Lotus named ‘Manufacturer of the Year’ at prestigious News UK Motor Awards

  • Lotus wins national award, voted for by The Times, Sunday Times, The Sun and Driving.co.uk
  • Lotus commended for “impressive additions to its range and pioneering exciting new product development”
  • Judges commented: “The Evija and Emira are simply sensational… the future is bright”
  • Award collected at London ceremony by Lotus Design Director Russell Carr

 

(Hethel, UK – 11 October 2021) – “The future is bright for one of the world’s most iconic car brands” – the words of Rob Gill, Motors Editor at The Sun, as Lotus was honoured as ‘Manufacturer of the Year’ at the News UK Motor Awards 2021.

The prestigious award was presented by respected political journalist and Times Radio presenter John Pienaar at an exclusive ceremony, and collected on behalf of Lotus by Design Director Russell Carr.

The judges included a number of highly respected motoring writers and commentators. Together they felt Lotus was a worthy winner as it has… “continued to up its game in the last 12 months, making impressive additions to its range and pioneering exciting new product development”.

On behalf of the judges, Rob Gill commented: “We are starting to see the first harvest from Geely’s huge investment in Lotus and, wow, the Evija and Emira are simply sensational. The Evija is the perfect blend of art and science, the Emira is a shrink-wrapped supercar, and the transformation of the historic Hethel HQ will warm the heart of every true car fan.”

He concluded: “The workforce has doubled to 1,700 people, Delia Smith is running the kitchen, and the famous old fountains have been switched back on again. The future is bright for one of the world’s most iconic car brands.”

Matt Windle, Managing Director, Lotus, said: “This is a massive honour for Lotus, and a tribute to everyone working tirelessly at our facilities all round the world to transform our business and brand. That transformation got underway with the launch of the world’s first British electric hypercar – the Evija – and was followed by its younger sibling – the Emira – revealed in July to a reception that’s been nothing less than sensational. Things are moving fast at Lotus, so watch this space – there is so much more to come.”

Collecting the award, Russell Carr commented: “Rob Gill’s reaction when he visited Hethel recently suggested we are doing something right – he seemed very impressed with all we have achieved, from the new design language on our cars to the refurbishment of the site. I didn’t expect it to lead to this wonderful award, but we’re very honoured and proud that all the hard work and achievements of Lotus in the last couple of years have been recognised in this way.”

The Motor Awards is in its fourth year and brings together the collective expertise and audiences of The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, Driving.co.uk and talkSPORT. Rob Walsh, Automotive Director, News UK, commented: “Motors is a cherished subject here at News UK, a love shared by our editorial teams and our readers and listeners. The ambition is therefore to celebrate motoring best in class and support the automotive industry during challenging economic times.”

Ends

Notes to Editors

For more information please contact the Lotus Communications team:

James Andrew, Executive Director, PR and Communications

jandrew@lotuscars.com

+44 (0) 7384 830903

Rob Borrett, PR Manager, Content & Launch Programmes

rborrett@lotuscars.com

+44 (0) 7718 560789

Alastair Florance, Group PR Manager

aflorance@lotuscars.co.uk

+ 44 (0) 7802 918662


Samantha Thomas, PR Officer, Product Press & Digital Media

sthomas2@lotuscars.com

+44 (0) 7909 813785


Richard Yarrow, PR Manager, News and Technology

ryarrow@lotuscars.com

+44 (0) 7471 994525

 

The Lotus media site – https://media.lotuscars.com – contains news, images, specifications and full details of current models, as well as heritage cars and engineering technology.

For the latest news and information from the Lotus PR Team please follow:

https://twitter.com/LotusCarsPR

https://www.instagram.com/LotusCarsPR

 

For Lotus Cars social media please follow:

https://www.facebook.com/LotusCars

https://twitter.com/lotuscars

https://www.instagram.com/lotuscars

https://www.youtube.com/grouplotus

https://www.linkedin.com/company/group-lotus

 

About Lotus

Lotus Cars is based in Hethel, Norfolk, UK, and is the global HQ for sports car and hypercar manufacturing operations, the Lotus Advanced Performance Centre and the iconic 2.2-mile test track. Lotus Cars builds world-class high-performance cars, born out of legendary success on the racetrack including 13 FIA Formula 1 world titles and many other championship honours. In July 2021 Lotus unveiled the all-new Lotus Emira, its last and best-of-breed petrol-powered sports car. The first customer cars will be delivered in 2022. In July 2019 it launched the Evija, the world’s first all-electric British hypercar. Customer deliveries will begin during 2021.

Lotus Engineering provides comprehensive consultancy services to many of the world's OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. It is internationally recognised for its long-standing contribution to ground-breaking engineering and innovative vehicle development. Its expertise extends beyond automotive; in August 2021 a Lotus Engineering-developed track bike helped Team GB’s cyclists win seven medals, including three golds, at the Tokyo Olympics. An international consultancy with offices around the world, Lotus Engineering is headquartered at the Lotus Advanced Technology Centre on the University of Warwick’s Wellesbourne Campus in the UK.

Lotus Technology is the global ‘intelligent technology’ division based in Wuhan, China. Its role is to accelerate innovation in the fields of batteries and energy management, electric motors, electronic control systems, intelligent driving, intelligent manufacturing and many more. It will oversee the manufacture of a range of premium Lotus lifestyle electric vehicles in Wuhan starting in 2022.

Lotus Group is the parent company of the above subsidiaries and others. It is part of Geely Automotive, the fastest-growing automotive group in the world. Geely has a 51% controlling stake, with 49% owned by Etika Automotive, a Malaysian conglomerate.