description

Country: United Kingdom

Creation of age: 1952

Founder: Baars Chapman (Colin Anthony Bruce Chapman)

Company Headquarters: United Kingdom Norwich City

History in the automotive industry, Lotus brand different. It is distinguished British engineers Baars Chapman (Colin Anthony Bruce Chapman) personal struggle and wisdom. Chapman has always been personally involved in the design and events, and even in person to test drive a new car. He not only excel in the design, but also an excellent driving hand. By a single person like this to create a car brand the entire series is extremely rare in the world.

Lotus brand is a British gentleman Baars Chapman (Colin Anthony Bruce Chapman) masterpiece. Chapman is a typical English gentleman, always a small beard neatly trimmed. This gentleman, described many of the film, rarely seen in today's Britain has had. Post-war decades, the name of the British engineer a tremendous impact on the world motorsport. Lotus team under his command since 1958 has 7 wins in F1 race cars, and go down in history create a variety of excellent models. Chapman from scratch, in the car driven by sports fanatic, personally create his own favorite car, then race the car in both manufacturing and create brilliant achievements. This can be considered a section of the world's most beautiful car in the history of stories.

The story goes in 1947. Obsessed with motor racing as a young student, University of London, on side 19 are still studying engineering Colin Chapman yourself a simple modification of the Austin Seven car. This is not so much a car, it is more a stunt cars. Post-war Britain was once fashionable for the muddy forest compete in amateur racing. Chapman's self-made car and took first place, so the way he sold spare parts to sell more cars.

Chapman spare the young trick where the success of Lotus cars total from the decision of his life. He had used his spare time, and the long night of great concentration, to design their own favorite car, and registered the Lotus brand, self-contained. One MkIII and MkIV Although power is limited, but the appearance design is consistent with the requirements of racing, so impressive. Wunderkind of Chapman on January 1, 1952 set up the Lotus Engineering Company, began manufacturing the brand automobiles, and industrial production gradually. Lotus brand started without ability to design and produce their own engines, and so they all focus on the body design, and that holds the principle that as much as possible to reduce body weight, to maximize the limited power. It is from this idea of starting in 1952 came the MkVI tubular frame with a cellular structure. The technology used in aircraft manufacturing has been quite common, but it is the first time for cars. Ford used the car only a poor card of 40 horsepower engine (29 kW), the brake device is an old cable-, transmission has only three ratio. However, its body weighs only 400 kg, grip wonders, so many high-powered car race to rival flung behind.

Lotus depot gradually develop small batch production, but did not give up the race. These two operations to the formal separation in 1959. The MkVI was discontinued in 1955 changed its name to Lotus Seven.

Lotus Seven-style fender motorcycle retained and non-door body. But the style was more modern, still using a variety of tubular body frame structure, the body of aluminum directly on the chassis. Front wheel suspension for the triangular cantilever, with a bar to prevent rocking. Rear axle is just hard. Lotus Seven car spare parts are still sold, but low price, quickly became the ideal match in many small cars. Racing enthusiasts in the Sun is a British organization that small racing a big tradition. Since 1957 Lotus Seven came quickly to be successful. The strange thing is, Chapman did not like the car, and just decided to stop production for 10 years, so fans disappointed. Fortunately, a London taxi companies in 1967 and Chapman agreed to buy the car all the molds and tools, to manufacturing. Now it has a 43-year history, continued to produce.