The story of the Lotus company is inextricably linked with one of the most innovative names in motoring history - designer, driver and determined businessman Colin Chapman. Chapman founded the company in 1948 with a backyard special based on a pre-war Austin Seven. He then went on to develop an extensive range of cars for both road and racetrack. Over the years the famous green and yellow badge has come to symbolise a forward-thinking car manufacturer with a rich and exciting history.

The Lotus Story Volume One takes viewers from the birth of the company to the rise to Grand Prix racing in the late fifties. The programme features nostalgic archive footage, interviews with Chapmans friends and family, and drivers such as Hill, Clark, Ireland and Allison plus a look at the early careers of Keith Duckworth and Mike Costin of Cosworth. A rare interview with Chapmans wife Hazel illustrates her immense contribution and sheds light on a man whose genius covered over three decades of GP success.