The road ahead is clear...
Doubt has been cast this week over Malaysian car company Proton's continuing ownership of Lotus, although Proton denies there's a problem.
Quoting a "well-placed industry source", a short news piece in Autocar moots the idea that Lotus may be sold in the face of cashflow problems at Proton, which the story predicts will worsen in the face of increased competition at home in Malaysia and abroad.
Lotus PR chief Alastair Florance threw cold water on the idea, pointing out that Proton bosses have recently reiterated their support for the Norfolk carmaker.
"Proton Holdings Bhd will not sell its unit Lotus even if things get tough", Proton's group managing director Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir is quoted to have said by financial publication Interactive Investor (see link below).
"We will make sure that Lotus will work. We must ensure Lotus is a success; there is no other way," Syed said. He also said that Proton will have to make radical changes soon in Lotus. One of the first priority will be "rightsizing" the company, he said.
So Lotus appears safe for now. As long as the money lasts.
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