Hazel Chapman, The Iconic Racing Driver And Co-Founder Of Lotus, Died At The Age Of 94

Hazel Chapman, a successful race car driver, and entrepreneur who co-founded Lotus Cars with her husband Colin died a day before yesterday, and the automotive industry has lost an iconic figure. Hazel Williams was born in North London on May 21, 1927, and met Colin Chapman at a dance in 1944 when he was 16.

She encouraged Colin to begin building the first Lotus, the Mark 1, in her family's garage as their relationship progressed. Hazel continued to develop the Mark 1 and later the Mark 2 without him after he was commissioned into the Royal Air Force. Both participated in races, and their success prompted others to want their support.

The Lotus firm was founded on January 1, 1952, and later that year it became a limited company, thanks to a contribution of £25 (equal to £735 today) from Hazel herself. Hazel joined the boards of Lotus Cars, Team Lotus, and Lotus Components, among other companies, after the pair married in 1954. She took delight in collaborating with nearly every Formula One driver that joined the team throughout the years, notably Jim Clark, Ayrton Senna, Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt, and Emerson Fittipaldi.

She opted to sell Lotus Cars after Colin's death in 1982. She then became a Director of Classic Team Lotus, a Chapman family organization dedicated to preserving the brand's global racing tradition and automobiles. However, after selling Lotus, it was customary for Hazel to be shown the latest Lotus road vehicles before they were publicly unveiled. She kept the habit going until 2019, when she and her son Clive were shown the all-electric Evija two weeks before its premiere in July 2019.

Hazel Chapman founded The Dog House women's motorsport club in addition to her work at Lotus. To the Chapman family, we offer our deepest sympathies and condolences.