Emily Dennis A fun-filled 60th birthday party is to be held on September 14 as Norfolk sports car manufacturer Lotus celebrates its diamond anniversary.

Emily Dennis

A fun-filled 60th birthday party is to be held this year as Norfolk sports car manufacturer Lotus celebrates its diamond anniversary.

More than 15,000 visitors are expected to attend the family event being held at the company's Hethel headquarters on September 14, which will be opened by Hazel and Clive Chapman.

In its milestone 60th year,

Group Lotus plc said that it is taking the diamond element of its anniversary to heart and celebrating in style.

The birthday party will be just one of a variety of high-profile events being held to pay homage to the heritage of the marque and to look forward to the future of the international brand.

It was in 1948 that Lotus founder Colin Chapman built his first racecar.

A pioneer, his breakthrough engineering firmly established him as one of the greatest automotive engineers of the 20th century. Chapman's theory of "performance through lightweight" formed the foundation of one of the most successful racing teams to date is embedded in the Lotus philosophy.

Group Lotus Plc CEO Mike Kimberley said it was important to celebrate the occasion.

"This is a great opportunity to celebrate the past and look forward to both a very special year for Lotus and a fantastic future," he said.

"It's important to us to celebrate the spirit of Lotus and we invite everyone to our headquarters to meet our people, our staff and our fans, and see us moving forwards.

"In 2008 an all new car will be unveiled at the London Motorshow and an impressive global expansion programme is planned for our hi- tech Lotus Engineering Consultancy, so there's an exciting energy at Lotus that we want to share with our wider communities."