It’s been 30 years since the Lotus Carlton was launched, so we thought it’s only fit to drive it again. We drove the vehicle from Vauxhall’s long-time HQ to Lotus’s and the vehicle that once didn’t have a very good image, has gained a lot of love in these years.
There was not much happening in the Griffin House and mostly there was just plain silence. In the reception area, there were two waterfalls, on each side of the front desk. It makes you wonder why the security guards didn’t sue the management or company for hearing loss.
The brand has moved out from here and this site will be redeveloped into housing. But, there is a dark-green Vauxhall Lotus Carlton parked in the front, so that can be considered notable too.
You must be thinking why it was dark green, well you should know all Lotus Carltons had the same color. The customers were not provided with any options, they could either buy it or leave it. Malcolm Tearle, once manager of special projects, recalled this, and said customers were given only two options, take it or leave it.
It’s been three decades since the vehicle was first introduced, it turned 30 this year. So, it was a very good reason to drive the vehicle again, but not the only reason. The other reason, being, that both Vauxhall and Lotus are in the midst of a resurgence. PSA has the ownership of Vauxhall and Geely has the ownership of Lotus. Both companies were under the ownership of General Motors, in 1990. Vauxhall’s image was a little dated and Lotus was always looking for some extra work.
The vehicle was a high-performance version of the company’s executive saloon and it was considered a car that can achieve both. So, it did accomplish both and a little more as well. The car’s top speed was 166mph and the press was not much happy. According to Tearle, they called it socially irresponsible. One of the editors wrote at that time that, anyone who buys this vehicle won’t need to and won’t be able to use this top speed. He also wrote that the brand should limit the car’s top speed to 148mph, and this is what the Opel management proposed. But, the company was set to allow the car to do what it can do.