The Lotus Evora S at the Geneva Motor Show. Image: Lotus
When Lotus’ former owner, Proton, was sold to industrial conglomerate DRB-Hicom, rumors of a pending Lotus sales jumped from simmer to full boil. After all, Lotus had never returned a profit for Proton, and the boutique sports car brand’s future plans would take serious money to see through. Throw in an aging and pinpoint-focused product mix, and it looked like the future for Lotus was anything but certain.
Earlier this month Lotus received funding from DRB-Hicom to resume operations, and now Autocar (via Left Lane News) is reporting that a Lotus sale is off the table. In the words of DRB-Hicom’s managing director Dato’ Sri Haji Hohd Khamil Bin Jamil, the company is “not thinking about a sale” of the Hethel-based brand.
That’s for now, anyway, since the DRB-Hicomm head was quick to qualify that one should “never say never” in regards to spinning off the halo brand. The company’s full review of Lotus is currently underway, so it may still be months before the ultimate fate of the automaker is decided.
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Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
