LOTUS

LOTUS 

Colin Chapman (Colin Chapman) started his career at British Aluminium ("British Elyuminem"). However, it was always attracted to cars. He not only earned their sale. In 1947 he founded a very successful automobile racing versions Austin Seven ("Austin Seven"), and in 1952 founded the firm Lotus.
The first production car Lotus has a 1953 model Six ("Six") with a tubular frame that comes in the form of an assembly kit. The cars were produced by amateur and in the evenings and on weekends in an abandoned room in Hornsey, near London. In 50-ies. Chapman created a lightweight sports car racing, then switched to a single and eventually bought a new building on the outskirts of London, where he mastered the production coupe Elite ("Elite").


Options for Elan: Sprint to the forefront in 1973, in the back and right to left: "S1" 1964, "S3" in 1966 and the factory race car "26R" 1966
The first time Chapman helped Mike Costin (Mike Costin), later created, along with Keith Duckworth (Keith Duckworth) company Cosworth ("Kosuort"), Fred Buechel (Fred Bushell) and Peter Kirwan-Tay-lor (Peter Kirwan-Taylor). But only technical talent Chapman inspired the design of all racing and road cars of the company until the end of the 60s. Then the company became so great that its creator is no longer enough.
From I960 to 1980, the company has rapidly developed. She released a number of excellent road vehicles and engines for them, presented a magnificent structure of Formula 1 racing cars. Lotus company has paid attention to other race formulas.


The first model of the Lotus Seven began producing in 1957 as an assembly kit
Links were established with Ford back in 1962, so Lotus collected in the 1963-66 years. Machines Lotus Cortina ("Cortina"), as well as supplying your engine with two camshafts for Ford Escort Twin-Cam ("Escort Twin Cam"). The growth of the firm made ​​the move into production in 1966 at the new plant in Hitel, Norfolk. Two years later, Lotus was a joint stock company.
A new generation of road cars - Elite, Eclat ("Eclat") and Esprit ("Esprit") - was introduced in the mid 70s., All machines have the same 1b-valve engine. Then the company began to provide consulting services: one of the first steps in this direction was the complete processing of a new DeLorean DMC12 ("DeLorian").


Compact Elan 1989 was front wheel drive car with a 16-valve engine Isuzu (1588 cm3)
At the end of 1982, Colin Chapman died suddenly at age 54, and the company for some time remained without leadership. Shortly after the death of the founder of Lotus was involved in an investigation of fraud associated with transactions with DeLorianom Chapman, continues even in the early 90s.
Until the mid-80s. there was a danger that Lotus may cease to exist: the financing of production of cars went by consulting division. It was only after the transition of the company under the control of General Motors ("GM"), a new generation of cars Elan. In the 90's. Romano Artioli bought Lotus (Romano Artioli), under whose leadership began production Elise ("Elise"). In 1996 the firm bought the Malaysian car manufacturer Proton ("Proton"). Now all efforts aimed at preparing Lotus to produce a new model of "M250" and modernization of equipment produced.