Anyone who's ever seen a Lotus car knows what the British car manufacturer is all about: speed and style. For them, winning on the race track is not enough, you also have to look good while doing it. Lotus cars are now the epitome of speed and maneuverability.
It's a long way for the brand which was first established when Colin Chapman, a graduate of University College, London, built his first car in a lock-up garage behind his girlfriend's car. The year was 1946 and the car was dubbed by its creator as the Austin Seven Special. He entered it in a couple of races in 1948 and managed to snag some victories.
The first car that he called a Lotus was built in 1949 and it had a more powerful Ford engine. While this model was powerful enough to beat a Bugatti Type 37 in the Silverstone race. After this victory Champan decided to focus on sports cars that would run in the Formula 750.
Lotus withdrew from Formula in 1995 but it still manages to maintain its reputation as a sports car builder, with the Lotus Elise, Exige (and its S variant), Europa (also with a turbocharged S variant) and the newly released Evora. |
