12 Facts About Oliver Winterbottom

Oliver Carton Winterbottom was a British automotive designer who designed cars for Lotus, Jaguar and TVR.

Oliver Winterbottom's father was born in Oldham, Lancashire and attended school in Shanghai before coming to England and public school.

Oliver Winterbottom's father took up medicine and qualified at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington where he met Oliver's mother who came from Lincolnshire.

In 1952 Winterbottom was sent to boarding school in Staffordshire and at the age of 11 he was committed to becoming a car designer after having made some preliminary attempts to draw a racing car in 1952.

Oliver Winterbottom attended Denstone College like his father and had science on his curriculum, but was a cross country runner and skilled marksman in the winter season.

Oliver Winterbottom was accepted as an apprentice automobile engineer and in mid-September 1961 he started at Jaguar in Coventry in their apprentice school.

At Jaguar, Oliver Winterbottom was part of the team that designed the XJ21 prototype that never reached production.

At Lotus, Oliver Winterbottom worked directly with Colin Chapman who appointed him to lead the design and safety engineering projects at Lotus Cars.

Oliver Winterbottom designed the second generation Lotus Elite wedge design and the Lotus Eclat.

Oliver Winterbottom then worked with TVR where he designed the TVR Tasmin launched in 1980.

Oliver Winterbottom was head of development for the V8 engine used in the Esprit, project 918.

Oliver Winterbottom later became an automotive consultant and served as membership director for the Coalition of Small Volume Automobile Manufacturers.