1965 Lola T70 MKII Spyder FIA HTP

Highlights

• 350ci Chevrolet Race V8 by Tim Adams, running c.440bhp / 433lb-ft

• Comprehensive ground-up rebuild by Loaded Gunn Racing

• Passion project by a British engineer and racer

• FIA Historic Racing Papers

• Available for viewing on the the PistonHeads stand at Goodwood Festival of Speed

Overview

In the world of motorsport, few names are as historically significant as Lola. Cars wearing the Lola badge have competed at the highest levels in track and hillclimb events for decades, gaining success in such legendary races as the Can-Am series and 24-Hours of Daytona.

Of course, getting your hands on a genuine period Lola racer is, to put it mildly, tricky. For starters they were numbered in the dozens, not hundreds or thousands. Secondly, there are quite a few reproduction cars out there, which are often superb machines in their own right, but don’t carry the cachet of a racecar with genuine heritage.

You’ll be delighted to hear that what we have here is the real McCoy. Mostly. Well let’s put it this way, it’s got one heck of an intriguing history. So before we dive into the details, let’s do a bit of a history lesson on this particular car. We don’t usually do this, but when it comes to period racers, heritage and backstory is everything. Here we go then.

The chassis plate tells us that this was originally a Type 142 race car, chassis no. SL142/22. Having done a deep dive into the car’s history, the vendor has been able to ascertain the following… The invoice date of the car was 1 February 1969 and it was sold new to the then owner of the Henley Forklift company. It was used in the British F5000 race series and Formule Libre that same year in August and September.

The car continued to be raced in F5000 and hillclimbs throughout the first part of the 1970s. From here, the history gets a little patchy. In total we know the car had 52 recorded races. In later years it appears as if it was in the possession of Eagle Racing of Sussex, the chassis number now appearing on a T70 MkII Spyder. It’s suggested that the T142 may have been broken for components which were then used in the T70. The centre tub of the body is from chassis number SL71/23, which was used on hillclimb events and raced in the HSCC Atlantic Computers Series in the 1980s.

It reappeared in 1997 after suffering crash damage in a hillclimb event, and has since been in the current ownership. That owner was an engineer and passionate racer who, during their lifetime, restored many race cars from the 50s, 60s and 70s, as well as completing almost 100 pedal car restorations. They previously owned the Duckhams Ford LM car designed by Gordon Murray; restored a crash-damaged Countach, then drove it all the way to Italy to get it inspected and approved by Lamborghini themselves; and restored a MkVII Elva Lotus Twin Cam as well as a 1950 JCX Belgian Sports Racer. It would be a vast understatement to say that this Lola comes from great stock.

With that level of enthusiasm, skill and knowledge, you’ll probably be unsurprised to learn that the rebuild has been completed with the utmost care and attention to detail. When the owner passed away, the experts at Loaded Gunn (themselves the manufacturer of Gunn Sports Prototypes which are championship-winning cars) completed the car. A fitting tribute to a man who lived and breathed historic racers and who had an almost unrivalled passion for sports racers and engineering, according to those that knew him.

With the vast majority of the car having been rebuilt and refreshed with new parts and components, it offers a wonderful blend of authenticity – it has FIA Historic Racing Papers and should be able to race at events such as the Goodwood Revival, Peter Auto and Masters Historics – and “fresh out of the box” performance and reliability.

With a fully dyno-tested and properly run in Chevrolet race V8 thumping out about 440bhp in a car that weighs well under a tonne, power and exhilaration will certainly never be far away. A race winner in period, rare, slightly mysterious, restored and rebuilt with real engineering verve and passion, now ready to hit the track again – we think this gorgeously finished machine is everything you could want from a historic racecar.

History and documentation

• Chassis plate: Type 142 / Chassis no. SL 142/22

• Collection of invoices detailing many thousands spent on restoration and fabrication work, professional transmission refurb, race engine build and professional respray 

• Engine dyno printouts from running in during 2023 at the builders

• New and current FIA historic papers

• We’re informed that the car will be 1965HTP approved prior to the auction

• Significant fabrication and rebuilding work undertaken by Loaded Gunn Racing of Wiltshire

• All original components, including the uprights and wheels, have been crack tested

• Turnkey ready

Interior

• Gorgeous chrome finish rollcage with exquisite weld detailing

• Full bank of Smiths gauges

• Alcantara trimmed steering wheel

• FIA spec fire extinguisher system

• Race harness for the driver

Exterior

• Aluminium monocoque chassis – much of which is on show when the clam shells are raised, displaying off the excellent fabrication work and high-quality welding

• Beautifully finished front and rear clam shells made from GFRP

• The vendor estimates that about 50% of the panels are original, the rest having been replaced with genuine items

• All of the panels are in excellent condition, with no notable damage or cracks we could see

• Fully and professionally resprayed in June 2024, finished in a deep cherry red that wears a fabulous gloss

• The red paintwork is beautifully contrasted with satin black and silver over-stripes with large, cream roundels on each door

• Plexiglas front and side windscreens

• High mounted, chrome finish bullet mirrors on each wing

• Underneath, the car looks to be in superb condition, with a flat floor design finished in aluminium panels

• The wheels are 6-stud, 6-spoke items, finished in satin black

• A matched set of new Dunlop CR65 race tyres has been fitted

Mechanical

• 350ci (5.7-litre) Chevrolet race V8, built by Tim Adams Race Engines

• The engine features angled spark plug heads, a wet sump, and a total loss charge system

• All of the engine ancillaries are new

• Dyno-tested at 440bhp @ 6,800rpm (equivalent of c.550bhp/tonne) and 433lb-ft

• Dyno-tested at c.500bhp with up-draft carburetors

• Side-draft Weber carburetors are fitted, as the vendor was advised these were needed for the Historic Racing class, but they have since found out that up-draft carburetors would be acceptable – these can be supplied by negotiation

• Refurbished Hewland LG500 5-speed manual transmission

• Salisbury type plated limited slip differential

• Koni steel body dampers and springs all round

• All of the suspension components have been nickel plated for longevity

• New custom pipework throughout

• New bespoke motorsport wiring loom

• FIA spec bag tank

• Custom fabricated stainless steel manifolds and exhausts, with silencer add-ons included

• Stunning workmanship throughout

• The car runs beautifully and sounds absolutely savage

• Please note that due to being a fresh rebuild and despite having been on the dyno several times, the car will  need some light testing for setting up prior to jumping on a grid for full competition

Summary

Too many cars are purported to be “one of a kind”, but that really is what we’re dealing with here. A fascinating motorsport pedigree, decades of incredible stories and race experiences at the hands of many numerous pro and semi-pro drivers, all wrapped up in that sublime, sinuous bodywork.

Add into the mix a viciously thunderous race-tuned V8, gorgeous paintwork and the kind of engineering that would make Isambard Kingdom Brunel scratch his head in wonder, and you have an enormously special car. 

We love the fact that this car has been through so many hands and seen so much action – it makes it feels alive, layered with motorsport history. It’s a deeply wonderful thing, restored and renewed with the ardent passion of a true enthusiast. We can’t wait to see it doing what it was built to do: thundering through a grid of similarly storied machinery as it vies for the lead. 

What a history. What a thing.

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located in Wiltshire.

The car will also be on display at the PistonHeads stand at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.