Lotus Cars

Lotus is a specialty car company that was founded in Britain, and it has focused on race cars, as well as on sporty cars that are renowned for their lightweight, sleek design. Lotus cars are revered for their handling and performance, and aren't sold in great volume; there are very seldom more than a couple of models for sale at any given time. Here you will learn more about the history of Lotus cars.

The Lotus car company was founded by Anthony Chapman, a racing aficionado. The first car was built in 1948, and raced by Chapman himself, and by 1955, Lotus Cars Ltd. had been established. Two years later, the Lotus Elite was released, and that car owed its light weight to its fiberglass body. The use of fiberglass in car bodies was unique, but the Elite was the first to use fiberglass in the chassis. Its extremely light weight helped the car to win races at Le Mans and around the world.

In the 1960s, Lotus expanded its line, adding the Elan. That car was first available in roadster form, and it had a twin cam motor, disc brakes on all four years, and an independent suspension. By 1967, the Elan Plus 2 was added to the lineup; it was the first Lotus that was good for family use because of its larger cabin and added jump seats.

The Elite was discontinued in 1972, but brought back in 1974 as a four-seat model with an engine boasting 160 horsepower. In 1976, the Esprit was introduced, the car kept up with Lotus' history of lightweight designs. It was very recognizable, due to its appearance in movies and its distinctive exterior.

James Bond movie appearances aside, the 70s were not good for Lotus. Their vehicles had evolved quite a bit since the Elite was first introduced; the Lotuses of the 70s were bigger and more costly than the models that came before. Lotus had earned a place in a sector of the market that was dominated by Porsche and Ferrari, and now their cars were considered exotic. Lotus sales dropped amid the worldwide fuel crisis, causing the company to incur high losses.

General Motors took over the company in 1987, and created Lotus Cars USA. That lasted for six years, until GM sold the company to Bugatti, who only held Lotus for three years before selling to a Malaysian conglomerate in 1996. That year, Lotus began building the Elise, a car that would go on to save the company. It was first imported to America in 2004, after stringent inspection.

Today, the Lotus company still follows Chapman's original aim, to produce race-ready, lightweight cars. With scant cabin space and few creature comforts, the modern Lotus does not make a very good family car, but its great style and handling make it a tough act to follow.