Graham Nearn, who has died aged 76, was one of the most imaginative and innovative motoring entrepreneurs of the postwar era, and the man who almost single- handedly kept alive the iconic Lotus Seven sports car design. The brainchild of the Lotus founder Colin Chapman, whose Formula One cars were a dominant force in grand prix racing during the 1960s, the Lotus Seven was designed to offer state-of-the-art racing technology to enthusiasts on a budget. Bought in kit form for about £500, its Ford 1,172cc engine, could deliver up to 75bhp, giving impressive acceleration up to 80mph in a car that weighed only 500kg. But when Chapman decided to develop a more up-market image for the Lotus range, Nearn stepped in to ensure that the spindly little sports car survived and thrived.