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LOTUS HISTORY
Lotus started in 1947 when Colin Chapman started building 750 specials in his girlfriends lock-up garage to race. Public demand for the replicas led to the forming of Lotus Engineering in 1952.
The first production Lotus was the Mark 6, the upgraded further refined version, the Lotus Mark 7, was vastly popular and is still in production today, now called the "Caterham Seven". From that point forward Lotus blossomed and boomed into the company it is now.
1957 saw Lotus outgrow the small premises they were working in at Hornsey and move into a purpose built factory in Cheshunt. Here the Lotus Elite two-seater coupe was assembled. 1960 saw further growth with the new Lotus Elan as well as growth on the racetrack. Stirling Moss entered the Grand Prix behind the wheel of a Lotus, their first rear-engined car, the Lotus eighteen, and won. Also Jim Clark won two World Championships. With collaboration from Ford the Lotus-Cortina was built bringing a Formula 1 win for Lotus at Indianapolis.
The Lotus Europa followed and wishing to move away from the kit car image, and into a higher income bracket, Chapman sold the Lotus 7 to Caterham Cars. Following this Cheshunt had become to small, and Lotus moved production to Hethel near Norwich in 1966 where they still are today.
Hethel has seen the introduction of the four-seater sports car the Lotus Elite, the lower priced Lotus Eclat, the Esprit two-seater coupe, and the Sunbeam Lotus, which won the 1981 Rally Champions.
In 1982 came the sad and tragic news of Colin Chapman’s death, aged only 45. For many who were interested in the historic Lotus sports cars this was the end of the era, and Team Lotus withdrew from Formula 1 in 1995. Group Lotus continues to be a leader in automotive engineering, and the success of Lotus Elise has restored the Lotus Prestige.
CURRENT LOTUS MODELS
Lotus Elise
Lotus Elise S
Lotus Elise R
Lotus Exige
Lotus Exige S
Lotus Exige Cup
Lotus Exige Cup 255
Lotus Exige GT3 Concept
Lotus Europa S
Lotus 2-Eleven
