Chinese Billionaire Is Poised to Rescue a Great British Icon
Employees polish an Lotus Evora sports car as it moves down the inspection line at the Lotus factory in Hethel, near Norwich, U.K.
Photographer: Simon Dawson/BloombergAn assembly hall sits rusting on a 55-acre factory complex in eastern England, surrounded by a vast expanse of green, productive farmlands. The forlorn structure is a reminder of the latest failed attempt to revive Lotus Cars, a specialist sportscar maker and engineering powerhouse.
In its heyday, Lotus was revered for lightweight racers favored by James Bond and Mario Andretti. The company’s engineering talent alone was so well respected it developed a successful consulting firm with clients that included General Motors, Aston Martin, and Tesla. But consumer tastes changed. When sports cars gave way to SUVs, Lotus suffered.