This morning we got word that Group Lotus might be on the brink of shutting its doors forever. Not really a new rumor, but Lotus also has a history of strange PR moves. How would they take care of this one?
Initial reports said that Lotus — which is not really a stranger to money issues or rumors that it won't exist another day — would be liquidated. The company had appeared on a court document along with many other companies as having a "winding up" order issued, "winding up" being a British-ism for closed.
Instead of issuing a strange press release with a picture of Baghdad Bob and claims that everything is fine, Lotus just took to the Twitters.
The rumor, or rumour if you're a Brit, was quickly quashed by Lotus spokesperson Tracey Tompsett on Twitter. She quashed it quickly AND she quashed it repeatedly, as PR people are wont to do.
Lotus' official response to Autocar makes a good but of sense:
The appearance of Group Lotus plc on the Companies Court Winding Up list was the result of a contested petition from a supplier that “was settled amicably several weeks ago”. The petition still exists on the court lists because once the process begins it has to be completed before a judge.
So a supplier wasn't being paid and took legal action. Lotus then settled the claim, but the Judge has to see that before the company can be removed from the bankruptcy/liquidation list.
It doesn't mean that Lotus is out of trouble forever, but for today, they're ok.
(Hat Tip to @speedmonkeyco!)