11 January 2019
4 Mins read

Lotus caps ‘landmark year’ with strongest sales in seven years

With prestige high-performance models such as the Evora, Elise and Exige, Lotus has established its reputation as one of the most exciting names in British car manufacturing.

The past 12 months delivered a number of key developments for the marque, including its 70th birthday and major investment in product development and new facilities.

Furthermore, the company confirmed new majority ownership from Geely and brought in Phil Popham, a well-known figure from the luxury auto sector, as chief executive officer.

Perhaps most significantly of all, 2018 was Lotus' strongest retail year since 2011, with 1,630 cars sold worldwide. This marks an improvement of two per cent from the previous year.

In additional to solid performance across the UK and most of mainland Europe, the most exciting results came in Sweden, where sales were up by 87 per cent, Japan (up 59 per cent), Australia (up 50 per cent) and the Middle East (up 39 per cent).

Mr Popham said Lotus has arrived at "a new dawn for the brand and business", adding that the 2018 results show "success on many levels".

"Strong sales and an increasing presence in many international markets underline growing confidence as new shareholder backing starts to shape our future," he added.

"The many appointments to the company in the executive team and across the business demonstrate a real confidence and ability to deliver our ambitions for Lotus globally."

Founded in Norfolk in 1952, Lotus is a much-loved name in the British auto industry, having established its brand in the sports car sector with models such as the Elan and the Esprit.

It has also seen success in motor racing, primarily with Team Lotus in Formula 1.

The company has seen its fair share of challenges and financial difficulties in recent years, but in light of last year's positive trends, Lotus fans will be hoping for big things in the future, including some new model announcements.

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