Rumors: Industry Report—Lotus Seeking A Buyer?

Fabled British sports car manufacturer Lotus, which is currently owned by the Malaysian conglomerate DRB-Hicom, is rumored to be seeking a buyer to the tune of $785 million, reports MotorAuthority. Lotus was acquired by manufacturing company Proton, which also makes economy cars for the Asian market, and hasn’t actually created a profit for Proton since they purchased Lotus back in 1996.

 

Lotus CEO Dany Bahar has ambitious plans for Lotus’s future and those may be put in jeopardy with the selling of the company. Signs of Bahar’s ambition include the reveal of five new models at the 2010 Paris Auto Show. Investment group Genii Capital, which is a part owner of the newly renamed Lotus F1 Team, has been vying for ownership of Lotus for some time now and could become the company’s new owner, though it’s not currently known who will actually fill that role.