Automotive Recyclers Association - Archive

Online Resources:

• grouplotus.com
• Lotus Car Blog

Related Ads:

Lotus

If their ever was an automaker that should be considered specialists, Lotus fits that description to a tee. Driving enthusiasts have long known that Lotus' sleek, lightweight sports cars provide a driving experience that is second to none. Unlike many companies that have of ton of models to choose from, Lotus rarely has more than or two models on the market at any one time.

The company was founded in 1948 by Anthony Colin Chapman, a gentleman who had a fierce passion for racing. In fact, the first car that Lotus produced was used to compete in races and driven by Chapman himself. Finally in 1955, Lotus Cars Ltd was officially in business. The first car that Lotus was the Lotus Elite. The Elite was a unique, lightweight sports coupe that boasted fiberglass unibody construction. It was one of the first vehicles that not only used fiberglass in the outer skin, but in the cars skeleton as well. This reduction in the vehicles weight helped the Elite establish a name for itself in racing circuits around the world and especially at Lemans.

During the early 1960's, Lotus added a new model, the Elan, to finally expand its product line. This sleek new roadster came with unheard of standard equipment such as four wheel disc brakes, a twine cam engine for superior power and performance and four wheel independent suspension outstanding handling. In a move that was unexpected, Lotus unveiled, in 1967, the Elan Plus 2 and positioned it as Lotus' first entry into the family car market. Although it was just as sporty as the Elan, Lotus increased the cabin size and added 2 jump seat and voila! You now have a family sedan.

In 1972, Lotus made the decision to discontinue the Elite. However, it wasn't gone long. It was born again in early 1974. The new and improved Elite was reborn as a 160 horsepower, 4 passenger model. Moving forward 2 years, the company added the Lotus Esprit to its lineup. In fact, the Esprit gained some much needed brand recognition by appearing in 2 James Bond movies during the decade.

Despite its brief fling with the movies, the 1970's was a time that Lotus suffered some significant business losses. It's hard to point to just one single cause for the company's troubles, but it was more a combination of many factors during the decade. For one, the Lotus cars of the 1970's were more expensive to produce. A second factor is that the brand had become known as an exotic, just like models of Ferrari and Porsche. Sadly, with the gas crisis in fuel swing, having the moniker of “exotic sports cars” caused Lotus' sales to suffer dramatically.

The 1980's were another period of upheaval for Lotus. First came the General Motors takeover in 1986. Then the name was changed in 1987 to Lotus Cars USA. For a variety of reason, the marriage was short and Lotus was sold to Bugatti in 1993. This union was short and most say, not so sweet. In 1996 Bugatti sold Lotus to a Malaysian firm, During this turbulent year, Lotus began producing a flyweight model that was named the Elise. Little did everyone know that the Elise would be so well received, that it was considered the financial savior of the company and the Lotus was finally able to import the model to North America after dealing with safety and emissions issues.

It's no secret that the Lotus' of today still adhere to Chapman's initial intentions of building lightweight, race oriented cars that are an absolutely thrill to drive. It's not the car to head to the grocery store with, but get it out on an open country highway, and see why the name Lotus makes so many driving enthusiasts smile.