Roger Becker announces his retirement from Group Lotus

[Martin]

http://www.internetcp.com/gallery/data/500/Mr_becker2.jpg


February 1, 2010
Lotus Press Release


Roger Becker Lotus’ Director of Vehicle Engineering is retiring from Group Lotus after a long career of 44 years.

Roger, 64, joined Lotus in 1966, working on the Elan assembly line at Cheshunt, but his natural driving and engineering skills came to the attention of Lotus founder Colin Chapman and Roger was quickly moved to the vehicle development team where he worked directly with Mike Kimberley (former Lotus CEO) on the Lotus Europa Twin Cam – his first Lotus car development project.

During his career at Lotus, Roger has been responsible for the development of every Lotus car, including the legendary Esprit, Excel, Elan, Elise, Exige and the new critically acclaimed Lotus Evora. Roger has helped to maintain the philosophies laid down by Colin Chapman and has ensured that the essence and purity of Lotus is instilled in all new Lotus cars. He also has imparted his chassis engineering knowledge and development skills to many of the world’s major automotive manufacturers in support of Lotus’ consultancy engineering business.

On his retirement, Roger Becker said, “I have had a dream career at Lotus, with the honour of not only working directly for Colin Chapman but also working with some of the finest people in the motor industry. With the Lotus Evora successfully entering the market with unprecedented global adulation, and at 64 years of age, I feel now is the natural time to retire. The Evora has given me my finest hour at Lotus and I leave knowing it will be the foundation of all our next generation cars. The product engineering team will build on this to develop many more award-winning products and I wish them every success for what promises to be a very exciting future for Lotus cars and the Lotus brand.”

Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus plc said, “On behalf of all the staff at Lotus, I would like to thank Roger for his contribution to Lotus over 44 years and we wish him well in his retirement. However, I know that he will not go far, as I am looking forward to him taking on a consultancy role for Lotus in the near future.”

[Brian Skeoch]

Roger Becker is a legend,......

I have some great racing stories from him that I will share someday.

[Brian Skeoch]

man, of those walls at Lotus could olny talk.....

[WayneB]

I have been told by a Lotus insider that the company is going through the most changes he has ever seen since the 70's.

I sincereley hope the new CEO knows what he is doing......................:001_unsure:

[Brian Skeoch]

amen to that....

[Autocross7]

I'll go further. I hope he knows what he is doing to Lotus. He clearly has some history with a car company... and a niche exotic type of market at that. But Lotus is not just another car maker IMO. There is a history there that should be respected with regards to what makes a Lotus car a Lotus car. Having dealt with the customer service side of Ferrari and the snotty full of crap attitudes that exist in the echelons of that organization... Lotus has been light years ahead in regards to actual real people running the show and the customer base I think knows it. If they don't, they might learn if Lotus ends up acting like Ferrari.


Cameron

[eurosport]

http://www.internetcp.com/gallery/data/500/Mr_becker2.jpg
However, I know that he will not go far, as I am looking forward to him taking on a consultancy role for Lotus in the near future.”

:crying:

This is the only positive note in the entire release. Can someone explain why gentlemen such as MJK and RB who are, in no small part, responsible for the strength Lotus has today, not invited to sit on the board to continue to contribute to its successes? :banghead:

Looking forward now to the new Esprit handling like a F*rrari...NOT! :mad:

[WayneB]

I may have been told about 5 years ago that the owners of Lotus (Proton) had all but given up on the company,and had re-enstated MJK as CEO as last ditch effort to save Lotus after then CEO Kim Ogaard Neilsen had screwed it up.

MJK works a miracle and turns company around (with the help of Roger Becker amoungst others), and probably finds the Proton people are suddenly very interested in the company again now its profitable and for want of a better word "start Interfering" in its running.

I guess MJK left partly from frustration as he probably saw the writing on the wall and his back problem didn't make going into work any easier..

I take it Roger Becker may have decided to leave for similar reasons when he was replaced as head of Lotus Engineering.

I guess Dany Bahar has promised the owners of Lotus the world and is prepared to do anything to make it happen, bringing in as many old business accociates from Ferrari etc.as possible to replace the long term faithfull Lotus staff.

My concern is that this is the first time the man has run a car company,he also has little to no automotive engineering background, two factors which I think would be desired to run a vehicle manufacturing business.

The above is just my opinon/guess on whats been going on (or is going on) at Lotus ATM.

Please address all complaints to my Lawyer.:(

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/03/29/national/29coch2.jpg

[Autocross7]

Well, I cannot say that I disagree Wayne. But ironically I was just in a meeting this AM that the general conclusion was that, today, the thing to do is put people in charge that know a lot about share holders and nothing about the products and services that any given company is supposed to be providing. A "manage the people" approach, and while we are at it bring in some old time friends from the last venture to be sure things go as planed... on the fly and after the fact... but planned.

It is just the way of things these days. Hell, we cannot have companies turning true profits with leaders that know what the hell they are talking about! We must have "paper profits" on the stock market floor and leaders that can get share holders to smile at the "prospects" and not focus on the hard work and reality of making honest and real profits.

[clockwork]

From a recent-ish TV program by Mr. Barrie who was in Red Dwarf ( if that makes any sense) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgMNOAjBlw0 :)

[WayneB]

Fantastic!:mf_dribble:

Thanks Clockwork, I enjoyed watching that.:)

[mario]

From a recent-ish TV program by Mr. Barrie who was in Red Dwarf ( if that makes any sense) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgMNOAjBlw0 :)

The wedging shape of essex Esprit is stunning......

[WayneB]

The wedging shape of essex Esprit is stunning......

It is isnt it.:)

I still remember the first Essex Esprit I ever saw in real life and the effect it had on me, which is the reason when I turned 40 I had to buy an Turbo Esprit of my own.:mf_dribble:

[clockwork]

A man who lives near me recently sold his Essex which he was the second owner of,to the best of my knowledge it had not turned a wheel in 20 years,sad,it was kept in very good conditions but kept for the wrong (imo)reasons. :ohmy:

[WayneB]

Most famous (imfamous?)Essex was the one Mark Thatcher used to drive around in.
He was retained as a consultant for Lotus at the time and it was his company car.
http://www.lotusespritworld.com/images/owners/KenBaird/Essex/MarkThatcher_Essex.jpg

I often wondered If Colin Chapman did that as a means to ingratiate the company to Margaret Thatcher and the then conservative Govt .

They Ok'd all the Delorean money that was spent at Lotus to develop the DMC12

If that is the case that paticular Essex Esprit ended up costing the British taxpayers millions..........

[mario]

It is isnt it.:)

I still remember the first Essex Esprit I ever saw in real life and the effect it had on me, which is the reason when I turned 40 I had to buy an Turbo Esprit of my own.:mf_dribble:

The G wedge Esprit shape is yet today great(Hopeless that new reminds this).The Essex livery was my favorite LotusF1 color.