Group Lotus plc, the lightweight sports car icon, is celebrating its 60th year in existence in 2008. Group Lotus Plc CEO Mike says: “This is a great opportunity to celebrate the past and look forward to both a very special year for Lotus and a fantastic future. It’s important to us to celebrate the spirit of Lotus and we invite everyone to our headquarters to meet our people, our staff and our fans, and see us moving forwards. In 2008 an all new car will be unveiled at the London Motorshow and an impressive global expansion programme is planned for our high tech Lotus Engineering Consultancy, so there’s an exciting energy at Lotus that we want to share with our wider communities.”

The new car of which Kimberly speaks is the Eagle, of which a bare suspension was earlier shown in its barest form. Hard to believe that already 60 years have gone by, 60 years of Exige, Europa, Elise, Esprit…We remember the pioneer of performance through lightweight, Lotus founder Colin Chapman who introduced several innovations in motor cars such as struts for rear suspension and aerodynamics into Formula One, where Lotus earned 7 world championships.

Chapman’s widow Hazel and son Clive Chapman will open the pinnacle event of the whole celebration campaign to be held in Hethel, UK in September 2008.