follow the example set by German automakers (who had begun electronically limiting the top speed of their high-performance cars to 155 mph). Ultimately, Opel did not restrict the car's top speed. The Lotus Carlton was a frequent target for thieves and joyriders in the UK. On 26 November 1993 a Lotus Carlton registered "40 RA" was reported stolen from a home in the West Midlands. In the following months, a gang of thieves used the car to conduct midnight ram raids, stealing around £20,000 worth of cigarettes and alcohol. A West Midlands Police officer said "We simply haven't been able to get near the thing and it looks unlikely that we ever will", as their police cars were incapable of safely pursuing the stolen Lotus Carlton. The car was never recovered and its current whereabouts are unknown, although in 2020 its original owner claimed that it was dumped in a canal, damaged beyond repair by a large object and subsequently scrapped. A campaign by the Daily Mail and the Association of Chief Police Officers was launched to have the Lotus Carlton banned in the UK. The car's advertising was also condemned in Parliament. Despite gaining traction, the campaign to ban the Lotus Carlton ultimately failed. Production Production of the Lotus Carlton began in 1990, four years after the original Omega went on sale. Opel had hoped to build 1,100 cars in total, but owing to the recession of the early 1990s, the Lotus Carlton priced at £48,000 was not selling as well as anticipated and production at Lotus was halted in December 1992. Only 950 cars were completed: 320 Carltons and 630 Omegas, 150 short of the original target. The cars are now starting to become modern classics as low-mileage, well-looked-after examples become rare. In 1991, the Italian design house Pininfarina produced a styling concept named the "Chronos" that was designed to accept the drivetrain from the Lotus Omega. The single example of the Chronos (sans engine) was displayed at the 1991 Detroit Auto Show. Other markets While the base Omega A and the Lotus Omega were never federalized for sale in the US, the Omega was cleared for grey import under the DOT's "Show or Display" exemption in 2011. By the end of 2017, all model years of the Lotus Carlton were past the 25-year mark, making them exempt from NHTSA import restrictions. Specifications References External links Photo Audi