Jambo
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Registered: 8th Sep 01
Location: Maidenhead, Drives: VXR Arctic
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quote:
Originally posted by jr
when lotus were going under, kia bought the rigths off them to produce the elan, indirectly taking control of the brand, while this was happnign gm bought lotus out
kia is owned by hyundia, who are owned by damiler crylser
only in 1996 on October 31 did the Malaysian multinational DRB HICOM announces that it has taken a majority shareholding in the Lotus
Put that in your pipe and smoke it 
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jr
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Registered: 20th May 02
Location: Kent
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i thank you
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Corsa_Sri_93
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Registered: 25th Jun 02
Location: Bitchin' Hitchin
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Quick search on Google for : 'Lotus financial history'
http://www.histomobile.com/histomob/presmark.asp?chat=53&lan=2
The years1980
Excel (1982)
In 1981, Colin Chapman died suddenly due to heart attack. Lotus got into financial trouble and sold 25% stocks to Toyota in 1984. Since then the Japanese giant learned the multi-valve engine technology and put it into mass production. 4 years later, Toyota left and Lotus was completely took over by GM.
GM spent some 40 million dollars to the development of the new Elan Mk II, hoping it to pump the volume to 3,000 cars annually. However, the little roadster went to the wrong direction - a front-wheel-drive configuration, a small capacity turbo engine and an overweight body. All of these conflict with Chapman’s philosophy. Most important is that the little Lotus was very expensive compare with the Japanese competitors, most notably is Mazda MX-5.
The years1990
Elan (1990)
The car sold poorly, thus GM pulled out in 1993 and sold Lotus to Italian tycoon Romano Artioli who had already revived Bugatti.
The white-hair man did little to help Lotus. He did approved the Elise project and donated this name after his grand daughter. However, everybody would have approved this low cost project under such financial condition. The Elise was proved to be a great success, thanks to its aluminium chassis and conformation to Chapman’s principle - enhance performance through lightness. However, Artioli got into financial trouble as his Bugatti bankrupted. He sold majority shares to Malaysian car maker Proton in 1996.
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jr
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Registered: 20th May 02
Location: Kent
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it fails to mention the very important fact the kia bougth out the rights to the elan brand in there though
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Corsa_Sri_93
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We were talking about the ownership of Lotus, not the rights to the elan brand!
Kia is Korean, whereas Proton is Malaysian. Your previous post says "only in 1996 on October 31 did the Malaysian multinational DRB HICOM announces that it has taken a majority shareholding in the Lotus "
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Corsa_Sri_93
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Registered: 25th Jun 02
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Have a look at this. I'm not trying to say you are wrong.
http://www.robietherobot.com/storm/lotus_elan_m100.htm
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jr
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Registered: 20th May 02
Location: Kent
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right toyota owned lotus
left them
gm own lotus
relise its not worth it
itallian own lotus
relises that its not gonna make any money, sells the brand, and also the tooling to kia to make the elan, whilst still keeping the lotus name, but not developing any cars
the lotus brand deal with kia expires, but they continue to produce a version of the m100, also near enougth the time italian bloke decides to sell up,
DRB HICOM buy the contolling stake in lotus, who also own the controlling stake in proton and pertonus
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Corsa_Sri_93
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Registered: 25th Jun 02
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Hooray!
Nice one. 
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jr
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Registered: 20th May 02
Location: Kent
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im not saying your wrong either, amybe it would have been better to say the brand was sold to kia, while the name kept by the italian bloke
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Corsa_Sri_93
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Registered: 25th Jun 02
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Yeah maybe m8.
Atleast that's over with. Until someone else thinks they know better of course.
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jr
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Registered: 20th May 02
Location: Kent
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Rob H
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Registered: 28th Oct 00
Location: Staffordshire Drives: Astra SRi
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quote:
Originally posted by Corsa_Sri_93
GM spent some 40 million dollars to the development of the new Elan Mk II, hoping it to pump the volume to 3,000 cars annually. However, the little roadster went to the wrong direction - a front-wheel-drive configuration, a small capacity turbo engine and an overweight body. All of these conflict with Chapman’s philosophy. Most important is that the little Lotus was very expensive compare with the Japanese competitors, most notably is Mazda MX-5.
The Vauxhall Monkeys Excell themselves again .
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