1966 Lola T70 MKII Coupe

This Lola T70 SL71/46 began its life as an open-top Spider designed specifically for the Can-Am series. It was once upgraded with closed Mark III bodywork, making it adaptable across different racing formats.

Lola Cars was founded in 1958 and operated until 2012. Located just outside of London, in Bromley, Kent, the company became a force in Cam-Am Competition during the 1960s. The T70 was a formidable contender against all rivals, with its light and robust chassis, sleek and aerodynamic design, and potent American V8 engines. In 1966, John Surtees, Dan Gurney and Mark Donahue won five of six Can-Am races in Lola T70 Mark II cars. Although the McLaren M6A of 1967 brought an end to the T70s winning streak in 1967, Surtees managed to win the final race of the Can-Am season on November 12 at the Stardust GrandPrix, earning him third place in the Drivers' Championship with 16 points.

Racing regulations imposed by the FIA stipulated that prototypes were limited to 3.0 liters, and production sports cars to 5.0 liters. The T70 was able to side-step the restrictive edict by satisfying the homologation requirements of 100 cars, enabling the car to race in 1968. It was, however, unable to outpace the Ford GT40 at Le Mans, but won a convincing first and second place finishes at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Team Penske Lola, with pilots Mark Donahue and Chuck Parsons, won the race by 30 laps, despite a combined two hours and 12 seconds in the pits over 31 pit stops. In total, they traveled 2,382 miles at an average speed of 99mph.

This Lola T70, chassis number SL71/46, was completed on October 7, 1966, at the Slough, Buckinghamshire, UK factory, originally configured as a Mark II open-top Spider for Can-Am competition. Equipped with a 365 cubic-inch overhead valve 90-degree engine, this T70 wore a blue livery and sported the race number 81 and later 78. Its first owner was John Mecom, of Dallas, Texas and it was driven by Jerry Grant during the 1967 Can-Am season. It raced at Bridgehampton, Road America, the Monterey GP, the Los Angeles Times GP, and the Stardust GP. It also raced in USRRC events at Riverside and Kent.

At some point, this Lola was given larger brakes and closed bodywork that came with the Mark III.

Later owners included Chuck Haines, Jim Barrington and Jerry Weichers. It later was sent to California, where it was campaigned for a decade under the auspices of Phil Denney's PRD Racing stable, based at Sears Point Raceway, near San Francisco.

The engine has undergone a full engine rebuild by Crowther, including ported cylinder heads, a new crank with increased displacement of 385 cubic inches. On the dyno, the engine produced 650 horsepower. More recently, additional work has been performed including the replacement of the clutch, a gearbox rebuild and significant suspension work.

In the early 2000s, the Lola returned to the track and participated in many classic events across California, including the Wine Country Classic and the Monterey Historics. It has also been displayed at the Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance.

This Lola T70 is currently in closed Mark III configuration with a racing-red livery with front and side decals of racing number 838. The interior has vintage Stewart Warner gauges, fire system, and removable Momo steering wheel.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2023