1977 Lola T297

For 1979, Lola's 2-liter sports car was the T-297, which continued the lineage of a great line of race cars. In 1970, Lola had introduced the T-210 and over the years it had evolved into a formidable contender, coming in second to Chevron in the 2-liter Championship in 1975. In 1976, the second in the Championship again, this time behind Osella. Osella would again keep Lola from achieving the overall championship in 1977, this time by only a few points.

The T-297 was fitted with a 2-liter engine, usually from either Ford or BMW. The powerplants generated over 300 horsepower and was mated to five-speed Hewland gearbox. Ventilated disc brakes could be found at all four corners. The suspension comprised of double wishbones with outboard coils and dampers in the front with a similar setup in the rear.

One of the highlights of the 1979 season was when Dorset Racing drove a 2-Liter T-297 in the Group 6 category at the 24 Hours of LeMans. The car would finish first in class.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2009