Haynes Publishing : pays homage to Lola T70 with new manual

22nd August 2019: 2019 marks 50 years since the last variation of the T70, the Mk IIIB, appeared and raced competitively in international sports car events. Now, Haynes' latest title, Lola T70, tells the fascinating story of this legendary sports racing car.

The Lola T70 was one of the most prolific sports racing cars of the period from 1965 - 69, both nationally and internationally. John Surtees won the inaugural Can-Am Challenge Cup driving a Mk II version in 1966, while the final iteration of the T70, the coupé-bodied Mk IIIB has been described as the most beautiful sports racing car of all time. Driven by Mark Donohue and Chuck Parsons, a Penske Racing example of the Mk IIIB was victorious in the 1969 Daytona 24 Hours.

The Lola T70 manual is written by motor sport expert Chas Parker who painstakingly explores the background to Lola Cars and tells the story of how the company was established by Eric Broadley. Chas then goes on to take an in-depth look at the evolution and anatomy of the T70, with input from a number of the engineers and drivers involved to provide different viewpoints and insights.

Contributions include views from Lola designer Tony Southgate who explains the design of the T70 and the wind-tunnel testing to perfect the body shape. In addition, first-hand accounts are provided from both period and contemporary drivers including David Hobs, Brian Redman, Richard Attwood, David Piper, Hugh Dibley, Simon Hadfield and Shaun Lynn. The book also offers fascinating insights from legendary team owner Roger Penske about why he bought a T70 for Mark Donohue to drive.

Chas, who has written a number of books about motor sport and historic racing cars, said: 'This book covers the whole history of the Lola marque and I've worked hard to ensure that it sets its design and development in context with what was happening in sports car racing in the mid to late sixties, as well as providing a detailed description of the car. This, coupled with fascinating contributions from leading drivers, team owners and designers, makes it a compelling read.'

Chas continued: 'In the British Sports Car Championship, Mk IIIGTs dominated, particularly in the hands of Denny Hulme in his Sid Taylor-entered car. Along with Hulme, other notable drivers of the day who enjoyed success behind the wheel of these V8-engineered 'big bangers' were David Hobbs, Brian Redman, Richard Attwood, David Piper and Hugh Dibley. Today the T70 is still campaigned extensively in historic races by a variety of drivers with great success.'

The book features detailed histories of SL71/48, an ex-John Surtees Mk II, and SL76/150, the ex-David Piper Mk IIIB, together with summaries of other significant chassis.

Title details

Haynes Lola T70 Manual is priced at £25.00 in the UK and available from www.haynes.com. The book number is H6207. The ISBN is 9781785212079. It is published in September 2019.

About the author

Chas Parker has written a number of books about motor sport and historic racing cars, including full histories of Brands Hatch and Silverstone, together with Haynes Owners' Workshop Manuals for the D-type Jaguar and the Bugatti Type 35. He was shortlisted, together with co-author Philip Porter, for the 2017 RAC Motoring Book of the Year Award for his work on the 1954 Le Mans-winning C-type Jaguar, XKC 051. He lives in East Sussex with his partner Diane.

The author is available for interview: [e-mail]