The Lotus Engineering Company was established in 1952 by British engineer Colin Chapman. Chapman had been building cars since 1948 and experienced some racing success - which inspired him to start his own team. With ‘Team Lotus’ set up in 1954 the company continued to focus on this aspect throughout its early years.
Today Lotus is known as a commercial sports car manufacturer, with the Elise its flagship model. It was 1957 that saw the introduction of the first Lotus road car in the shape of the Elite as the company’s experience in racing contributed to the innovative fibreglass design and the model was successful both commercially and on the track.
The following year Lotus entered the Formula One world championship and went on to become one of its most successful and influential teams. The first Grand Prix win for a Lotus came through Stirling Moss in 1960, while the team itself captured the drivers’ championship in 1963.
This would be the first of seven titles for the company over the next fifteen years, with Lotus becoming the first team to reach 50 Grand Prix victories in that time. Chapman’s innovations made a significant impact on the sport as he introduced an aluminium sheet monocoque chassis and advanced the aerodynamics of his vehicles.
Declining fortunes and limited resources forced Lotus into selling the team in 1995. Meanwhile the main company had been bought by General Motors in 1986, though it was sold again seven years later. A majority share is currently held by Malaysian manufacturer Proton and there are rumours of a return to Formula One racing.
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