Lotus pulls out of Paris Motor Show

Lotus has pulled out of the 2012 Paris Motor Show – two years on from the launch of its controversial new multi-model strategy instigated by sacked chief Dany Bahar.

Show organisers have confirmed the British specialist sports car maker will not be taking its stand allocation for the international motor show, which opens its doors in September.

Lotus boss Dany Bahar dismissed

Lotus at the Paris Motor Show 2010

Lotus and its troubles

The decision is one of the first to be made by new Lotus CEO Aslam Farikullah, who replaced Bahar in June 2012 after the former chief was dismissed by the groups’ new Malaysian owners.

However, although it is a headline-grabbing move, the Paris show withdrawal is perhaps not as dramatic as it sounds. Lotus is currently regrouping and will not have any new cars to show, following the launch of the Lotus Exige S at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

The huge cost of attending a motor show will be better spent on developing new products – and also putting on more enthusiast-friendly extravaganzas such as its recent support of the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Visitors to Goodwood report the Lotus display was superb, and really helped reignite support for the brand following the Bahar era’s marginalization of its traditional core buyers.

This move contrasted with recent initiatives such as recruiting rapper Swizz Beatz as brand ambassador, a move that horrified traditional Lotus fans.

Lotus: Swizz who?

Such plans began, of course, with the notorious Paris Motor Show 2010 reveal of Lotus’ six-car new model range, which many analysts questioned at the time and is, rumour has it, now subject to a far-reaching review…