Configurable customer cars
The Mk1 was offered with choices of engine, gearbox, wheels and tyres, allowing a purchaser to specify the car around a budget.
Forthcoming lots
On the block · Monterey Car Week 2026
1 forthcoming lot · Monterey 2026
Manufacturers / Lola
Lola
England · est. 1958
A customer-racing constructor, now a distinct revival.
- On the block
- 1 lots
- Top value
- —
- Period
- 1958–
The house
A customer-racing constructor, now a distinct revival.
Quantity surveyor Eric Broadley formed Lola Cars Ltd in 1958, after the Ford-engined Broadley Special of 1957. The first Lola was constructed at Maurice Gomm’s West Byfleet workshop; over the next four years, 35 multi-tubular-spaceframe Mk1 sports racers, usually using 1,098 cc Coventry Climax engines, were built at Rob Rushbrook’s Bromley garage. Mk1 buyers could choose engine, gearbox, wheels and tyres to suit their budgets.
Lola principally built customer racing cars. Its 4.2-litre Ford V8 Mk6 GT led to Ford contracting Broadley to develop the project that became the GT40 programme. The V8-powered T70 followed in 1965; John Surtees won the inaugural Can-Am Championship in an open Mk2 in 1966, while Roger Penske’s closed Mk3B won the 1969 Daytona 24 Hours with Mark Donohue and Chuck Parsons.
Lola chassis won the Indianapolis 500 with Graham Hill in a T90 in 1966, Al Unser in a T500 in 1978 and Arie Luyendyk in a T90/00 in 1990. After Lola moved to Huntingdon at the end of 1970, Carl Haas-entered T332s gave Brian Redman three consecutive SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 titles from 1974 to 1976. Lola celebrated its 1,000th car in 1975, a Formula Ford 1600 T342.
Formula 1 was usually commissioned work: the Mk4 was built for Reg Parnell’s Bowmaker Yeoman team and the T370 for Embassy Hill. The 1997 MasterCard Lola was the company’s first works Formula 1 entry, but both T97/30s failed to qualify for the Australian Grand Prix and the team withdrew before Brazil. Martin Birrane acquired the company later that year.
Lola Cars International entered administration in May 2012 and ceased trading on 5 October after no acceptable going-concern offer emerged. Till Bechtolsheimer acquired the Lola brand assets in 2022 for a separate revival, Lola Cars Ltd, which is based at Silverstone. In 2024 the revival announced a Formula E programme with Yamaha from Season 11; in 2026 it launched the limited-run T70S and T70S GT.
- Founded
- 1958
- Eric Broadley formed Lola Cars Ltd after the 1957 Broadley Special; the first Lola was constructed at Maurice Gomm’s West Byfleet workshop.
- Mk1 production
- 35 Mk1 sports racers built
- Usually Coventry Climax-engined 1,098 cc spaceframes, built over four years at Rob Rushbrook’s Bromley garage and offered with configuration choices.
- Indianapolis record
- Three Indianapolis 500 wins
- Graham Hill won in a T90 in 1966, Al Unser in a T500 in 1978 and Arie Luyendyk in a T90/00 in 1990.
- Thousandth car
- 1975
- Lola’s 1,000th car was a Formula Ford 1600 T342.
- Original company
- Ceased trading 5 October 2012
- Lola Cars International entered administration in May 2012. The current Lola Cars Ltd is a separate active company incorporated in 2021 and revived under the Lola name in 2022.
Selected milestones
A bloodline, not a list.
1958
Lola Cars Ltd is formed
Eric Broadley formed the company using £2,000 savings. The first Lola was constructed at Maurice Gomm’s West Byfleet workshop; Mk1 production subsequently took place in Bromley.
1963
Mk6 GT and Ford collaboration
Lola’s 4.2-litre Ford V8 Mk6 GT took the company to Le Mans. Ford then contracted Eric Broadley to develop the project that became the GT40 programme.
1966
Can-Am and Indianapolis victories
John Surtees won the first Can-Am Championship in a T70 Mk2, while Graham Hill won the Indianapolis 500 in a Lola T90.
1970
Move to Huntingdon
Lola moved to Huntingdon at the end of 1970. Carl Haas-entered T332s later gave Brian Redman a hat-trick of SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 titles from 1974 to 1976.
1975
The 1,000th Lola
Lola marked production of its 1,000th car, a Formula Ford 1600 T342.
1997
Works Formula 1 failure and new ownership
MasterCard Lola’s two T97/30s failed to qualify for the Australian Grand Prix, its only Grand Prix weekend. Martin Birrane acquired the company later that year.
2012
Lola Cars International ceases trading
The original company entered administration in May and ceased trading on 5 October after administrators could not secure an acceptable going-concern sale.
2022
A separate Lola revival begins
Till Bechtolsheimer acquired the brand assets for Lola Cars Ltd, a distinct company from Lola Cars International.
2024
Formula E programme announced
Lola announced a multi-year Formula E technical partnership with Yamaha for Season 11, later racing with ABT as Lola Yamaha ABT.
2026
T70S launched
Lola launched the T70S and road-oriented T70S GT as a 16-car, modern re-engineering of the T70.
What defines Lola
Use established powertrains
Lola’s history includes Coventry Climax-powered Mk1s, the Ford V8 Mk6 GT and V8 T70s, and Formula 1 chassis designed around customer engines such as the Cosworth DFV.
Formula 1 was mostly commissioned work
Lola’s own Formula 1 history says that almost every appearance before 1997 was a commissioned project run by another team. The MasterCard programme was its first works entry.