Lotus Vehicles

Overview

    Lotus Cars began building automobiles shortly after World War II, under the leadership of racing designer Colin Chapman, who believed that ultra-lightweight designs were preferable to more powerful but heavier designs. Although a number of racers were built, Lotus did not really begin building street-able vehicles until 1957, when the Seven entered production and a true road car, the Elite, was shown. While the Lotus Seven was sold to Caterham, Lotus itself continued to market a succession of road cars. As a small British manufacturer, Lotus had difficulty with the legislative/emissions requirements of the United States, as well as distribution issues. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Lotus's presence in the U.S. therefore became tenuous, with the Esprit, for example, missing several model years in the American market. Lotus did sell as series of unusual-looking two-door sedans, the Europa-Eclat-Elite lineup, but the last of the series (the Excel) -- which was arguably the most normal-looking of the lot -- was not sold in the U.S. at all. Lotus then returned its attention to sports cars, and for a number of years, its Esprit was its only U.S. offering, although the Elise and its derivatives became popular in Europe. After Esprit production halted in 2004, Lotus began to diversify its American lineup. Like most small car companies, it has passed through several hands: GM bought it from Chapman in 1986, only to sell it in 1993 to Italian magnate Romano Artioli (then-owner of Bugatti). Majority ownership then passed to Proton (a Malaysian car company) in 1996, where it remains to this day. The company's headquarters and factory are located in Hethel, in the county of Norfolk, England.

CARS