16 replies to this topic

[HistoryFan]

What were the owner of Team Lotus and Lotus Cars?

The F1 team:
1958-1982: Colin Chapman
1983-1990: Hazel Chapman, Fred Bushell
1991: Peter Collins, Peter Wright, Horst Schübel
1992-1993: peter Collins, Peter Wright
1994: David Hunt
2010: Tony Fernandes, S. M. Nasarudi, Kamarudin Meranun

Lotus Cars:
1952-1980 Colin Chapman
1981/1982 Colin Chapman, Toyota (24%)
1983-1986 Hazel Chapman
1986-1993 General Motors
1993-1995 Romano Artioli
1996-2002 Proton (63,75%), Romano Artioli
2003-2010 Proton (100%)


Is that right? What's not right? Have I forgotten anyone?

[RA Historian]

What were the owner of Team Lotus ?

The F1 team:
1958-1982: Colin Chapman
1983-1990: Hazel Chapman, Fred Bushell
1991: Peter Collins, Peter Wright, Horst Schübel
1992-1993: peter Collins, Peter Wright
1994: David Hunt
2010: Tony Fernandes, S. M. Nasarudi, Kamarudin Meranun

You WILL get an argument on this, I will wager you! I don't think that many on this forum will buy into the idea that the current pretenders to the Team Lotus name are, how shall I say it, legitimate claimants?
Tom

Edited by RA Historian, 23 December 2010 - 21:48.

[Mig007]

I think Tony Fernandes' idea is much more reliable than the overambitious project of Dany Bahar, and Tony Fernandes bought the Team Lotus name from the legal owners, so in my view, he's the heir of that, and Lotus should be proud of the work they developed in 2010.

[D-Type]

I vaguely remember one of the minor teams acquiring rights to the Team Lotus name shortly after Lotus left the GP scene and announcing they were going to badge their cars as Lotuses, but nothing came of it. Someone like RAM or Simtek.

[pizzakrap]

pacific. they had the lotus emblem on there nose for the 95 season but thats as far as it went

[Thundersports]

I vaguely remember one of the minor teams acquiring rights to the Team Lotus name shortly after Lotus left the GP scene and announcing they were going to badge their cars as Lotuses, but nothing came of it. Someone like RAM or Simtek.

Pacific ran with a BRG nose cone during their "alliance"

[RStock]

Tony Fernandes bought the Team Lotus name from the legal owners

From David Hunt, James's brother. How did he end up with it?

Edited by REDARMYSOJA, 24 December 2010 - 05:16.

[john aston]

Having read Karl Ludvigsen's excellent book on Chapman this year I was reminded of the fact that ACBC was a wheeler dealer operator who set up subsidiaries and entirely seperate companies for fiscal reasons more than anything else. In my view - and regardless of the byzantine complexities of the legals (which could keep intellectual property lawyers going for years)- ACBC created Lotus in all its manifestations as part of one entity in a laymans' sense even if Team Lotus was technically a seperate company. ACBC was quick to celebrate motor sport success by advertising it on his road cars. Hunt bought a shell company and whilst legally he may have an argument in TNF world my view is that the roadcar business is the moral owner - at least they have been trading throughout and still seem to me to preserve the Chapman DNA- or they did until announcig their crazily ambitious new models this year.

[RA Historian]

For what it is worth, Adam Cooper today reports that Clive Chapman and the Chapman family have come out strongly in favor of Group Lotus and against the Fernandes group's use of the name.
Tom

[hipperson]

As a Lotus owner since 1968 I have followed the Fernandes-Bahar scrap with interest.
As one who witnessed the Chapmam/Fernandes love in at the GP at Silverstone I find it strange that Clive has apparently withdrawn support for TF and moved to the Turkish-Italian camp at Hethel

One presumes Proton had a word..........

Having spoken at lenght to Fernandes at The Lotus Festival at Snetterton I believe his heart is in the right place.

He must wake up each morning and think 'Why did I bother with F1'

Here the Love-In...........I wonder what he is whispering to Hazel ?



More love from Rosanne Mansell



and a bit more from our Nige



TF with far more pleasant things things on his mind ?

Edited by hipperson, 27 December 2010 - 21:48.

[TennisUK]

What were the owner of Team Lotus and Lotus Cars?

The F1 team:
1958-1982: Colin Chapman
1983-1990: Hazel Chapman, Fred Bushell
1991: Peter Collins, Peter Wright, Horst Schübel
1992-1993: peter Collins, Peter Wright
1994: David Hunt
2010: Tony Fernandes, S. M. Nasarudi, Kamarudin Meranun

Lotus Cars:
1952-1980 Colin Chapman
1981/1982 Colin Chapman, Toyota (24%)
1983-1986 Hazel Chapman
1986-1993 General Motors
1993-1995 Romano Artioli
1996-2002 Proton (63,75%), Romano Artioli
2003-2010 Proton (100%)


Is that right? What's not right? Have I forgotten anyone?

At some point (I can't recall precisely when, I think in the late 60s) Lotus Cars was floated on the stock market and became a PLC. At this point Chapman no longer owned 100% of the shares (if he ever did - I think Bushell for one may have owned some equity). As you may well imagine, he wasn't really the sort of chap to understand or respect the responsibilities involved with being a director of a company owned by other people, so I think he may have tried to buy it back over time. I think this is covered in either Theme Lotus or Colin Chapman the man and his cars, but I don't have either to hand right now.

[TennisUK]

1991: Peter Collins, Peter Wright, Horst Schübel

I also have a feeling the money from Schübel never actually appeared and he never actually had any equity - I think I read an Interview with Collins in a Japanese publication regarding this about 5 years ago.

Edited by TennisUK, 27 December 2010 - 22:49.

[TennisUK]

Pacific ran with a BRG nose cone during their "alliance"

Yep. The Team Lotus name was licensed by Pacific Grand Prix to try and help them acquire sponsorship. Not that it did much good for them!

[TennisUK]

From David Hunt, James's brother. How did he end up with it?

He worked for Team Lotus at the time in the commercial department. He and another investor purchased the company while it was in administration on behalf of some either Japanese or American investors (depending on what you read) who pulled out afterwards. The team ran with him at the helm for the two races of 1994,

[elansprint72]

It's in the genes.

[HistoryFan]

I also have a feeling the money from Schübel never actually appeared and he never actually had any equity - I think I read an Interview with Collins in a Japanese publication regarding this about 5 years ago.

I think he should pay five million dollars, but only pay half a million...

[timnevinson]

whatever, Fernandez Team Lotus did a good job this year, trying to do the right thing, and have been treated appallingly.