- Running through the centre of Lotus’ Norfolk sports car HQ, new road officially named in honour of Lotus co-founder
- Chapman family planted a Maidenhair tree in celebration of Hazel, who passed away in December 2021
- Children of nearby Wreningham VC Primary School took part and planted more trees
Hethel, UK – 24 May 2023
The memory of Hazel Chapman, who with her husband Colin Chapman established Lotus in 1948, has been celebrated with the dedication of ‘Hazel Chapman Way’, a new road which runs through the heart of Lotus’ sports cars HQ in Hethel, Norfolk.
The event was led by Matt Windle, Group Vice-President and Managing Director of Lotus Cars, and Hazel and Colin’s grandchildren. It included the ceremonial unveiling of a road sign and the planting of a Maidenhair Tree (Gingko biloba), chosen as a particular favourite of Hazel’s.
It was followed by the planting of 10 trees in an area of land adjacent to the famous Hethel test track which, in time, will become a small woodland. The work was carried out by children from the nearby Wreningham VC Primary School. Earlier they had participated in a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths) challenge run by the Lotus Learning Academy, where they designed, built and ran their own model cars.
STEAM activities to inspire the next generation, and a commitment to improving the local area through the planting of trees, are initiatives aligned to Driving Change, the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Charter which Lotus published last year.
Hazel Chapman Way runs alongside the all-new Lotus Retail Centre and staff restaurant, recently completed as part of the ongoing transformation of the Hethel site. The road is flanked by a number of trees including maples, poplars, willows and cherries, planted to follow the site’s horticultural and landscaping plan conceived nearly 60 years ago by Hazel Chapman herself.
On display for the distinguished guests to view was the current range of new Lotus performance cars – the Emira, the last Lotus petrol-powered sports car and the best of breed; the Evija, the world’s first all-electric British hypercar; and the Eletre, the world’s first all-electric hyper-SUV.
By contrast, with them was the original Lotus Mk 3 from 1951 – the second oldest Lotus car in existence, which was built by Colin and Hazel Chapman and raced competitively by them in the early 1950s.
Matt Windle commented: “Lotus is indebted to Hazel Chapman and we are delighted to help celebrate her life and legacy in this small way. The Hethel site is such a wonderful place to work, surrounded by fields in the heart of south Norfolk. Today we’ve added to that natural landscape with the planting of new trees that will further enhance our environment.”
Clive Chapman, Director of Classic Team Lotus and son of Colin and Hazel Chapman, added: “We are very grateful to Lotus for this dedication of Hazel Chapman Way, at the heart of the Hethel site, which is so appropriate. Our family is delighted to see how the Lotus legacy that Colin and Hazel Chapman started 75 years ago is also being nurtured and cared for by its shareholders. On behalf of all my family, we thank Lotus very much for this lovely honour being bestowed on Hazel today.”
The dedication of Hazel Chapman Way coincided with the birthdays of Colin Chapman (19 May) and of Hazel Chapman (21 May).
For more information about Hazel Chapman, her contribution to Lotus and to the wider automotive industry, please visit the Lotus media site.
Lotus Cars is based in Hethel, Norfolk, UK, and is the global HQ for sports car and hypercar manufacturing operations, Lotus Advanced Performance 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 petrol-powered sports car and best-of-breed, and in July 2019 it launched the Evija, the world’s first all-electric British hypercar. In March 2022 Lotus revealed the Eletre, the world’s first all-electric hyper-SUV. Customer deliveries will begin in 2023. An all-electric sports car (codenamed Lotus Type 135) is currently being designed and engineered at Hethel.
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 Tech is an affiliate company of Group Lotus, established as part of the Vision80 strategy that was launched in 2018. Its European sites include Lotus Tech Creative Centre (LTCC) in Coventry, UK, and Lotus Tech Innovation Centre (LTIC) in Raunheim, Germany. Lotus Tech is dedicated to delivering smart lifestyle battery electric vehicles (BEVs) such as the Eletre. Lotus Tech is focused on R&D in next-generation automobility technologies such as electrification, digitalisation and more. In addition to the Lotus Eletre, Lotus Tech plans to launch further BEV models including a sports sedan (Type 133) another SUV (Type 134) and more, as Vision80 reaches maturity in 2028.
Group Lotus is either the parent company of or affiliated with the above. In 2017, Geely Holding Group, one of the fastest growing automotive groups in the world, acquired a 51% stake in Group Lotus. The other 49% is owned by Etika Automotive, a Malaysian conglomerate.
