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Colin Chapman, age 24 and a serious engineer, started Lotus Engineering Ltd., in 1952, and he ran the company until a heart attack killed him in 1982. During that thirty-year period, the Lotus Company developed a reputation for building lightweight racing and production cars with superior handling characteristics. The company is currently located at the former RAF base in Hethel and they have a modern facility including a testing track.
Lotus won the Formula One World Championship seven times with their marvellous racing cars. Their racing vehicles were ample proof of their ability to design excellent racing machines with great handling suspensions. This ability helped them gain their reputation and many consulting contracts with other car builders. At this time Lotus has no plans to return to Formula One racing though. After 1986, the company was bought, owned and sold several times by other car companies, including for several years by General Motors. During the GM time they helped to develop a 4-cylinder engine, which was used in several GM cars.
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