Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman set up Lotus in order to build limited numbers of sports-racing cars, and quickly moved to road cars, as well.  In this article, you’ll learn about Lotus cars, from Chapman’s low-weight philosophy to the Lotus Elan’s role in a popular television series.

Starting with 1959’s Lotus Elite, Chapman built the world’s first car with unit fiberglass construction, in an effort to keep body weight as low as possible.  This principle (if not the specific implementation) reappeared in each Lotus, from the popular and collectible Lotus Elan through the aggressive, mid-engine Lotus Esprit.

Lotus Elite
The Lotus story started more than forty years ago and
it is still going strong in the new millennium.

Lotus began small, and remains so to this day, producing small numbers of vehicles, and providing consulting to other manufacturers, particularly in the finer points of engine design and fiberglass construction.

Come explore the history of Lotus, beginning on the next page with the Lotus Elite.

To learn more about Lotus and other sports cars, see: