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LOTUS

51 entries

British sports car maker founded by Colin Chapman, known for lightweight cars and seven Formula One world titles.

Founded: 1952, as Lotus Engineering Ltd., by Colin Chapman
Headquarters: Hethel, Norfolk
Owner: Geely
Formula One: Team Lotus, seven world championships

Lotus was formed in 1952 as Lotus Engineering Ltd. by Colin Chapman, who had built his first trials car in 1948. Chapman owned the company until his death in 1982.

After a period of financial instability the marque passed to General Motors, then Romano Artioli and then Proton, which owned it from 1996 to 2017. It is now fully owned by Geely, and its racing arm, Team Lotus, won the Formula One World Championship seven times.

1952Lotus Engineering Ltd. formed by Colin Chapman
1966Factory and test track at Hethel established
1982Death of Colin Chapman
1996Proton takes over, holding Lotus until 2017
2017Geely becomes the owner