There are 70 years of ups and downs, during which the Lotus Cars he knew the most disparate periods, from the fame brought about by competition, to the financial difficulties that forced the company to remain in a kind of limbo. Even at the risk of closing doors due to lack of money.
However, after three years of financial restructuring carried out with the arrival on the scene of the Luxembourger Jean-Marc Gales, in 2014 (he left office in June 2018), with the consequent return to profits in 2017, Lotus reaches 70 years of life in better shape than ever. Now properly marked, with a video, featuring two of the most popular models from the Hethel brand: the Exige and the Evora 410 Sport.
Led by two company employees, the two sports cars dedicated themselves to inscribing the number 70 on the floor of the manufacturer's test track and using tire rubber. than some sets of tires.
Lotus Cars AnnouncementThis is a joyful and irreverent celebration that still continues to highlight the genius of its founder, Colin Chapman. In 1948, Chapman built his first competition car in a small London garage, following his own theories for the evolution of performance. He founded Lotus Engineering in 1952, a date from which the company has never stopped innovating in engineering, both in road and competition cars. By transforming the very nature and purpose of automotive design, Chapman was at the forefront of a new way of thinking, with his concepts proving as relevant today as they were 70 years ago.
a troubled past
Despite the party atmosphere in which he finds himself at the moment, the truth is that 70 years were not easy. Due to financial difficulties, it was even “swallowed” in 1986 by General Motors.
However, the American management would not be maintained for long and, just seven years later, in 1993, Lotus would be sold to A.C.B.N. Holdings S.A. of Luxembourg. Holding controlled by Italian Romano Artioli, which at the time owned Bugatti Automobili SpA, and which would also be the main responsible for launching the Lotus Elise.
However, the accentuation of the company's financial difficulties led to a new change of hands, with the sale of Lotus, in 1996, to Malaysian Proton. Which, after a financial restructuring plan carried out in recent years, opted to sell, in 2017, the small British sports car manufacturer, to the already owners of Volvo, the Chinese Geely.
Geely's entry (and strategy)
Although recent, the entry of the Chinese car group promises, however, to act as an important oxygen balloon for Lotus Cars. Right away, because Geely has already announced that it is willing to invest 1.5 billion pounds, more than 1.6 billion euros, in the Hethel brand, in order to make Lotus one of the big players among the world sports car manufacturers.
According to the British Autocar, part of the strategy already defined is an increase in Geely's shareholding in Lotus, beyond the current 51%. Something that, however, will only be possible through the purchase of shares from the Malaysian partner, Etika Automotive.
At the same time, Geely is planning to build a new design and innovation center in Hethel, Lotus headquarters, as well as hiring a further 200 engineers. Which will then be able to give their support to the new factory that the Chinese group also admits to build, in the Midlands, as soon as Lotus sales start to grow.
As for the fact that Geely has already admitted the construction of a new factory in China, to support the sale of Lotus cars to markets in the East, Li Shufu, chairman of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. Ltd, devalues, defending the maintenance of the brand, on British soil.
Li Shufu, Chairman of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. LtdWe will continue to do what we have done at the London Taxi Company: British engineering, British design, British manufacturing. We don't see any reason to transfer 50 years of combined experience to China; let them [Lotus Cars] do what they do best in Britain.
Making Lotus a global luxury brand and… rivaling Porsche?
As for the goals already defined for the British brand, the businessman guaranteed, in statements to the news agency Bloomberg, "the total commitment to repositioning Lotus Cars as a global luxury brand" — luxury in the sense of brand positioning, not a characteristic directly related to their models, type of classification that we can find, for example, in Ferrari. With the rumors pointing to the German Porsche as the rival "to be shot down".
When it comes to new products, the most controversial is the SUV, scheduled for presentation in 2020, which will inherit much of its technology from Volvo. Apparently, this unprecedented Lotus, will initially be marketed only in China.
Of more interest to enthusiasts is a sports advertisement, positioned above the Evora, a sort of Lotus Esprit for today. And, of course, a successor to Elise, launched in 1996, and which should increase its positioning, both in price and performance.
© PCauto
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