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1966 Lola T70 MKII Spyder

England's Eric Broadley made designing and building racing cars for sale his life's work, naming his line of cars, Lola. His lightweight, nimble 4-cylinder Lola MK1 of 1958 was an immediate success. Evolution during the early 1960s revolution to engine behind the driver encouraged an all-new design; the V-8 powered Lola MK VI to compete in Formula Libre racing, the top class of racing at the time.

During 1963, Ford Motor Co. commissioned Broadley and his new MK VI as the beginning of its GT40 program that soon became world champions produced by Ford Advanced Vehicles near Broadley's shop. Broadley broke from Ford and introduced the T70 as a direct competitor with the GT40. Although few in number, they kept the T70 in prototype class racing while sufficient numbers of GT40 Fords were built to race in Sports Car class. The T70 was another immediate success, largely with Chevrolet V-8 power in open (spyder) racing cars. Later, a coupe T70 was produced, becoming a world class competitor and considered one of the most beautiful racing cars of all time.

In America, Formula Libre (unlimited) racing was formalized as the Canadian-American Challenge Cup series (Can-Am) introduced in 1966. John Surtees, world champion motorcycle racer and Ferrari's lead driver, campaigned his T70 Spyder to the Can-Am championship that year with Lola winning 5 of 6 races, Surtees taking three and the driver's title. This car ran in 2 of the races by a west coast driver sponsored by a local Chevrolet dealership.

Chassis number SL71/22 is powered by a Chevrolet 355 cubic-inch V8 and is equipped with a Hewland LG500 transaxle.

It was the seventh of 32 MKII Spyders to leave the Lola factory in 1966. The first owner of the car was a noted racer of smaller displacement Porsches from California named Norman Smith. He raced this chassis twice. His first effort was the fourth round of the 1966 Canadian-American Challenge Series at Laguna Seca. The Lola's second race was Can-Am's Round 6 at Stardust Raceway in Las Vegas.

After that, SL71/22 went untouched for a number of years and then finally reappeared in the mid-1970s, complete but not in running condition. It sat on display in the Los Angeles area. Then, in 1986, the car found a new owner, who began a restoration before trading it to well-known Lola restoration specialist, Mac McClendon, of Santa Ana, California, who re-skinned the tub around its original steel bulkhead rings.

In early 2012, McClendon sold the car, still under restoration, to the current owner, a vintage race car collector who in turn had the restoration completed, with the body being returned to its original color of white.

It raced the complete 2012 season in SVRA at Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio, and the Lola T70 Reunion at the Hawk at Road America.
Lost in the overwhelming glow of the 'Bruce and Denny Show' and the unbelievable Penske Porsche 917s, the Lola T70-Chevrolet of Team Surtees would have the honor of starting off the incredible Can-Am show with the championship in the inaugural year, 1966.

The championship in 1966, however, would be just another moment in which the Lola T70 would shine in international sportscar competition. In fact, the car would prove to be one of the most successful sports cars, especially amongst those that Lola would offer over the course of its illustrious history.

During the mid-1960s, Eric Broadley struck upon an idea. Broadley was an outsider. He was by no means an automotive engineer and this helped him to think outside the box more often than not. This would attract Ford for what would become the GT40 project. However, in a short amount of time, the negotiations and meetings about the build of the car would turn Broadley off to building cars for others.

Broadley had already established Lola Cars in 1958 and would become rather successful designing and building single-seaters for Formula Junior, Formula 3 and Formula 2. This would lead to the contract to work with Ford on its ambitious GT40 project. However, the staunch, established ways of doing things discouraged Broadley who was willing to push the edges of the envelope in search of an advantage.

Therefore, by the mid-1960s, Broadley was free from his efforts with Ford and was on his own again. He again was free to build the cars he desired to build, and his way. Not all from the GT40 project would be lost, however. In fact, it would lead to Broadley developing what would become the fastest sportscar in the world at the time.

Broadley came to see the advantages of the raw American V-8 powerplant offered by Ford and Chevrolet. He then realized that combining that power with a light, mid-engined design could prove to be incredibly successful.

Broadley would turn to an expert to help develop his idea. The World Champion, John Surtees, would come on board and would work hand-in-hand with Broadley to develop the idea into one of the most successful sportscars in Lola's history.

The result of the work between Broadley and Surtees would be a wonderfully aggressive-looking car weighing just over 1700 pounds and boasting of 500hp. The design and layout of the car would lend itself to being stable and predictable for the driver. And, when combined with jaw-dropping acceleration and performance, the T70 would become an instant success.

But the two men weren't done. They would continue to work on making the car lighter. Outwardly, what would become known as the MKII would be very similar to the original T70. However, Broadley would go down a road he had come across in his discussions with Ford on the GT40 project.

In one of the meetings, Broadley had expressed a desire to use a combination of steel and aluminum in the chassis of the car. This combination would further help to lighten the car without severely hindering its rigidity. Ford, however, balked at this idea and wanted to stick with steel construction for the chassis. This would be one of the final straws for Broadley who would soon leave the project.

Well, not long after debuting the T70, Broadley would be faced with the same issue that was plaguing his own sportscar design. Broadley and Surtees had agreed on the mix of steel and aluminum in the construction of the T70. However, the decision would plague the two men who believed the car needed to be lightened even further. Therefore, Broadley would take the leap and would decide to construct the cross bracing of the MKII almost entirely out of aluminum. Furthermore, riveting, instead of welding, would be used in other areas in order to maintain strength but to shed even more weight. After a little more than 100 pounds and other detail changes, the new MKII would be unveiled.

In the hands of Surtees, the MKII would make an immediate impression by beating Bruce McLaren in the Guards International Trophy race at Silverstone by more than a minute and a half. The extra weight savings would help the T70 MKII dominate sportscar racing in Europe and in North America.

One of those Lola T70 MKIIs built for Group 7 specifications would be chassis SL71/22. Offered at the 2013 Bonhams auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, the Lola T70 MKII represents well the period of Lola's dominance in sportscar racing.

Originally built and completed with a Ford 4.7-liter V8 engine and a Hewland LG500 gearbox, SL71/22 would be just the 7th of 32 MKII Spyders built by Lola. Leaving the Lola factory on the 12th of January, 1966, the car would be shipped to the United States and would be received by Mecom. Mecom was Lola's southwest distributor. Mecom would take delivery of the car and then would turn around and attempt to ship it to its purchaser, racing driver Rick Muther. However, Muther would decline the shipment of the car as his interests had turned to other areas.

Therefore, SL71/22 would sit at Mecom with no buyer. It wouldn't remain there long, however, as it would quickly be snapped up by Norman Smith of Ventura, California. Smith would take delivery of the car and would immediately set about changing its look. While he would not change the bodywork, he would change its finish. Originally painted all white, Smith would have the car repainted in yellow. Smith would also endure to change the car's Ford engine. Smith would remove the Ford and would replace it with a small block 5.3-liter Chevrolet V8.

Smith would make the changes to the car, but it would be quickly realized that some of the changes that needed to take place were with himself. Taking part in just two races with the powerful car, Smith would struggle to come to grips with the power of the car and would limp through the 200 mile, two-heat event held at Laguna Seca. He would, however, finish the fourth round of the Canadian-American Challenge Series but it would be well down in 14th position.

The next race in which Smith would take part with the MKII would be even less memorable. After starting the race 29th, Smith would run wide at one of the Stardust Raceway's corners. He would crash through a fence and would end up coming to an abrupt stop after striking a parked car. Smith would be unhurt but the same could not be said of the car.

Smith had bent the tub of the car. He would later try to sell it along with a brand new T70 offering SL71/22 mostly as a car from which parts could be taken. Roger Penske would buy the new T70 but would bypass the damaged MKII. Realizing he would not be able to sell the car as it was, Smith would attempt to repair the tub himself. Once again he would offer it for sale right along with the trailer that carried it.

The trail of SL71/22 grows cold for a few years until it resurfaces in the mid-1970s as a display vehicle around the Los Angeles area. In 1986, Lilo Beuzieron would purchase the car and would begin the process of having the car restored. However, before the restoration could be completed, Beuzieron would sell the car to renowned Lola specialist Mac McClendon.

McClendon would slowly and steadily progress in his work to restore the T70. He would re-skin the tub using the car's original steel bulkhead rings. However, not even McClendon would finish the restoration work before he would sell the car in early 2012 to its current owner.

The car's current owner, a vintage race car collector, would commission the restoration work to be completed. What work remained would progress quickly and the car would soon be completed. Fully restored, the car's finish would even be restored to the white livery in which it had left the Lola factory with back in 1966.

Presented with a fully-documented race history, SL71/22 has now become available for vintage races throughout North America and Europe and should be an attractive addition to the vintage racing scene with its period-correct restoration and place as one of just 32 MKII Lola T70 Spyders ever produced. Given its place in the remarkable Lola T70 history and the quality of the car, early estimates for SL71/22 prior to auction have the car garnering between $300,000 and $400,000 when it crosses the block.

Sources:
'Lot 388: 1966 Lola T70 Mark II Spyder', (http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20582/lot/388/). Bonhams 1793. http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20582/lot/388/. Retrieved 9 January 2013.

'Lola T70 MKII News, Pictures and Information', (http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z10508/Lola-T70-MKII.aspx). Conceptcarz.com: From Concept to Production. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z10508/Lola-T70-MKII.aspx. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
'Lola T70 Mk2 Spyder Ford', (http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3514/Lola-T70-Mk2-Spyder-Ford.html). Ultimatecarpage.com: Powered by Knowledge, Driven by Passion. http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3514/Lola-T70-Mk2-Spyder-Ford.html. Retrieved 9 January 2013.

'History: The Story', (http://www.lolaheritage.co.uk/history/story.htm). Lola Heritage. http://www.lolaheritage.co.uk/history/story.htm. Retrieved 9 January 2013.

Wikipedia contributors, 'Lola Cars', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 29 November 2012, 08:59 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lola_Cars&oldid=525510924 accessed 9 January 2013

Wikipedia contributors, 'Can-Am', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 17 December 2012, 23:50 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Can-Am&oldid=528553624 accessed 9 January 2013

By Jeremy McMullen

2013 Bonhams - The Scottsdale Auction

Pre-Auction Estimates :
USD $300,000-USD $400,000 
Lot was not sold

1966 Lola T70 MKII Auction Sales

Recent Sales of the Lola T70 MKII

(Data based on Model Year 1966 sales)
1966 Lola T70 Mark II GT Coupe
Chassis#: SL71/46
Sold for USD$406,500
  2023 Bonhams : Quail
1966 Lola T70 MKII image  1966 Lola T70 MKII image  
1966 Lola T70 Mk II Spyder
Chassis#: SL71/28
Sold for USD$296,500
  2022 RM Sothebys : Monterey
 
1966 LOLA T70 MK II SPORTS-RACING SPYDER
Chassis#: SL71/28
Sold for USD$110,000
  2020 Bonhams : Quail Motorcar Auction
 
1966 Lola T70 Mk II Can-Am Spyder
Chassis#: SL71/36
Sold for USD$286,000
  2014 RM Auctions - Amelia Island
1966 Lola T70 MKII image  1966 Lola T70 MKII image  
1966 Lola T70 MkII GT Coupe
Chassis#: SL71/39
Sold for USD$324,000
  2012 Bonhams - Quail Lodge Sale
1966 Lola T70 MKII image  1966 Lola T70 MKII image  
1966 Lola T70 MKII Can Am Spyder
Chassis#: SL7140
Sold for USD$125,000
  2004 The Monterey Sports and Classic Car Auction
 

Lola T70 MKIIs That Failed To Sell At Auction

1966 Lola T70 MKII's that have appeared at auction but did not sell.
VehicleChassisEventHigh BidEst. LowEst. High
1966 Lola T70 MkII RoadsterSL71/442022 Mecum Indy$275,000  
1966 Lola T70 Mark II SpyderSL71/282019 Bonhams : Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais $300,000$400,000
1966 Lola T70 MK 2 SpyderSL 71/452018 Coys : Legende et Passion Monaco 2018 $350,000$390,000
1966 Lola T70 Mk IISL 71/292017 Artcurial : Retromobile $250,000$350,000
1966 Lola T70 Mark II SpyderSL71/222013 Bonhams The Scottsdale Auction $300,000$400,000
1966 Lola T70 Mk2 SpyderSL71/452010 Bonhams Goodwood Revival, Chichester, Sussex $290,000$340,000

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1966 Lola T70 MKII

Additional valuation insight and sales data
History
Specifications
Image gallery
Other Lola T70 MKII model years

1966 Lola T70 MKII Vehicle Profiles

1966 Lola T70 MKII vehicle information
Spyder
Designer: Eric Broadley
Chassis #: SL71/21
1966 Lola T70 MKII vehicle information
Coupe
Chassis #: SL71/46
1966 Lola T70 MKII vehicle information
Spyder
Designer: Eric Broadley
Chassis #: SL71/36
1966 Lola T70 MKII vehicle information
Coupe
Chassis #: SL71/39
1966 Lola T70 MKII vehicle information
Spyder
Designer: Eric Broadley
Chassis #: SL71-44
1966 Lola T70 MKII vehicle information
Spyder
Designer: Eric Broadley
Chassis #: SL71/35
1966 Lola T70 MKII vehicle information
Spyder
Designer: Eric Broadley
Chassis #: SL.71/34
1966 Lola T70 MKII vehicle information
Spyder
Designer: Eric Broadley
Chassis #: SL71/22