 and Elise Cup 250 at the Geneva Motor Show. In November, Lotus unveils the Exige Sport 380.
2017	April: Lotus reveal the Exige Cup 380. September: Lotus announce the Evora GT430. Production of both cars is limited to 60 units worldwide. November: Lotus unveil the most powerful Exige to date, the Exige Cup 430. Geely Holding Group buys a 51% stake in Group Lotus.
2018	Geely announces Mr Feng Qingfeng’s appointment as CEO of Group Lotus plc in June. Lotus celebrates its 70th Anniversary at Hethel in September. Phil Popham is appointed Senior Vice President – Commercial Operations for Group Lotus and CEO – Lotus Sports Cars on 1st October. Lotus Evora GT410 Sport and Exige Sport 410 are launched.
2019	In July Lotus unveils the Evija — the first all-electric British hypercar. With a target power output of 2,000 PS, it is the world’s most powerful series production road car. The mid-mounted battery pack echoes the celebrated Lotus mid-engined sports car layout. Production begins in 2020 and is limited to just 130 cars — in tribute to its Lotus ‘Type’ number, 130. Lotus announces the Evora GT, the most powerful road-going Lotus for North American markets, to critical acclaim from the media. Lotus partners with British Cycling to create a new track bike for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, postponed to 2021 as a result of Covid-19.

2020s
2020	Work to transform the Hethel site starts, with a new production facility for the Evija, a new factory for future sports car production, and a new restaurant for employees and visitors. Covid-19 means Evija production is postponed until 2021.
2021	Lotus confirms production of the Elise, Exige and Evora sports cars will end during 2021. Final Edition versions of the Elise and Exige are revealed. Matt Windle is appointed Managing Director, Lotus Cars. Lotus unveils the Emira, the last petrol-powered sports car and the ‘best of breed’. Production of the V6 First Edition begins in 2022. Lotus Technology is a new division of the business based in Wuhan, China. It will manufacture a range of premium lifestyle EV vehicles starting in 2022.
2022	The Lotus Tech Creative Centre, a new design hub for Lotus lifestyle cars, opens in Warwickshire. Lotus Advanced Performance, a new experiential and bespoke vehicles division, is launched. Lotus unveils the Eletre. The luxury lifestyle vehicle is the company’s first SUV and first mainstream EV.
2023	The Lotus Emira GT4 is released to customers and makes its global racing debut in November. The Lotus Emira receives thousands of orders from around the world and wins ‘Best Performance Car’ at the 2023 UK Car of the Year awards. Lotus reveals Hyper-GT Emeya to the world. Lotus Eletre is GQ Magazine’s ‘SUV of the Year 2023’.
2024	Lotus launches the Emeya, the second all-electric lifestyle car of the company. 12–12 marks the arrival of Emira Limited. Five once-in-a-lifetime cars, each in a limited series of 12, pay tribute to Lotus’ Formula 1 legacy with bespoke liveries. Lotus wins two Red Dot Awards in Product Design for next-generation hyper EVs Eletre and Emeya.
2025	Lotus upgrades the Emira line-up with the Emira Turbo, Turbo SE and V6 SE and introduces the Emira Racing Line. In celebration of the 60th anniversary of Jim Clark’s miracle season in 1965, Lotus presents the Emira Clark Edition to the world at the Miami Grand Prix on May 4th. The Lotus Eletre and Emeya are now available in the redefined 600 and 900 series.