1966 Lola T70 MKII

The Lola T70 Spyder sports racer holds the distinction of being the winner of the first-ever Can-Am Championship. Developed by Lola Cars Ltd, of Bromley, Kent, in 1965, more than one hundred examples would be built in three versions before being replaced in the Can-Am series by the lighter Lola T160.

Walter Hansgen won the Monterey Grand Prix at Laguna Seca Raceway on October 17th, 1965, with a Ford-powered T70. The following year, Chevrolet-powered T70s won five of the six races, and John Surtees was named the champion.

Lola's path to greatness began with humble beginnings, with its prototype Mark 1 sports car being built in a garage behind Broadley's family's tailoring shop in Bromley in 1958. The architects of the racecars that would become world motorsport-winning champions were Eric Broadley and his cousins Graham and Rob Rushbrook. The MK2, a front-engined, single-seater Formula Junior, followed the first customer-production sports cars.

One of Broaley's early projects and his first monocoque design was the MK6 GT Coupe, intended to house American V8 engines. The MK6 GT became part of Ford's Le Mans racing program in 1963 and would become the all-conquering Ford GT40. Broadley left the program in 1964 and returned to sports cars with a new design for Group 7 racing - the T70. Creativity was encouraged for the Group 9 category, as the rules were nearly non-existent, except that the sports prototypes needed enclosed wheels and provision for an onboard spare. The winners of the race would be decided by the entrant having the most durable, fastest, lightest, and most aerodynamic vehicle. An integral component was the driver and their ability to control the car and make it to the finish.

The Lola T70 was given a full-length monocoque body tub fabricated of aluminum panels on a steel framework. Its compact wheelbase measured 95 inches and had a front and rear track size of 54 inches. It was suspended with a conventional independent suspension setup that had double wishbones at the front and lower wishbones and top links with trailing arms at the rear. Since the rear of the car would be responsible for handling the bulk of the engine's torque, the rear suspension was engineered to absorb these forces. The inboard disc brakes were an unusual feature that Lola engineers hoped would improve cooling. The magnesium-cased Hewland LG500 gearbox was selected as it had been designed especially for use with large-capacity V8 engines. The glassfibre (glass reinforced plastic / GRP) bodies that clothed the T70 were produced by Specialised Mouldings.

The Lola T70 was unveiled in 1965 at the Racing Car Show in London. One of the first customers for the T70 was John Surtees, and his Team Surtees would, in effect, serve as a 'semi-works' team in 1965. Mounted midship was a Traco-prepared Chevrolet V8 engine that initially displaced 5.0 liters, but mid-season was replaced with a 5.9-liter unit. The Lola T70 Mk2 version became available before the close of the 1965 season.

During the 1965 season, Surtees's main competition was from McLaren and Lotus, and this trio battled for victory during the first few races of the season. At Mosport in Canada, Surtees scored the T70's first victory, earning Lola over a dozen requests for the new sports racer.

Realizing there was room for improvement, and removed most of the steel in the chassis, leaving only the steel cross bracing. Additional weight was shaved by riveting the steel rather than welding. Improvements were made to the radiators and suspension, with the most significant update having been the reduction of weight by at least 100 pounds (per Broadley's estimation). The forthcoming deletion of the 'spare wheel' requirement allowed Broadley to redesign the nose and replace the original twin radiators with a large single unit. After fifteen examples of the T70 tubs had been created, Lola introduced the lightened T70 MK2.

Surtees drove a T70 MK2 in prototype form to a convincing victory in the Guards International Trophy at Brands Hatch on the August bank holiday weekend. This prototype was destroyed by Surtees at Mosport Park in Canada after the suspension failed. The injuries that Surtees sustained in the accident sidelined him for the remainder of the season. He would recover in time to contest the 1966 season.

Surtees won three of the inaugural Can-Am (Canadian American Challenge Cup) Championship's six races for Lola (in chassis S/N SL71/43) and defeated rivals McLaren and Chaparral in the process. Two other privately entered T70s won two other races, giving Lola five out of six victories for the season. Surtees' victory at the final event of the season, the Stardust Grand Prix at Las Vegas, secured him the championship.

The Works McLarens would take the championship-winning mantle from Lola the following season, dominating the sport for the next five years. Many privateers, however, preferred the T70.

The Lola T70 MK3 was built in time for the 1967 racing season. It was offered as a Spyder and Coupe, with the bodies being interchangeable. A total of five Mark IIIb Spyders were built for the Group 7 competition. In coupe configuration, the MK3 was eligible for Group 6 endurance racing. The addition of wider tires required alterations to the suspension geometry, but otherwise, the MK3 was mechanically similar to its predecessor. Larger brakes were installed, and an optional five-speed LG 600 transmission was offered. The Works Coupes were powered by the new Aston Martin quad-cam V8 engine, which proved unreliable and underpowered.

New Regulations for sports car racing for the 1968 season imposed a displacement size limit of prototypes to three liters, and sportscars could displace up to five liters if at least fifty examples were built. This homologation requirement allowed the Ford GT40 and Lola T70s to continue racing. Ford claimed victory at Le Mans in 1968 and 1969, and the T70 had a one-two finish at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1969.

The Lola T160 arrived in 1968, replacing the T70 Spyder; the T70 Coupe continued to race for another three seasons.

In 1969, homologation requirements were lowered to twenty-five, opening the door for the more modern Porsche 917 and Ferrari 512, which easily outclassed the GT40s and T70s.

The Lola T70 is fondly remembered for its racing accomplishments and its creation - it was built in a short period of time and with limited financial resources. They were driven by many of the most talented and accomplished drivers of its era, including Surtees, Brian Redman, Denny Hulme, and David Hobbs. They were popular with privateers during the 1960s, and they remain popular in modern times, so much so that a continuation version of both the Spyder and Coupe was created.

by Dan Vaughan

Spyder
Chassis number: SL71/22

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

Spyder
Chassis number: SL.71/34

British race car builder Eric Broadley was one of the first to combine light weight mid-engine chassis with American V-8 power, in the Lola GT that ran at Le Mans in 1963. In 1965 he introduced the T70, which for two years was the world's fastest racing car.

Developed by World champion driver John Surtees, with 500 HP and weighing 1750 pounds, it had blinding acceleration, 0 to 100 mph in less than six seconds with stable, predictable handling.

Surtees won the first Can-Am Championship with a T70 in 1966.

This car sat in a barn for over 20 years. The chassis and running gear are original.

Spyder
Chassis number: SL71/35

SL 71/35 was purchased by Goodyear for A.J. Foyt, to be entered by John Mecom in the 1966 CanAm series.

The original Chevy engine was replaced by a big-block Ford engine supplies free of charge by Ford.

A.J.Foyt raced the car at Riverside and Nassau in 1966, both times stopping early on with cooling problems.

The car then sat in the Foyt workshop for many years, unused and was finally sold. In 1987 the remaining parts and the original monocoque were purchased by Zicron Corp. of Chatsworth from Bob Rothan in Chino.

Mid-2006 John Hugenholtz bought the chassis and commissioned Zicron Corp. torestore the car to original 1966 specs, according to FIA Historic regulations.

The Monterey Historics was the first time since 1966 that this Lola entered a race and the first time it ever finished a race, now using a 350 ci Chevy engine.

Possibly the lowest mileage T70 spyder in existence.

Spyder
Chassis number: SL71-44

SL 71/44 was completely restored in 2008, after having been in pieces for 20 years. Most of the original chassis tub, suspension parts and brake castings were used. SL71/44 was one of two cars owned and raced under Mecom colors, by Parnelli Jones with George Bignotti as crew chief. The car was raced by Jones in the CanAm Series at Laguna Seca, Riverside, and Las Vegas.

SL71/44 was owned by Shelby Cars at one time and was traded to Holman Moody. Buck Fulp acquired the car and then it passed through several owners. It has not been raced since 1966 or 1967. It was then acquired by Chuck Haines, sold to Nick Rose, then to the current owner. This is a very original car.

Coupe
Chassis number: SL71/39

In 1963, Eric Broadley's innovative Lola MK 6 GT with their mid-engined layout, coupe bodies, and Ford Fairlane V8 power proved to be potent competitors at Le Mans. Pleased with the car's capabilities, Ford hired Broadley to oversee what was to become the GT40 program. After leaving that project, Broadley decided to further develop the mid-engined them and built cars for the Group 7 category.

Introduced in early 1965, the new T70 model was given a steel-reinforced aluminum monocoque with double wishbone coil spring/shock suspension in both the front and rear. The unusual brake layout had discs in the front mounted in a location to receive maximum cooling air rather than being hidden inside the wheels. The fiberglass body was lightweight and aerodynamic and designed to accommodate the large-displacement American V8 engines, including Oldsmobile, Chevrolet and Ford. A few chassis were given Aston Martin and BRM powerplant, though they did not enjoy the same successes as the American V8s. 15 examples of the MK1 'Spiders' were built, followed by 33 MK. 2 versions, and 31 of the MK3, of which were built in both open and closed configuration. The MK.3B series comprised four Spiders and 22 MK.3B GT coupes (plus two spare chassis).

Reigning F1 World Champion John Surtees drove his Chevrolet-powered T70 MK.2 to three wins in six races of the 1966 Canadian-American Challenge to winner of the Championship. After this impressive accomplishment, sales for the Group 7 T70 Spider took off. The last iteration of the T70 was intended for Group 4, which required a minimum of 50 completed cars to satisfy homologation requirements, and a closed body. The T70 MK.3GT coupe was introduced in 1967. It had a body shape that was stable at high speeds and could be raced in both categories by simply changing the body.

This Lola, with chassis number SL71/39, is the 24th chassis in the MK. 2 series. It was delivered new as a Spider in August of 1966 to John Mecom. It was later sold to Carl Haas who kept it as a back-up for his Simoniz-sponsored team of MK. 3s campaigned by chuck Parsons and Skip Scott. The car was entered in the Road America race in 1968, though it did not race in that event. It was soon sold to Duane Zinola who drove it at Riverside, finishing 5th at year's Runoffs. The next owner was Ron Grable, who drove it just once, at the Edmonton round of the 1968 Can-Am series, where it DNF'd with clutch failure. In October, 1969, Grable offered the car for sale with a Traco-rebuilt 366-cubic inch Chevrolet engine.

John Williamson purchased it in the late 1960s and raced it at the 1969 Laguna Seca Can-Am, but was disqualified for being too slow. It failed to qualify for the Riverside round, so Williamson handed driving duties over to Lou Pavesi, who qualified but would drop out of the race with a blown tire. Williamson later ran SL71/39 at several club-level races.

The next owner was Mac McClendon who had the car restored in 2004. The current owner converted to the car to MK.3B coupe specifications. Power is from a 355 cubic-inch Chevrolet engine with 48mm Weber carburetors and a Hewland LG600 transaxle.

In 2012 the car was offered for sale at the Quail Lodge presented by Bonhams Auction. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for $324,000 including buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Spyder
Chassis number: SL71/22

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.

Spyder
Chassis number: SL71/36

Eric Broadley founded Lola Cars in 1958 in Huntingdon, England. His first 'production car' was the Lola Mark 1. One of Broadley's more interesting cars was the Lola MK 6 GT, which the Ford Motor Company later successfully raced as their GT 40.

This Lola T70 MK II was the last of 67 Spyders built. The car was sold by John Mecom, the original U.S. distributor, in 1966 to Richard Galloway. With driver Ross Greenville of New Zealand, the car raced successfully in the Can-Am Series and SCCA Nationals, which included such race tracks as Bridgehampton, Laguna Seca, Las Vegas, Riverside, Road America, and Watkins Glen.

The car was involved in an accident at Bridgehampton. The car was traded-in to Illinois-based Carl Haas, the subsequent U.S. distributor for Lola Cars, for an Mk II Coupe replacement. Haas renovated SL7/36 before selling it on June 14th of 1973 to Colorado club racer John McDonald for $4,800. At the time, the car was described as 'Used Lola T-70 MK S.N SL71/36 Can-Am roller with transaxle, repaired chassis, rebuilt suspension.'

Mr. McDonald used the car in a few SCCA regional events before ownership passed to Mac McLendon of Santa Ana, California on September 23rd of 1979 for $3,500. McClendon eventually restored the car to as-new condition, using most of the original chassis and other fit components. It was sold to the current owner in 2008. Since that time, the car has enjoyed a three-year National Historic Race career, scoring six 1st place overall and class victories, three 2nd places, and three 3rd places. The car was crowned the overall champion in Bobby Rahal's 2010 Legends of Motorsports United States Road Racing Championship (USRRC). In 2011, the car was award Best in Class trophy at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.

The car is powered by a 5.7-liter Chevrolet V8 engine fitted with side-draft Weber carburetion on a crossflow manifold and offering 578 horsepower. There is a Hewland LG 500 four-speed transaxle and four-wheel disc brakes.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: SL71/46

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 Dan Vaughan

Spyder
Chassis number: SL71/21

This Lola T70 Mark II was originally owned by Penske Racing and driven by Mark Donohue. It is powered by a Chevrolet V8 350 with Webers and a Hewland four-speed.

Ownership

12/65: John Mecom, Texas

- US Lola Importer

12/65: Roger Penske Racing, USA

- fitted with Chevrolet 427 CID 7.0-liter V8

- Sponsored by Sunoco

- Changed to a Chevrolet small block which improved handling

- Raced by Mark Donohue in 1966

- Crashed and caught fire while leading

- Traded with John Mecorn for chassis SL71/32

12/65: John Mecom, Texas

- Tub stripped to bare chassis

- New tub built on original chassis

10/66: Norman Smith, Ventura

- Sponsored by 'Reagan for Governor Committee'

- Race in two Can-Am events (crashed)

Post 66: Paul Canary, USA

- Stripped bare to chassis

- Used for project with Corvette front suspension

- Project abandoned

11/95 Lilo Beuzieron, California

- Lent to Mac McClendon for reference

- Bare chassis returned and placed in storage

1/12 Norm and Dan Cowdrey, California (current owners)

Coupe
Chassis number: SL71/46

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.

The Lola Racing Cars Group introduced the T70 in 1965 and during its lifetime, from 1965 through 1969, over 100 examples were produced in three versions. They were designed for endurance racing, incorporating excellent aerodynamics and flowing lines. The chassis was an aluminum monocoque structure 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 straight back end soon gave it the nickname of 'breadvan' as it resembled delivery trucks of that era. The rear body shape was the result of lessons learned from the GT40 project and its handling on the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans. It was designed to eliminate some of the lift created at high speeds. The GT40 created 300 kg of lift at speed while the Lola T70 only created 200 kg of downforce though it did increase drag.

Though designed for endurance racing, the T70 proved most potent on the short sprint races where its lightweight body and superior handling made it very competitive. Reliability issues plagued the car on races of more than three hours. The Chevrolet small-block power-plant was unsuitable for utilizing the high-octane fuels that powered other racers. The engine was unable to fully utilize European fuels and as such, did not perform as well as intended in international competition.

The T70 MKII was entered in the competitive and newly formed CanAm series, where it dominated at nearly every race it entered, winning five of the six rounds. John Surtees won the title after winning three of those races in a factory car. The cars were also successful in Group 7 racing until the series came to a halt in 1966. 1966 was the final year for a successful season for the Lola T70s in CanAm racing as McLaren would dominate the following year. The T70 would win only one CanAm race in 1967. The powerful McLaren M6 racers easily overpowered the T70. In retaliation, the T70 IIIB was introduced which improved power and performance. The front was improved to separate the airflow between the bottom and top of the car, thus, minimizing pressure underneath the vehicle. Power came from a 327 small-block Chevrolet engine which was later upgraded to a 350 cubic-inch unit. It would go on to win many international endurance races. One of the most famous of its victories was the 1969 Daytona 24 Hours driven by Mark Donohue and Chuck Parsons. The demise of the racer occurred when rule changes that limited the size of the engine made it obsolete. This benefited the Ferrari 312 and Porsche 917 as their F1 engines were appropriate and highly tuned.

By 1968, a new car was needed; Lola introduced the T160 which was lighter and more powerful than its predecessor.

The Lola T70 was important for sports racing for many reasons with the most recognizable being the importance of downforce at a cost of extra drag. The cars won many important victories during the close of the 1960's and have continued in competition to this day, with many racing in historic racing events.

by Dan Vaughan