1969 Lola T163 CanAm Spider

Eric Broadley, a British race car designer and constructor, formed Lola to supply competitive cars to private owners around the globe. Between 1958 and 2013, Lola has had 6,758 entries in nearly 2,300 races, with two-thirds finishing the race; 512 outright wins; 315 additional class wins; and over 1,000 podium finishes.

After a successful career with their Formula Juniors and Formula 1 cars, Broadley began work with Ford on the Lola MK6, which led to Ford's request for the company to take the design lead on the Ford GT40. The GT40 would enjoy
Such success on one of the world's greatest racing stages, winning and dominating at LeMans for several years. Lola's T70 won the inaugural Canadian-American Racing Series in 1966. The aging T70 was replaced with the T160 in 1968 and with competition continued to grow, work continued for the 1969 season. The resulting car was the T163, an advanced open racer with a lightweight alloy monocoque structure.

This example is chassis number SL163/20 and was delivered to American Lola importer Carl Haas on June 6th of 1969. The first owner was G. Auto USA who didn't utilize the car. In 1970 it was sold to SCCA racer Steve Weaver of Indianapolis. Weaver drove the car to a 3rd place in the SCCA Central National Division points standings, with two outright wins at Michigan and Indianapolis Raceway Park. When the season came to a close, Weaver sold the car to Gregory Hodges, who campaigned it in SCCA California events.

Tony Settember acquired the car in 1973 and entered it in the 1973 Laguna Seca Can-Am, where it blew a head gasket on just the second lap. The car's last appearance in Can-Am was under the ownership of Charles Semple, whose driver Bob Kemple qualified for the 1973 Riverside race but failed to start.

Since the car's retirement, it has had several owners from America, New Zealand, and France. In 2009, the car returned to California where it was sold to its latest owner. The new owner had the car prepared for vintage racing by Toluca Lake Historics.

Since then, the car has competed in Can-Am reunion classes. It is powered by a carbureted 358 CI 1968 Chevrolet engine, with dry sump lubrication and magneto ignition. A Hewland LG 600 5-speed gearbox and Hewland differential transfer power to the 15x16 rear alloy wheels. It has rack and pinion steering, adjustable anti-roll bars, and Lockheed hydraulic ventilated brakes with alloy calipers.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2013