Formula 1 squad Team Lotus Enterprise today announced that it has purchased
British sportscar maker Caterham Cars. The acquisition by Tony Fernandes,
Kamarudin Meranun and SM Nasarudin, the men behind the Team Lotus Formula 1
squad, from the shareholder consortium led by Corven Ventures, will see the
legendary lightweight sportscar manufacturer expand its brand profile and
product family.
The acquisition of Caterham Cars by Team Lotus Enterprise
will not only signal the continued development of the legendary Seven, but will
provide Caterham with the platform to apply its philosophy of 'adding lightness'
to exciting new models for the 21st Century.
This exciting new era for
Caterham will be led by the company's existing management team, headed up by
Caterham Cars Managing Director, Ansar Ali.
Ansar's direction has been
responsible for energizing Caterham's export prowess during the last five years,
creating the iconic Superlight R500 - Top Gear's Car of the Year for 2008 - and
Caterham's first brand new model in 15 years, the stunning SP/300.R sports
prototype racer.
Tony Fernandes said: "Caterham has a unique place at the
heart of the motoring world. As well as being proudly and staunchly British, it
has an enviable and uniquely unblemished reputation within the industry for
performance, handling and engineering excellence.
"Caterham Cars has
remained wholly faithful to Colin Chapman's philosophy of 'less is more', and
the DNA of the original Seven can still be traced to the newest additions to
Caterham's product offering."
Caterham Cars, Managing Director, Ansar
Ali, added: "This is yet another exciting chapter in the Caterham story. Until
now, the resources Caterham has had at its disposal have, naturally, limited the
exposure of the Caterham experience and the legendary Seven has had to rely
almost entirely on its remarkable reputation and legacy.
"We will remain
entirely true to the philosophy that we, as custodians of one man's motoring
concept, have protected for nearly 40 years. However, the acquisition of the
company by Team Lotus Enterprise will allow our existing management team to take
Caterham's core spirit of pure driving enjoyment to a hitherto un-served
audience.
"While the Seven will now have the global springboard it
deserves and will continue to be evolved yet further, we also have the
opportunity to expand the Caterham family beyond the Seven and SP/300.R and
breathe new life into our uniquely respected brand and mature it into a truly
global business."
Team Lotus boss Tony Fernandes says has no immediate
plans to rebrand his F1 outfit as Caterham, despite buying the car company.