Bob Lutz, Lotus Advisory Board Axed
With Dany Bahar ousted as CEO of Lotus, the British automaker has already announced to scale back the ambitious plans of its former CEO, while looking at a more reasonable product development plan.
Apparently part of that plan is to terminate its advisory board, including former General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz. The move is undoubtedly a cost-cutting measure for Lotus, which also points at the prospect of a buyout in the imminent future. We’re already well aware that Volkswagen is considering a new bid on Proton, the parent company of Lotus, which could be a reality.
Of course the advisory board’s axing could just be part of the cleanup process with Bahar’s departure. The board was put in place by the former CEO and also consisted of Formula One designer Gordon Murray, and former BMW North America CEO Tom Purves.
[Source: The Detroit Bureau]
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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Sad to see this happen to Lotus. Bahar had a vision...a full offering from Lotus is something the company had never seen. Perhaps it should have been a more gradual plan, perhaps it should have been just models, not engines...but if Lotus was ever going to make it big, without being owned by one of the giants, this was its only chance. With a much clouded future, the perceived value of Lotus has gone in the trash can. I can only hope that someone responsible, with vision takes it over, to keep it independant of the giants without dreams. TonyFernandes (Air Asia, Lotus Racing, Team Lotus, Caterham) would be an excellent leader for this company...if its value dips low enough for him to be interested.