ICON’s Jonathan Ward on the Worst Car Ever Built

What the hell is Lotus doing these days? Like they keep coming out with all these concepts and prototypes, but then nothing ever seems to be actually happening or coming out. I don't know. They had that little car, you know, I guess it's that one. Is that the one, the really little one that they had? Yeah, that's the Elise. The Elise. I drove it one day and I was like, what, what do you have? A fucking pair of chipmunks running the engine with a, like a, one of those hamster wheels? But then even like last year at the Quail, we were up there showing a car. They debuted a concept that was lovely. It was kick ass. But from what I heard, what's his name, Bahar, they're making such a disgusting amount of money and licensing like key chains and bullshit that like the core, even the engineering, tier one engineering aspect of Lotus and then the production, they're like, fuck that. That's complicated. Wait a minute. They make their money off key chains? Yeah. I've been told that's what's kept Lotus in business over the last 10 years. Lotus key chains? Just merch, just whatever. Watches, Mercs, bags, whatever. Shit that anyone wants to put the Lotus name on. They're selling licenses left and right. But they're not selling cars. I don't think they have anything in production right now. That's so weird. And they've shown like more concepts than multinational car companies. Well I know Matt Fair reviewed that rear engine or the mid engine one that they have and said it was awesome. It's a beautiful car. But you don't see them. You never see them. Yeah. I think they're one of those interesting companies that like kind of like a Malcolm Bricklin situation of like just Malcolm Bricklin. So one of the best car books ever that John, you know, Johnny Lieberman, right? Yes. Johnny is his dear friend. Johnny had recommended it. It's the best car ever built. And it's the story of the Yugo. Oh, the Yugo. It's a fast read. It is absolutely hysterical. The shenanigans and shit show around that car. And behind all of it was Malcolm Bricklin who's like the PT Barnum of the automotive industry. The amount of stories and stuff this guy has lived through and caused and gotten away with is insane. But like the Yugo, the cars were like late. They were going to debut at the LA Auto Show. And they realized like, oh shit, we don't have booth models or anything. What are we going to do? So Malcolm Bricklin in the story goes that he drove around downtown LA and just where are the prostitutes? Where the whores hang out around here? Went over and like hired a bunch of the girls to like, could you put on something a little more tame and like be here at this time for these days to like run the show and be their booth models and rep the cars. But like the cars as they came out of the container had disassembled themselves in transit. And just on and on and on. This shenanigans is hysterical. But that book is so fucking funny. I've never heard of that before. That's interesting. Yeah.