If you have ever ridden in or driven any Lotus product produced in the last four decades, you have experienced the handiwork of Roger Becker. Becker has been the director of vehicle engineering at Lotus for more than two decades and has one of the most finely calibrated backsides in the business. However, after 44 years at Lotus, the time has come for Becker to slip off into retirement.
Becker started his career on the Elan assembly line, but Lotus founder Colin Chapman quickly moved him over to the engineering ranks. While relatively few of us have ever driven a Lotus, the chances are pretty good that you have actually been in a car that has had Becker's influence. Through the engineering consultancy branch of Group Lotus, Becker and his team have tweaked countless cars from other brands that never carried the Lotus badge.
Last year, Lotus introduced what may well turn out to be one of the best cars of Becker's career, the new Evora. Becker led the team that brought the Evora from discussion to production in just two-and-a-half years.
This author was fortunate to meet and work with Roger Becker on one of the very first projects of my engineering career, and he helped me to learn that understanding subtle nuances can be as important as raw numbers in many cases. No doubt he influenced countless others in the same way, and the automotive world is a better place for it.
[Source: 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."
Becker started his career on the Elan assembly line, but Lotus founder Colin Chapman quickly moved him over to the engineering ranks. While relatively few of us have ever driven a Lotus, the chances are pretty good that you have actually been in a car that has had Becker's influence. Through the engineering consultancy branch of Group Lotus, Becker and his team have tweaked countless cars from other brands that never carried the Lotus badge.
Last year, Lotus introduced what may well turn out to be one of the best cars of Becker's career, the new Evora. Becker led the team that brought the Evora from discussion to production in just two-and-a-half years.
This author was fortunate to meet and work with Roger Becker on one of the very first projects of my engineering career, and he helped me to learn that understanding subtle nuances can be as important as raw numbers in many cases. No doubt he influenced countless others in the same way, and the automotive world is a better place for it.
[Source: 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."
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