In 1948, Hazel & Colin Chapman built their first car. A modified Austin 7 called the “Mark 1”, work was entirely carried out in Hazel’s parents’ garage in Hornsey, London. Many more cars followed in the ensuing years with Lotus officially being born four years later.
75 years later, Lotus will mark 2023 with global events and celebrations that look back on decades of automotive and motorsport brilliance. During this time, the Hethel based manufacturer has gone on to build widely known and loved sportscars, not to mention their involvement in Formula 1. Now, Lotus embarks on one of its biggest challenges yet. Transitioning from being a UK based sportscar manufacturer to a global automotive brand.
Lotus has come a very long way since its humble beginnings in 1948. Today, the brand has engineering facilities in Germany, UK and China along with production facilities in Norfolk and China. Production of the hyper-electric Eletre SUV begins this year in China.
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Words by Matthew D’Souza, pictures and media courtesy of Lotus Cars Media.
