Lotus Is Actually Making Money

Lotus Evora Sport 410 (Credit: Lotus)

Legendary British automaker Lotus has learned a new trick: making money. Per a report from Eastern Daily Press, the company has made it in the black for the first time in its history.

» Related: Lotus Celebrates 50 Years at the Hethel Factory with a Special Evora 400

It used to be that the mantra of “simplify and add lightness” applied to Lotus financials, not just the cars. After going under and coming back miraculously, it seems the Bits maybe have learned a lesson or two after seeing Saab die slowly.

The big burning question is how Lotus has managed to make a profit. One secret was firing a bunch of people. Instead of 1,200 employees across the world, Lotus now only has 900.

Lotus has made cuts elsewhere, plugging holes in a ship that used to bleed out money like crazy. At the same time, CEO Jean-Marc Gales seems pretty intent on expanding the model lineup and pushing beyond just small cars.

Future plans for Lotus involve turning up production. Porsche used to be a two-bit dealer in the automotive scene, and after it also went extinct it started churning out crowd-pleasers like the Cayenne. It looks like that’s what will finally keep Lotus in the black as well. Before you despair about this blaspheme, just remember there would be no more super-lightweight cars without an SUV or two in the mix, so that’s the price that must be made.