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First formed by the legendary Colin Chapman in 1948, Lotus Engineering became the company's official title from 1952. Lotus moved to their current Hethel home in 1966 before becoming a public company in 1968. Innovative technology was a byword at Lotus. Their Formula One firsts included the moncoque chassis, active suspension and aerodynamic wings. They also created the VARI moulding process and continue to act as a development consultant for some of the biggest names in the industry. Chapman was a race enthusiast at heart who sold road cars merely to fund his racing ambitions. This initially proved a wise move, as Lotus enjoyed much racing success with Jim Clarke giving them the first of their six Formula One Drivers championships in 1963. However, this blinkered focus on racing and some unfortunate (and sometimes dubious) busness ventures (the De Lorean scandal being the most prominent) eventually led to many changes in ownership (GM, Bugatti, Proton) following Chapman's death in 1982. Early road cars could be bought part-built so customers saved on tax, but this kit car image and poor build quality earned them a bad reputation for reliability (Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious)! However, they have had many classics along the way such as the original Elan, Elite and Seven (now Caterham), plus the pilloried 177mph Carlton and everlasting Esprit - the star of James Bond's 'The Spy Who Loved Me'. The latest Elise and Exige bringing them full circle back to their lightweight sportscar roots.
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