1971 Lola T212 news, pictures, and information

British based Lola Company has competed successfully in most of the world's major racing series. It was founded in 1961 by engineer and entrepreneur, Eric Broadley. The Lola cars are considered by many to have been one of the most influential designers of the post-war era.

The Lola T212 was constructed in 1971 and designed for 2-liter Sports Car, Group 6, Competition. It was given a monocoque chassis and a four-cylinder Ford engine mounted in the rear.

Lola is famous for being Great Britain's longest serving manufacturer of racing vehicles. Continually remaining at the forefront of the worldwide motorsport industry, Lola has mastered all spheres of the sport from small minor classes to Formula 1 racing. Since 1997 Martin Birrane has owned the Lola Company and introduced advanced technologies in the attempt to keep their products at the top of the 21st century. Lola is also famous for having a history of nine CART/OWRS championship titles, the 1978 USAC Triple Crown, three Indianapolis 500 wins, eight US/European/Tasman Formula 5000 titles, the inaugural Can-Am Challenge series of 1966, victory in the '63 Monaco Formula Junior Grand Prix, the '69 Daytona 24 Hours, the '73 European 2-liter Sportscar Championship, five successful Can-Am titles, eight Japanese Formula 3000 crowns, a variety of FIA International F3000 championships and three Sports Car Championships in just 2001 alone.

The Lola Company began in 1957 when quantity surveyor Eric Broadley constructed the 1172cc Ford-engine 'Broadley Special' for the 'Ford Ten Special' class. He raced this vehicle with his cousin Graham, the Special was a winner and nearly a second later, Broadley began designing a Climax-engined successor which was the basis of the Mk1. Unfortunately, Eric's career as a race driver ended prematurely. Eric formed Lola Cars Ltd one year later using his £2000 savings and constructed his first Lola at Maurice Gomm's West Byfleet workshop. At this time, the area was an insane hotbed of racing car construction.

At the end of the 1970, Lola relocated to its current Huntingdon base to a place where Formula 5000 continued to be a specialty. In 1971 Australian Frank Gardner's development work with the F2-based T3000 prototype, Lola's T330 set new standards of design in 1972. Entered by US Lola importer Carl Haas introduced T332 evolutions of the vehicle and won a hattrick of SCCA/USAC titles from 1974 through 1976 in the amazing hands of Briton Brian Redman.

In 1972 Bob Evans won the Rothmans European title in a T332. Lola set new parameters of excellence in the new 2-liter class, going back to Eric Broadley's sports car roots, his open monocoque chassied T210 overtook northern rival Derek Bennett's Chevron concern. This was still utilizing spaceframe coupes in 1970. Swiss-based Swedish veteran, European agent Jo Bonnier won the drivers' title. In 1971, Austrian Helmut Marko won it with its successor the T212, aiding Lola to the manufacturers crown.

Constructed in 1971, the Lola T212 was designed for 2-liter sports car, group 6 competition. The Lola T212 utilized a s4-cylinder 1790 cc Ford Cosworth engine.

Jessica Donaldson

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