Colin Chapman built his first Lotus motor car in 1948. He died suddenly in 1982, but his contribution to racing and sports car design is still unequalled anywhere in the world. His Formula 1 cars frequently dominated motorsport, in the hands of such brilliant drivers as Innes Ireland, Jim Clark, Jochen Rindt, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti, Ronnie Peterson, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna. Chapman set the pace at world circuits and on the drawing board. His innovative designs, brought to life by his dedicated team of talented employees, carried the company forward from its humble origins to the multi-million pound complex in Norfolk that it still occupies today. Although Lotus has since passed through the hands of several owners, the company's future seems assured, as it presses ahead with new models and expands its engineering consultancy business. This history of the Lotus draws largely on the author's 12 years of first-hand experience of working with Chapman.