Photo: Lotus
Don’t look now, but British sportscar-maker Lotus is on a tear after posting its biggest global sales growth in a decade, following the official retirement of the iconic Elise, Exige and Evora models. Meanwhile, year-to-date (YTD) numbers were up 24% in 2021 compared to 2020, for a total of 1,710 units sold worldwide.
This goes to show that people are starting to be excited about Lotus’ transformation as a brand, trying to scoop up as many sports cars as they could before they went out of production. Let’s look at some more numbers, shall we?
UK sales were up 29% last year, with Belgium the top performer (in Europe) with a 37% growth. In North America (USA, Canada), retailers saw a 111% year-on-year increase in sales, which was also their best performance in 10 years.
Records were broken in the Asia-Pacific region too, where Japan had its best year since 2015, Australia since 2018 and Hong Kong since 2014. Qatar, which has only been selling Lotus cars since 2016, had its best year ever. The British brand even managed to sell new cars in Bahrain, Thailand and New Zealand, which hadn’t happened in the past seven years.
In terms of which model was most successful, that would be the Elise, as fans attempted to secure a piece of automotive history by purchasing the high-spec Sport 240 Final Edition and the Cup 250 Final Edition models.
“In difficult circumstances our retailers have delivered what was asked of them and more. It’s testament to their hard work, and that of our manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution teams around the world. A huge thank you to everyone involved – what a way to move into the era of Emira,” said Lotus managing director, Matt Windle.
In the coming years, Lotus will look to offer customers the following three models: Emira, Evija (limited production) and the company’s first SUV, known right now as the Type 132, which is set to be unveiled this Spring.
UK sales were up 29% last year, with Belgium the top performer (in Europe) with a 37% growth. In North America (USA, Canada), retailers saw a 111% year-on-year increase in sales, which was also their best performance in 10 years.
Records were broken in the Asia-Pacific region too, where Japan had its best year since 2015, Australia since 2018 and Hong Kong since 2014. Qatar, which has only been selling Lotus cars since 2016, had its best year ever. The British brand even managed to sell new cars in Bahrain, Thailand and New Zealand, which hadn’t happened in the past seven years.
In terms of which model was most successful, that would be the Elise, as fans attempted to secure a piece of automotive history by purchasing the high-spec Sport 240 Final Edition and the Cup 250 Final Edition models.
“In difficult circumstances our retailers have delivered what was asked of them and more. It’s testament to their hard work, and that of our manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution teams around the world. A huge thank you to everyone involved – what a way to move into the era of Emira,” said Lotus managing director, Matt Windle.
In the coming years, Lotus will look to offer customers the following three models: Emira, Evija (limited production) and the company’s first SUV, known right now as the Type 132, which is set to be unveiled this Spring.
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