VIN: the Sid Taylor Racing / Mike de Udy Lola T70 Mk3B GT chassis SL76/138
History of chassis SL76/138
Chassis SL76/138 was sold to Irish racing driver and team owner, Sid Taylor.
Taylor hailed from Rathfarnham in south Dublin. He ran Taylor’s Grange Hotel (located on his family’s extensive farm) and also made a small fortune through Sidney Taylor Plant which rented out construction machinery.
Taylor began racing in 1961. Between 1962 and 1964, he successfully ran a Lotus Elite, Lotus Elan and a Jaguar E-type. During this period, he most notably won the 1963 Leinster Trophy.
In 1965, Taylor moved up to a Brabham BT8. Throughout the course of a successful season he won several races in England.
The first of Taylor’s six Lola T70s (a Mk2) arrived in 1966. Chassis SL71/31 was followed by SL71/38 for 1967. A Mk3 GT also joined the stable for 1967 (SL73/102). This was in turn replaced by another new Mk3 GT for 1968 (SL73/134).
Taylor hung up his helmet to concentrate on managing his team for 1969. That season, he recruited the likes of Brian Redman, Denny Hulme, Peter Revson, Frank Gardner, Andrea de Adamich and Nino Vaccarella.
Chassis SL76/138 was the first Mk3B GT delivered. It was campaigned in Taylor’s signature white and green colour scheme. Backing came from the Hamlyn Publishing Group.
The car began its career after it had been displayed on Lola’s stand at the London Racing Car Show in January 1969.
Highlights of its 16 race 1969 campaign included outright wins for Brian Redman at the Thruxton Embassy Trophy, Norisring 200 miles and Swedish Grand Prix. Denny Hulme won the Thruxton Kodak Trophy and Frank Gardner took victory at the Innsbruck Preis von Tirol.
There were also several class wins and an impressive fifth overall at the Monza 1000km World Sportscar Championship race (for Gardner / de Adamich).
SL76/138 was then leased to John Love for the end-of-season South African Springbok series. For this, the car was repainted the orange, brown and gold colours of Love’s sponsor, Gunston cigarettes.
Love and Redman took pole for the Kyalami 9 Hours, but they failed to finish owing to a crown wheel and piston failure. Thereafter, Love drove single-handedly. He picked up wins in the three hour races at Bulawayo and Pietermaritzburg. Love also finished second in the Cape Town 3 Hours.
Following its African exploits, Sid Taylor sold SL76/138 to Mike de Udy. The still orange, brown and gold car replaced de Udy’s previous T70 Mk3B GT (chassis SL76/149). Taylor then ran the ex-David Preston / Team Elite T70 for 1970 (chassis SL76/144).
Mike de Udy raced SL76/138 just once. It appeared at the 1970 Brands Hatch 1000km World Sportscar Championship event where de Udy and Frank Gardner qualified twelfth. Unfortunately, they retired from the soaking wet race after 26 laps with a broken camshaft.
Immediately after Brands, de Udy sold the Lola to Paul Vestey. Vestey in turn passed it on to privateer, Mike Coombe.
Coombe had the car repainted purple and campaigned it throughout 1971 albeit without much notable success. He then sold it to Ferrari collector, Jack Le Fort.
Le Fort entered the car for Albert Powell to drive at the Rothmans 50,000 meet at Brands Hatch. Against the latest single seater machinery, it failed to qualify.
SL76/138 was subsequently converted to road-going trim at great expense.
In 1977, Jack Le Fort sold the by now red Lola to Ford GT40 expert, John Etheridge.
Notable History
Sid Taylor
White & Green livery
01/1969 London Racing Car Show
30/03/1969 BSC Silverstone International Trophy (B. Redman) 2nd oa, 2nd 2.0+ class (#29)
04/04/1969 BSC Snetterton Guards Trophy (B. Redman) DNF (#51)
07/04/1969 BSC Thruxton Embassy Trophy (B. Redman) 1st oa, 1st S2.0+ class (#4)
13/04/1969 WSC Brands Hatch 6 Hours (D. Hulme / P. Revson / S. Axelsson) DNF (#4)
25/04/1969 WSC Monza 1000km (F. Gardner / A. de Adamich) 5th oa, 2nd S5.0 class (#33)
17/05/1969 BSC Silverstone Martini Trophy (B. Redman) 2nd oa, 2nd S2.0+ class (#9)
26/05/1969 BSC Oulton Park Tourist Trophy (B. Redman) DNF (#39)
29/06/1969 IND Norisring 200 mile (B. Redman) 1st oa, 1st SRP3.0+ (#3)
13/07/1969 BSC Croft Wills Trophy (T. Taylor) 2nd oa, 2nd S2.0+ class (#2)
20/07/1969 IND Mugello GP (A. de Adamich / N. Vaccarella) 3rd oa, 1st S5.0 class (#71)
10/08/1969 BSC Thruxton Kodak Trophy (D. Hulme) 1st oa, 1st SP2.0+ class (#3)
17/08/1969 IND Swedish GP, Karlskoga (B. Redman) 1st oa, 1st 3.0+ class (#3)
24/08/1969 NDC Keimola (B. Redman) WDN (#??)
31/08/1969 NDC Mantorp Park (B. Redman) DNF (#2)
14/09/1969 NDC Anderstorp (B. Redman) 2nd oa, 1st S class (#14)
05/10/1969 IND Innsbruck Preis von Tirol (F. Gardner) 1st oa, 1st S2.0+ class (#15)
Orange, Brown & Gold Gunston livery
08/11/1969 SBK Kyalami 9 Hours (J. Love / B. Redman) DNF (#1)
22/11/1969 SBK Cape Town 3 Hours (J. Love) 2nd oa, 2nd 2.0+ class (#1)
05/12/1969 SBK Lourenco Marques 3 Hours (J. Love) DNF (#1)
13/12/1969 SBK Bulawayo 3 Hours (J. Love) 1st oa, 1st 2.0+ class (#1)
27/12/1969 SBK Roy Hesketh 3 Hours, Pietermaritzburg (J. Love) 1st oa, 1st 2.0+ class (#1)
Sold to Mike de Udy (Grand Bahama Racing Team)
12/04/1970 WSC Brands Hatch 1000km (M. De Udy / F. Gardner) DNF (#7)
Sold to Paul Vestey
Sold to Mike Coombe
Purple livery
04/04/1971 WSC Brands Hatch 1000km (B. Muir / G. Edwards) DNS (#4)
09/05/1971 WSC Spa 1000km (M. Coombe / P. Vestey) DNF (#29)
30/05/1971 IND Thruxton (M. Coombe) 2nd (#??)
31/05/1971 IND Silverstone Formula Libre (M. Coombe) 2nd oa (#146)
04/07/1971 IND Vila Real (M. Coombe) DNF (#7)
15/08/1971 IND Wunstorf (M. Coombe) DNF (#??)
29/08/1971 IND Mendig (M. Coombe) 6th oa, 6th SRP2.0+ class (#6)
11/09/1971 MGT Crystal Palace (M. Coombe) ran (#??)
03/10/1971 INT Hockenheim (M. Coombe) 12th oa (#7)
17/10/1971 IND Paris 1000km, Montlhery (M. Coombe / P.F. Rousselot) 12th oa, 3rd Gr.5 class (#18)
Sold to Jack Le Fort
Red livery
28/08/1972 IND Rothmans 50,000, Brands Hatch (A. Powell) DNQ (#54)
Converted to road-going trim
1977 sold to John Etheridge
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: unattributed
