Lotus Cars to recruit 200 more staff

A British-based sports car manufacturer is recruiting 200 additional staff as part of its expansion programme.

Lotus Cars, based at Hethel, Norfolk, said it was taking on the additional workforce to help "grow the brand".

In 2018, it recruited 289 more staff. It also plans to open an engineering office in Warwickshire.

Lotus is backed by China's Geely which gained a 51% stake in the British firm after it bought into the Malaysian car manufacturer Proton in 2017.

"The focus now is to increase the Lotus brand's appeal and start to grow the business through our core sports car products - this is the very heart of Lotus and what we are famous for," said a spokesman.

Lotus launched its new £1m electric sports car, the Type 130, last month but released few details about the vehicle.

It will be assembled at the Norfolk plant, but "some sub-assemblies will be completed by our partners and suppliers", the spokesman said.

Lotus has sub-assembly manufacturing facilities in Worcester and in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, and both these facilities supply Lotus at Hethel - together employing about 100 people.