1972 Lola T290 Sports Roadster

In 1965 the Lola Racing Cars Group introduced the T70. During its lifetime from 1965 through 1969 over 100 examples were produced in three versions. They were designed for endurance racing with excellent aerodynamics and flowing lines. The chassis was constructed of aluminum monocoque that was both lightweight and rigid. The project was undertaken by Eric Broadley of Lola Cars with assistance from F1 world champion John Surtees. Originally, Broadley had been considered by Ford to build a racer that could defeat Ferrari at LeMans. Colin Chapman of Lotus and Cooper were also considered. After some consideration, the project was given to Broadley of Lola. Ford had been impressed with the Lola Mark VI mid-engined racer which was powered by a Ford 4.2-liter engine and produced around 350 horsepower. The sleek body had been created by John Frayling and utilized some of the most exotic materials available. By 1965 Ford had their Ferrari slayer and Broadley was ready to again work under his own supervision. He was not fond of how the GT40 had progressed and felt that it had gone in too many directions with each decision being analyzed by a committee. Work began on the T70 which would share many similarities to the GT40. In a sense, the Lola T70 was a result of Enzo Ferrari, since the GT40 had been created to defeat Ferrari at Le Mans. The first version was the MKII open-roofed version. The second version was the MKIII Coupe-version followed by the MK IIIB.

The Lola T70 would be successful in the Can-Am racing series and would be followed by several other Lola cars in the years to come. By as the years rolled on, competition became very fierce. The turbocharged Penske-Porsche cars and the dominant McLarens proved took most of the top finishes in the late 1960s and early 1970s. For Lola, the cost was extremely steep to remain competitive in the CanAm Sport, and it was more beneficial for them to focus their efforts on smaller displacement cars that could be sold to a wider audience of customers. This meant the Lola T310 was the final Lola car produced for the Can-Am series.

They continued to focus their efforts on F2 and Formula 5000 with innovative, effective, and attractive cars such as the T330 and the T332. Lola won the manufacturer's crown with a T212 in the 2-liter Sports Car Class for 1971.

In the FIA Sports Racing Car category, their 3-liter T280 powered by a Formula 1 Cosworth DFV engine proved to be a very impressive and effective racing machine. The T290 family of cars was built with the help of Patrick Head and John Barnard. The T290 series would earn many impressive successes during the 1970s and dominated numerous European championships. These successes lead to Lola designing and building sports racing cars for major manufacturers, such as Chevrolet, Nissan and Mazda, during the 1980s.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2009