The mysterious death and legacy of Colin Chapman

Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman CBE

Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman CBE (19 May 1928 – 16 December 1982) was the creator of Lotus Cars and an influential English design engineer, inventor, and builder in the automobile industry.

Lotus Cars, a sports automobile business, was founded by him in 1952. Lotus was founded by Chapman in his free time, with the help of a handful of fans. His understanding of the most up-to-date aeronautical engineering procedures would be critical in attaining the significant automotive technological breakthroughs for which he is best known. His design philosophy, which he famously summarised as "low weight and good handling above horsepower and spring rates," centred on vehicles with light weight and excellent handling rather than bulking out on horsepower and spring rates "On the straights, adding power gets you quicker. You will be speedier everywhere if you lose weight."

Between 1962 and 1978, he led Team Lotus to seven Formula One Constructors' championships, six Drivers' Championships, and the Indianapolis 500 in the United States. Lotus Vehicles' production division has produced tens of thousands of reasonably priced, cutting-edge sports cars. Lotus is one of just a few English performance vehicle manufacturers remaining in operation following the 1970s industrial downturn.

On a chilly, snow-covered night on December 16, 1982, the genius from Richmond passed away at the age of 54 at Ketteringham Hall, where the team was based at the time. Despite having recently completed a check-up at Lloyd's in London for the renewal of his life insurance policy and pilot's licence, the official cause of death was a heart attack. And it is at this point that a detective like Auguste Dupin would come in to solve the mystery, which is thickening day by day with factors that raise more than a few doubts in the quest for the truth. 

Colin Chapman's disappearance created huge ripples in the tabloids, with many speculating that he was having a wonderful time in South America with money from the British government, under a false identity and even after face plastic surgery and fingerprint erasure. Is it piracy or just a legend?

The FBI never put Colin's face on their wanted list because they really believed the designer had died, so they focused their investigations elsewhere, attempting to figure out how and where the DeLorean project's funds were misappropriated. 

His wife and the doctor who signed his death certificate were the only ones who saw his body. This isn't exactly what you'd call an impartial investigation. The fact that he died soon before his sentencing, that his burial was hastened and that only his closest relatives were invited, and that his body was only seen by a few people, all add to the concerns.

The FBI terminated the investigation and archived it in the early 1990s after the legal processes against DeLorean were completed and Chapman, who may or may not have been the criminal mind, died. Is it a flawless conspiracy or only a legend?