1973 Lola T294

The Lola T280 and T290 were built to contest the 1972 season. The T280 was built to 3-liter specification while the T290 was the 2-liter contender. The T290 was successful in the sales room with 34 examples built, mostly sold through European representative Jo Bonnier. Bob Marston, assisted by John Barnard and Patrick Head, had been responsible for the design. It was given an aluminum monocoque chassis with outboard disc brakes and an independent suspension. Lightweight fiberglass was used for the body and a small wing at the back provided downforce.

The cars were delivered sans engine, leaving the decision to the customer and their various racing criteria's. Most were powered by either Cosworth FVC engines or the Chevrolet Vega based four-cylinder unit. Both engines were quick but both suffered from reliability issues, specifically the Chevy engine.

For the 1973 season, the T290 was further developed into the T292. Changes included a larger rear wing, redesigned front fascia, and inboard mounted rear disc brakes. Over two dozen examples were built and sold, and a few of the T290s were updated with the T292 bodywork. A BDG powered example driven by Chris Craft secured the European Two-Litre Sports Car championship and gave Lola the constructor's champion.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2020