What Lotus Books does

Lotus Books is a niche direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer specializing in literature and memorabilia related to Lotus cars. Operated by Grafos Verlag GmbH and based in Weiden, Germany, the business was rescued and re-established in 2021 under the direction of Guillermo Herlt. Its catalog spans five categories—original instruction manuals, technical literature, photographic collections, magazines, and related reference works—covering both new old stock (NOS) inventory and rare or out-of-print titles.

The storefront is built on the Shopware e-commerce platform and integrates PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Ratepay as payment options. Product pricing ranges from approximately €10 for entry-level items to over €400 for premium or rare titles, with quantity discounts available for bulk purchases. The business serves Lotus car collectors, restorers, and enthusiasts, with shipping covering Germany, the broader EU, and the UK, and worldwide delivery available on inquiry.

The business operates with approximately 8 employees and is wholly owned by Grafos Verlag GmbH. There is no disclosed external funding, no enterprise or B2B channel, and no recurring revenue component—each transaction is a discrete one-time purchase. The revenue model is therefore a pure-play specialty DTC retailer with inventory-driven, transactional economics rather than subscription or platform mechanics.

Name

Lotus Books

Legal name

Grafos Verlag GmbH

Website

https://lotus-books.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lotus Books is a German-based niche e-commerce retailer selling Lotus car literature—manuals, books, photographs, and magazines—to collectors and enthusiasts through a direct-to-consumer Shopware storefront operated by Grafos Verlag GmbH.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Literature Retail

NAICS

Used Merchandise Retailers (4595)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Memorabilia & Autographs Retail (CRALAGAI)

Keywords

• Automotive literature retail
• Classic car books
• Lotus car manuals
• Vintage vehicle documentation
• Motorsport memorabilia

Headquarters

HQ city

Weiden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Revenue is generated through direct sales of automotive books, service manuals, owner's handbooks, magazines, and historical photographs through the online shop. The company specializes in Lotus-related literature and related automotive subjects including Ford, racing, and other marques.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Lotus Books is an online specialty retailer selling a curated catalog of books, original service and parts manuals, NOS original photographs, original owner's manuals, and magazines focused on Lotus road and racing cars, motorsports history, and related automotive subjects. The store holds physical inventory in stock in Germany and ships primarily within the EU and worldwide on request, targeting individual collectors, vintage vehicle restorers, and motorsport enthusiasts seeking rare and original Lotus documentation and memorabilia.

Product overview

Lotus Books is an online specialty retailer operated by Grafos Verlag GmbH, offering a curated catalog of books, service manuals, owner's handbooks, historic photographs, and magazines focused on Lotus road and racing cars, motorsports history, and related automotive literature. The company sells products across five main categories: books covering Lotus vehicles and broader motorsports topics, original workshop/service manuals for Lotus cars, NOS original photographs, original owner's manuals, and Lotus-related magazines. All products are physically held in stock and shipped from Germany, with the business specializing in rare and vintage Lotus documentation and collectibles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Books Extensive collection of books focused on Lotus road and racing cars, pilots, and related automotive history, including titles covering Lotus vehicles, motorsports history, engine documentation, and other automotive marques such as Ford and Bugatti. All books are held in physical stock.
• Service & Parts Manuals Original service manuals for Lotus road cars, mostly unused but at least 25 years old, including Service Notes and Service Parts Lists documentation for restoration of vintage Lotus vehicles.
• NOS Original Photographs Historic original photo prints from the original photographer, including images of the Lotus Elan Type 26/36/45 and Lotus Elite Type 14; not reprints or copies, sold as collectible photographic prints.
• Original Owner's Manuals Original owner's manuals for Lotus road cars, mostly New Old Stock (NOS) with some used copies, covering Lotus Elan, Europa, Seven, Elise, Esprit, Elite, and 340R models.
• Magazines Lotus-related magazine copies, mostly English-language publications including Sports Car and Lotus Owner magazines.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Haynes Publishing: Large, established publisher of automotive repair and owner's manuals serving a broad audience across many marques. A broader incumbent in the same product category (specialist automotive manuals and books), but at much greater scale and not Lotus-specialized.

Direct peers

• Veloce Press: Publisher and seller of automotive books and DVDs covering classic, racing, and motorsport subjects including Lotus models. Operates a direct e-commerce storefront with international shipping, structurally similar to Lotus Books' model of selling specialty automotive literature to enthusiasts globally.
• Brooklands Books: UK-based publisher and retailer specializing in automotive and motorsport books and marque histories, with a broad catalog of Lotus, Jaguar, Aston Martin, and classic car titles. Closely comparable to Lotus Books in product category (specialist automotive literature) and target customer (marque enthusiasts and restorers).
• Motorbooks (Quarto Group): Major publisher and retailer of automotive, motorsport, and transportation books including titles on Lotus, classic cars, racing history, and restoration. Highly comparable on product category (specialist automotive literature) and direct-to-consumer e-commerce distribution.
• Bentley Publishers: Publisher and retailer specializing in automotive workshop manuals, owner's literature, and technical books, with deep coverage of European marques including Lotus-adjacent brands. Closely comparable for service-manual and owner's-handbook retail to restoration-focused buyers.
• Crowood Press: Independent UK publisher with a significant automotive and motorsport catalog including marque-specific titles, restoration guides, and racing histories. Comparable in offering enthusiast-grade automotive literature and operating direct retail to a collector/restorer audience.
• The Motor Bookstore: US-based online retailer of automotive service manuals, repair manuals, owner's literature, and motorsport books. Highly comparable direct-to-consumer e-commerce model selling classic-car and motorsport literature to enthusiasts and restorers.

Regional players

• Autobooks (Australia): Australian specialty retailer of automotive and motorsport books, manuals, and literature covering classic and competition vehicles. Comparable catalog focus and direct-to-collector model, but primarily serves an Australian/regional customer base rather than the EU/global footprint of Lotus Books.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lotus-books

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lotus Books