New Lotus owner 'open to options' including a sale Struggling Proton acquired Lotus in 1996 but the British company has failed to make a profit. Despite attempts to revitalise the brand through hiring executives such as Dany Bahar from Ferrari, pre-tax losses in the year to March 2011 more than doubled compared to the previous year to £26.1m. A spokesman for Lotus said it was "business as usual" at the car maker despite the doubts about its future ownership. If Lotus is put up for sale, there is likely to be interest from Chinese car makers such as SAIC.