Remembering Lola Cars 1958-2012, Top six Lola race cars of all time

Last week the news that Lola Cars are no more. On 16 May 2012 it was reported that Lola Cars was entering administration. The administrator, CCW Recovery Solutions, was unable to find a suitable buyer and the firm ceased trading on 5 October 2012, with debts totaling more than £20 million.

With the company established in 1958, Lola cars have been accoated with designing and developing Formula 1 cars, Le Mans Prototype race cars, Indy Cars that won the Indianapolis 500 and Indycar championships and single fourmula classes (such as the A1GP race car above) in its 64 year history. And with the announcement of its closer last week it's a bad day for the British Motorsport industry and the Motorsport industry altogether in my opinion and it will be deeply missed in Le Mans sport car Prototypes (LMP1 and LMP2 race cars) (such as the Rebellion Racing, Lola B12/60 Toyota 3.4 litre V8 that raced at Le Mans this year, image below.)

To celebrate Lola Cars history, I am going to do a Lola's top six race cars of all time staring with....


Number 6: 1990 Lola LC90
Story: The car was designed and built by Lola for the Larrousse Formula 1 team, the car never won a grand prix with its 3.5 litre Lamborghini V12. But, their best race came at the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix were Aguri Suzuki finished third place and became the first Japanese driver ever to be on a Formula 1 podium. The team finished sixth in constructors standings with eleven points.

Number 5: 1967 Lola T130 (Honda RA300)
Story: Based on a previous Lola T90 that won the 1966 Indianapolis 500. The chassis was designed by Lola, Lola called it T130. But, really it raced as the Honda RA300 because Honda was the constructor. This collaboration resulted in the machine being quickly dubbed the "Hondola" by the motorsports press in 1967. Also, with a Honda 3 litre V12 inside the Lola T130 producing over 400 bhp. Only raced for four Grand Prixs, won on its debut race with 1964 F1 world champion John Surtees driving the car at the 1967 Italian Grand Prix. Lola only Formula 1 win (well sort of).

Number 4: 1964 Ford GT40
Story: The original Ford GT40 was designed and developed by Lola designers in 1963 with the Ford 4.2 litre V8 included. Then in 1964, Carroll Shelby took over the project put in his tuned Shelby Ford 7.0 litre V8 to make the Mark IV and the rest is history with four outright Le Mans 24 wins with the Ford GT40 (1966-69) ahead of Ferraris' and Porsches' at that period of time.

Number 3: 1978 Lola T500
Story: A 2.65 litre turbo Cosworth DFV V8 engine under the Lola T500, winning the 1978 Indianapolis 500 with Al Unser Sr. Also, winning the Pocono 500 for Al Unser Sr. and the California 500 for Al Unser Sr. Sweeping the "triple crown" of Indy car racing, making Al Unser Sr. the only driver in history to do this achievement.

Number 2: 1966 Lola T70 MkIII
Story: The Lola T70 was an evolution from the original Ford GT40. The Lola T70 MkIII won the first ever Can-Am championship with 1964 F1 world champion John Surtees at the wheel. The Lola T70 MkIII had a 5.0 litre Chevrolet V8 underneath to won 1966 Can-Am championship. Also, T70 MkIIIb won the 1969 24 hours of Daytona race for Penske Racing that year as-well.

Number 1: 1966 Lola T90
Story: The Lola T90 had a 4.2-litre 4-cam Ford V8 underneath. And In the hands of 1962 and 1968 F1 World Champion Graham Hill gives Lola its first ever Indianapolis 500 win in 1966.

And so here's the History books for Lola cars, never forgotten.

Lola cars 1956-2012