In 1947, as a young man passionate about car racing, 19-year-old Colin Chapman, who was studying engineering technology at the University of London, modified a rudimentary Austin Seven racing car by himself. This car was more of a stunt car than a racing car. After the war, there was a period in Britain when amateur racing competitions on muddy forest paths became popular. Chapman's self-made racing car won first place, which led him to sell several units in the form of selling parts. The success was evident, and it was time to give it a name. Chapman came up with the idea to call it "Lotus." As for why it was called Lotus, Chapman never revealed the inside story.
This achievement of the young Chapman in his spare time determined his life from that point forward. He devoted his spare time and long nights to designing the car of his dreams, registered the Lotus brand, and established his own system. Models like the MkIII and MkIV had limited power, but their design met many requirements for racing cars, thus achieving remarkable results. The young and successful Chapman founded Lotus Engineering in January 1952, starting the production of vehicles under this brand and gradually forming industrialized production. Since the Lotus brand initially couldn't design and produce its own engine, it focused all its efforts on body design, adhering to one principle: to reduce body weight as much as possible and maximize the use of limited power. It was from this concept that the MkVI, introduced in 1952, used a honeycomb structure tubular frame. This technology had been widely used in aircraft manufacturing, but it was the first time it was applied to vehicles. This racing car used a Ford engine with only a pitiful 40Hp (horsepower) (29 kilowatts), had an old-fashioned cable-operated brake system, and a gearbox with only three gear ratios. However, because its body weighed only 400 kilograms and had excellent grip, it outperformed many high-powered opponents in races.
The Lotus factory gradually began small-scale production but did not abandon racing. These two businesses were officially separated in 1959. The MkVI, which ceased production in 1955, was later renamed the Lotus Seven.
The Lotus Seven still retained the motorbike-style fenders and doorless body, but its style was more modern. The body structure still used various types of tubular frames, and the aluminum panels were directly fixed on the frame. The front wheels had a triangular suspension arm with an anti-roll bar, while the rear wheels only used a solid axle. The Lotus Seven model was still sold in the form of kits, but due to its low cost, it quickly became the ideal vehicle for many small-scale competitions. Participating in these small-scale car races on Sundays is a great tradition in Britain. The Lotus Seven, introduced in 1957, quickly achieved success. Strangely, Chapman didn't like this model and decided to discontinue it after only 10 years, disappointing many fans. Fortunately, a London car dealership reached an agreement with Chapman in 1967, purchasing all production models and tools for the car, and continued production. Now, with a history of 43 years, it is still in production.
The Lotus brand gradually gained fame in the automotive world. In 1958, it made its debut in Formula One racing and quickly gained renown, especially with models like the MkVIII, MkIX, and MkX, which shone brightly in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. However, Chapman's greatest accomplishment was still in F1. His monocoque single-seater racing car was groundbreaking and dominated this sport for a full 20 years.
While accumulating championships on the track, Chapman continuously researched and manufactured unique racing cars. The Elite introduced in 1957 was a beautiful racing car. Its body was entirely made of composite plastics, divided into three sections, glued together like a sandwich. Although the car was stunning, its sales performance was poor. Due to its excellent grip and exhilarating handling, but poor reliability, sales were low, almost causing the Lotus factory to go out of business. Chapman learned from this experience and continued to improve, launching the Elen type racing car in 1962. The car was tightly integrated, using a beam-type chassis, with road performance surprisingly good. In 1965, another 2+2 convertible racing car was launched, further strengthening its position.
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