Milestones
Humble Origins
Founder, Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman, studied structural engineering at University College in London
Chapman's 2nd Trials Car
During his leave periods from the RAF, Chapman built his second trials car
Mark 3 Circuit Racing
The first circuit racing car was designed; the first to actually be called a Lotus
The Lotus Engineering Company
Chapman formed the Lotus Engineering Company
Team Lotus is set up
The team comes into being.
Early Production
The Lotus Eleven
Developed as a descendant of the Mark 9
Lotus Seven
The Lotus Seven was launched as a ‘no-frills’ sports car.
Le Mans
The Eleven achieved a historic win in the 750cc Class of the Index of Performance at Le Mans
Group Lotus PLC
This is the year Chapman established Group Lotus
The move to Cheshunt
The factory moves from the original showroom on the outskirts of London, to a new purpose-built facility at Cheshunt.
Mid-Engine Principle
Focused on winning, Chapman adopted and improved upon the mid-engined layout of the successful Cooper race cars.
Type 20
Keen to maintain Lotus’ pre-eminence in Junior racing, Chapman developed the Type 20.
Type 21
The Type 21 was the FIRST F1 car to use a reclining driving position.
Type 24
Lotus introduced the Type 24 with a conventional chassis at the start of the ’62 Formula One season.
Type 25
The 25 was the FIRST F1 car to use a revolutionary fully stressed ‘monocoque’ chassis design.
Type 26
The Type 26 Lotus Elan was introduced.
Type 29
Chapman developed his first Indianapolis car, with a power to weight ratio of over 800bhp per ton.
Type 28
Lotus assisted Ford in winning the British Saloon Car Championship.
F1 Winners
With Jim Clark at the wheel of the Type 25, Lotus secured its first Formula One Constructors’ Championship, and the Drivers title.
Type 33
The Type 33 was an evolution of the monocoque Type 25.
Another Double
Jim Clark brought home another double for Team Lotus, winning both constructors’ and drivers F1 championships.
150.686 mph
Clark also won the famous Indy 500 race in the USA with a new record.
Type 36
Type 36 Lotus Elan fixed head coupe made its debut.
Move to Hethel
It was in this year that Lotus moved to a purpose-built factory based in Norfolk.
Type 43
The FIRST F1 car to use the engine as a structural member.
Type 45 & Type 46
The enhanced Elan S3 drophead made its debut, followed by the mid-engined Europa road car.
Type 47
Soon after the Europa went into production, work began on the Type 47, a Cosworth-Ford powered racing version.
Type 49
The FIRST car to be powered by the legendary Cosworth-Ford DFV V8 engine.
Type 50
The more spacious Type 50 Elan +2 went into production
Jim Clark
Jim Clark tragically died in a Formula 2 race at Hockenheim.
Another Double
Graham Hill drove to victory winning the Constructors’ and Drivers’ titles for Lotus again.
Gold Leaf
The FIRST commercial sponsorship in Formula One.
Type 49
The FIRST use of Aerofoil wings in F1.
S2 Europa
Lotus launched the S2 Europa.
Seven S4
Vastly different from its predecessor, the S4 was designed to be sold to a much wider public through an all-new dealer network.
Type 63
The Type 63 became the FIRST F1 car to use the wedge shaped front.
Elan Sprint
In the January the famous Elan Sprint sports car was introduced.
Type 72
Team Lotus unveils the innovative Type 72 formula one car that went on to achieve twenty grand prix wins.
Jochen Rindt
Rindt was tragically killed at Monza before the season's end.
F1 Double
Victory came again in both the Constructor's and Driver's championships.
New Engine
Europa became one of the worlds quickest production sports cars.
Type 72
Emerson Fittipaldi won both Constructors' and Drivers' Championship.
Esprit
The Lotus Esprit concept, designed by Ital Design, is shown for the first time.
Texaco Star
Lotus causes confusion by naming its next race car the Type 74, a type number already given to the Europa.
No. 6
Lotus won the Constructors Championship for the sixth time
2+2 Elite
Lotus' first 4 seater sports car was launched, the attractively shaped Type 75 Elite.
JPS Mark 1
The Type 76 Formula One car, dubbed the John Player Special Mark 1.
Safety Trophy
The Elite was awarded the DON Safety Trophy by the UK Minister of Transport.
Esprit
At the Paris Motor show Lotus stunned the world with the premier of the dramatic Guigiario-styled Esprit (Type 79).
2+2 Eclat
The Esprit was to reappear shortly afterwards at the London motor show, in company with the new 2+2 Eclat (Type 76).
JPS MK 2
The FIRST car to incorporate adjustable suspension.
The spy who loved me
The name's Bond... James Bond...
Type 78
The FIRST car to manage airflow under the car including ground effects.
F1 Dominance
Team Lotus dominated Formula One, achieving 12 pole positions, and 8 wins, and winning the double.
Sunbeam
Chrysler UK (Talbot) called in the Lotus Engineering to help develop a high performance version of the Chrysler Sunbeam.
Royal Visit
HRH Duke of Edinburgh visited the Hethel factory.
Wingless Wonder
The Type 80 “Wingless Wonder” F1 race car is introduced, to be driven by Mario Andretti and Carlos Reutemann.
Party Time
The awesome Esprit Turbo was launched in tremendous style at London's Royal Albert Hall.
Twin Chassis
The FIRST car designed with a carbon fibre monocoque, and two chassis.
For Your Eyes Only
The Esprit Turbo shot to stardom, featuring strongly in the new Bond movie 'For Your Eyes Only.'
2+2 Excel
It was neatly styled, powered by a 160bhp 2.2-litre Lotus twin-cam engine, and handled superbly.
Type 91
With Elio de Angelis at the wheel, the Lotus Type 91 won its first Grand Prix Formula One race at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman
Died suddenly from a heart attack at only 54 years of age.
Type 92
The Lotus Active Suspension System was announced
Toyota
At the request of Lotus, Toyota acquired a 16.5% stake in Lotus.
Etna Concept
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna replaced the departing Nigel Mansell.
Chrysler Corporation
Contracted with Lotus Engineering to develop a family of high performance 16-valve engines for its future range of passenger cars.
Excel SE
The Excel SE is announced at the London Motor Show.
General Motors
General Motors acquired 100% shareholding of Group Lotus plc.
Camel Colours
Camel became Team Lotus' new major sponsor, and Honda the new engine supplier.
New Esprit Turbo
At the London Motorfair the new Esprit Turbo made its debut.
40th
In celebration of the company's 40th anniversary, a limited edition Esprit Turbo was produced.
Type 100T
Formula One World Champion, Nelson Piquet joined Lotus, following Ayrton Senna’s departure.
Esprit Turbo SE
The launch of the most powerful Lotus supercar to date.
Elan
The Elan (Type 100) roadster was launched at the London Motorfair.
Type 101
The Lotus Type 101 introduced the normally aspirated 3.5 litre Judd V8 engine.
Lotus Carlton
The legendary Lotus Carlton (Lotus Omega outside the UK) was launched.
Showroom Stock Series
In the USA, a works-supported team of three Esprit Turbo SE's entered the 'Showroom Stock' race series.
Elan Award
The Elan received the British Design Council award.
Team Lotus
Team Lotus became privately owned by a new management consortium led by Peter Wright and Peter Collins.
M200
The M200, a futuristic concept sports car based on the Elan caused a stir at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
Sport Esprit X180R
Doc Bundy, driving the Sport Esprit X180R, took the Drivers' title in the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge for 'street-legal' cars.
Chris Boardman
Chris Boardman won the 4000m Pursuit Gold Medal at the Barcelona Olympics on the Lotus Superbike.
SID
Lotus Engineering remained busy with the extraordinary 'SID' (Structure Isolation Dynamics) research vehicle.
Bugatti Ownership
Bugatti International of Italy bought Group Lotus from General Motors.
Esprit S4
The Esprit S4 had a minor facelift and a range of mechanical refinements including power-steering as standard.
Team ONCE
The new Lotus Sport 110 road bike made its debut on the gruelling Tour de France.
Elan S2
The Elan S2 was launched at the Geneva Motor Show.
Esprit S4S
The S4S came with 300bhp, new wheels and tyres, and revised suspension settings.
Lotus Sport 110
Multiple successes with the Lotus Sport 110 carbon-composite bicycle.
Police Stop
An Esprit S4 ‘Police Car’ was produced, demonstrating that there was no point running from the law.
British National GT Series
Out on the race track, an Esprit Sport 300, driven by Thorkild Thyrring, won the British National GT series.
Team Lotus Disbanded
Spiraling costs led to the disbanding of Team Lotus at the start of the F1 season, closing an important chapter in Lotus history.
GT Race Programme
The Lotus GT race programme was brought in-house in preparation for an all-out assault on UK sports car endurance racing.
50,000
Lotus produced its 50,000th car in the March of 1995.
Feature Marque
Lotus was the featured marque at the Monterey Historic Automobile Races in California, USA.
Elise
The Elise was unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show, to the obvious delight of the press and public.
Proton
Proton announced it had acquired an 80% majority shareholding in Group Lotus plc.
Esprit GT1
The all-new Esprit GT1 racer was unveiled at the Paul Ricard circuit in France.
Esprit GT3
At the Geneva Motorshow the Esprit S4 GT3 was well received by both public and press.
Innovation Award
The Elise became the darling of the world's motoring press.
Living Logo
Lotus staff create the ‘Living logo’ in the grounds of Ketteringham Hall
Test Cells
HRH Prince of Wales officially opened a new £3.5 million engine test cell block.
1000th Elise
The Elise proved more of a hit than even Lotus expected.
Millennium Product
The Elise was chosen by the Design Council as a prestigious ‘Millennium Product'
50th Celebrations
In September Lotus hosted its 50th anniversary celebrations with a party at Hethel
340R
At the Birmingham Motor Show in October, Lotus revealed the stunning 340R as a concept car.
Esprit Sport 350
The lightweight and big-braked Esprit Sport 350 supercar was released as a dramatic limited edition model.
Elise 111S
Lotus launched the Elise 111S at Geneva Motor Show.
VX220
The Opel Speedster/ VX220 concept was shown, and the sports car went on to be built at the Lotus factory in Hethel.
M250
Lotus revealed an all-new mini-supercar concept that fitted into the range between the Elise and Esprit.
Elise Sport 160
In response to enthusiasts demand for even more performance Lotus responded with the introduction of the Sport 160
Exige Launch
On the eve of the inaugural round of the Autobytel Lotus Championship race series, Lotus thrilled the crowds by unveiling the new Exige.
New Elise
The new generation Elise was launched, with improved performance, styling, handling and quality.
Lotus Design
The new bespoke Research and Development Centre at Hethel opened in July.
Extreme Concept
Lotus, famous for taking things to extremes, provided support to Coventry University design student, Ted Mannerfelt.
Queen's Award
Lotus Cars were awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise.
100% Proton
PROTON become 100% shareholders in Lotus Group International Ltd.
Canaries
Lotus became the shirt sponsor for Norwich City Football team
End of an era
The last Lotus Esprit rolled off the production line
Elise 111R
Lotus launched the new 189hp Lotus Elise 111R.
New Exige
At the 2004 Geneva Show, Lotus presented the new Lotus Exige on the world stage.
20,000 Elise
20,000th Lotus Elise Drives Off The Production Line, making it the most popular Lotus ever.
Lotus Sport Exige
The 400bhp 850kg GT2 specification race car debuted in 2005,
APX
At the Geneva motor show Lotus Engineering unveiled APX ("Aluminium Performance Crossover" ) vehicle
Sport Exige GT3
Secures victory in the 2006 British GT Manufacturers Championship
World Record
Lotus went into the Guinness Book of Records for the biggest meet of any marque
Evora Launch
The all new Evora is unveiled
Lotus Lightweight Structures
Group Lotus plc, announced the creation of Lotus Lightweight Structure
Clark Type 25
Launched as a limited edition to celebrate Jim Clark's genius as a driver.
Project HOTFIRE
Lotus Engineering celebrated being awarded 'The Engineer Technology + Innovation Award of 2008'
2-Eleven
The Lotus Sport 2-Eleven GT4 Supersport race car asserted itself at the pinnacle of the 2-Eleven range
Range Extender
Lotus Engineering, unveiled the Range Extender engine at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in a series hybrid vehicle.
Evora Awards
Evora wins a multitude of awards, including the prestigious Top Gear Magazine's 'Sportscar of the Year...
Type 124
The Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar was developed from the award-winning Evora road car
Evora Cup
The Lotus Evora Cup was unveiled in January at the Autosport International
414e
At the International Geneva Motor Show Lotus Engineering unveiled the Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid concept
Evora Carbon Concept
The Evora Carbon Concept was unveiled at the Geneva Motorshow.
2011 Elise
The 2011 Lotus Elise has as a new evolution body design and features the new high technology 1ZR-FAE 1.6 litre engine
"The Engineer" Awards
Project Omnivore wins first place in the Automotive, Rail and Marine sector while the Fuel Cell Hybrid Taxi triumphs in the energy sector.
Lotus returns to F1
The iconic Lotus name returned to Formula 1 for the 2010 season after a more than 15 year long absence.
Elise Club Racer
The Elise Club Racer is announced as a stripped-back, even lighterweight version of the Elise.
Sound Technology
Lotus Engineering and HARMAN create the next generation intelligent pedestrian warning system
Lotus Range Extender
Lotus Engineering unveil the supercharged, extremely compact, lightweight, low-cost engine and generator designed specifically for hybrid electric vehicles.
Hethel Test Track
The Lotus test track at Hethel was renovated in 2011 and officially re-opened on 21 June
DRB-HICOM
Malaysian DRB Hicom Bhd. purchase a majority stake in Lotus' parent company Proton Holdings Bhd
Exige S Roadster
The first time an Exige model has been offered with a factory-fitted soft top roof.
Goodwood 2012
Lotus headlined the world's biggest car culture event in the summer.
Exige S
Lotus Exige S voted joint winner of evo's "Car of the Year 2012"
Evora Sports Racer
A visually enhanced and optimised version of the mid-engined 3.5 litre Evora is launched, available in both naturally-aspirated or supercharged variants.
Elise S Cup
Ready for early press assessments, the Elise Cup S would be the most focused version of the still box-fresh Elise.
Jean-Marc Gales
The multi-lingual, international, automotive businessman took over the reins of Group Lotus plc in May 2014
Automatically Better
The new Lotus Exige Automatic, in either Roadster, or Coupe forms, would be enticingly and automatically better.
Elise S Cup
The Elise has never been better.
Evora 400
The Lotus Evora 400 was launched at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.
3-Eleven
Heralding the next generation of Lotus high performance sports cars, the 3-Eleven is the company’s quickest and most expensive series production car ever.
Evora Sport 410
Lotus’ famous Lightweight Laboratory has been hard at work cutting the weight of the Evora 400 by a massive 70kg.
Elise Cup 250
The fastest ever line up of Lotus production road cars was showcased at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show
Exige Cup 380
The limited production Exige Cup 380 is revealed in April.
Evora GT430
The ultimate Evora variant, the GT430, is announced in September.
Geely Majority Stake
Geely Holding Group buys a 51% stake in Group Lotus.
Exige Cup 430
The ballistic Exige Cup 430 is launched on 9th November.
Mr Feng Qingfeng
Geely announces Mr Feng Qingfeng’s appointment as CEO of Group Lotus plc in June.
70th Anniversary
Lotus celebrates its 70th Anniversary at Hethel in September.
Phil Popham
Phil Popham is appointed Senior Vice President - Commercial Operations for Group Lotus and CEO - Lotus Sports Cars.
Evora GT410 Sport
Evora GT410 Sport launched.
Exige Sport 410
Exige Sport 410 launched.
