VIN: the David Piper / Solar Productions Lola T70 Mk3B GT chassis SL76/150
History of chassis SL76/150
Chassis SL76/150 was one of 16 Lola T70 GTs built to Mk3B specification.
It was originally sold to renowned British privateer, David Piper.
David Piper was among the best known sports car entrants of the 1960s and early 1970s. He started out racing Lotus single seaters and made the switch to sports cars in 1962.
Mid-way through the ‘62 season, Piper purchased a Ferrari 250 GTO (chassis 3767 GT). The GTO was followed by a 250 LM (chassis 5897) and a 365 P2 (chassis 0836). The P2 was later uprated to P2/3 trim and then effectively converted to become a 412 P.
The bright green Lola was purchased as Piper’s primary race car for the 1969 season. That year, he also did a couple of events for the Ferrari and Porsche factory teams and intermittently ran his 412 P and a Porsche 908/02.
SL76/150 replaced the ageing Ferrari 250 LM Piper had campaigned for much of 1968. At non-FIA events that season, Piper often raced his 412 P. The 412 P was a car that the FIA had outlawed from the World Sportscar Championship with their new three-litre engine limit for Group 6 Prototypes.
By contrast, the Lola had no such issues and qualified for the Group 4 Sports class on account of having met the reduced 25-car production requirement introduced for 1968.
Piper raced his green Lola far and wide in 1969. He picked up a couple of wins (at the Montlhery Coupes de Vitesse and Hockenheim Solituderennen) and another half dozen podium finishes.
Piper was given a works drive in a Porsche 917 at the Nurburgring 1000km in May 1969. He acquired his own example towards the end of the year (chassis 010).
The 917 would effectively replace the Lola for 1970 so Piper frequently installed other drivers to pedal the T70 that year.
Chris Craft, Richard Attwood and Jean-Pierre Beltoise all raced SL76/150 in 1970. Attwood picked up a couple of wins in France (at Montlhery and Dijon) and Beltoise won the car’s final race in Piper’s ownership (at Magny Cours).
In the second half of 1970, Piper was recruited by Solar Productions to source cars for their upcoming Steve McQueen movie, Le Mans.
Some filming took place at the 1970 Le Mans 24 Hour race. The crew then returned to Le Mans in November for more action shots. SL76/150 was one of many cars that appeared in the epic production.
In addition to sourcing cars for Solar Productions, Piper was one of several top drivers brought on board for the driving scenes. Unfortunately, he was involved in a nasty accident.
While behind the wheel of a Porsche 917, Piper lost control at high speed in the fast Maison Blanche kink near where John Woolfe had perished the previous year. The 917 was completely destroyed and Piper lost half of his right leg. He would continue as an entrant, but his top flight driving career was over.
After filming, Solar Productions sold SL76/150 to Parisian privateer, Pierre-Henri Archambeaud.
Throughout 1971 and 1972, Archambeaud raced the T70 along with his Porsche 911 S. He picked up myriad top three results in French championship events including a couple of wins at his home circuit of Montlhery.
The by now green, orange and white-striped Lola was retired at the end of the 1972 season.
It subsequently went through the hands of Franco Sbarro, who sold it back to David Piper, who in turn traded the car to Brian Redman.
SL76/150 later spent time in a Swedish collection before returning to the UK.
Notable History
Sold to David Piper, UK
Green livery
04/04/1969 BSC Snetterton Guards Trophy (D. Piper) DNF (#53)
07/04/1969 BSC Thruxton Embassy Trophy (D. Piper) 4th oa, 4th S2.0 class (#3)
13/04/1969 WSC Brands Hatch 6 Hours (D. Piper / R. Pierpoint) WDN c. 17th oa, 5th S5.0 class (#2)
20/04/1969 IND Montlhery Coupes de Vitesse (D. Piper) 1st oa, 1st 2.0+ class (#3)
25/04/1969 WSC Monza 1000km (D. Piper / P. Hawkins) DNF (#41)
01/05/1969 IND Magny-Cours Criterium des Nivernais (D. Piper) 3rd oa, 3rd SRP1.3+ class (#88)
04/05/1969 IND Dijon Criterium de Vitesse (D. Piper) 3rd oa (#2)
17/05/1969 BSC Silverstone Martini Trophy (D. Piper) 3rd oa, 3rd S2.0+ class (#7)
26/05/1969 BSC Oulton Park Tourist Trophy (D. Piper) 2nd oa, 2nd S2.0+ class (#38)
29/06/1969 IND Norisring 200 mile (R. Attwood) 4th oa, 2nd SRP3.0+ class (#1)
13/07/1969 IND Hockenheim Solituderennen (H. Herrmann) 1st oa, 1st S5.0 class (#20)
27/07/1969 IND Zeltweg Eroffnungsrennen (D. Piper) DNF (#25)
10/08/1969 WSC Zeltweg 1000km (D. Piper / D. Quester) DNF (#32)
24/08/1969 NDC Keimola (C. Craft) DNS (#??)
31/08/1969 NDC Mantorp Park (D. Piper) 4th (#29)
14/09/1969 NDC Anderstorp (D. Piper) 9th (#4)
21/09/1969 IND Preis von Salzburg, Salzburgring (D. Piper) 2nd oa, 1st S2.0+ class (#20)
27/09/1969 IND Zandvoort Dunes Trophy (D. Piper) 2nd oa, SP2.0+ class (#4)
12/10/1969 IND Paris 1000km, Montlhery (R. Attwood / M. Parkes) 10th oa, 6th S class (#1)
19/10/1969 IND Hockenheim Hessenpreis (H. Herrmann) 4th oa, 2nd S2.0+ class (#8)
11/01/1970 TEM Buenos Aires 1000km (C. Craft / R. Attwood) DNF (#26)
18/01/1970 TEM Buenos Aires 200 mile (C. Craft) 11th oa (#26)
30/03/1970 BSC Thruxton RAC (D. Piper) 15th oa, 4th S2.0+ class (#7)
24/05/1970 IND Paris GP, Montlhery (R. Attwood) 1st oa (#20)
07/06/1970 IND Dijon (R. Attwood) 1st oa (#43)
21/06/1970 IND Montlhery Coupes de l'ACIF (R. Attwood) 3rd oa (#1)
28/06/1970 INT Norisring (R. Attwood) DNF (#11)
05/07/1970 INT Hockenheim (R. Attwood) 5th oa (#5)
14/07/1970 IND Magny-Cours (J.P. Beltoise) 1st oa (#58)
Sold to Solar Productions Inc., North Hollywood, USA, for the film, Le Mans
Sold to Pierre-Henri Archambeaud, France
Green with Orange & White stripes
21/03/1971 FRA Albi (P.H. Archambeaud) 4th oa (#??)
28/03/1971 FRA Montlhery (P.H. Archambeaud) 4th oa (#??)
25/04/1971 IND Coupe de Printemps, Montlhery (P.H. Archambeaud) 7th oa (#22)
02/05/1971 FRA Magny-Cours (P.H. Archambeaud) DNF (#??)
23/05/1971 FRA Montlhery (P.H. Archambeaud) 1st oa (#??)
19/09/1971 IND Montlhery Coupes de Paris (P.H. Archambeaud) 3rd oa (#??)
03/10/1971 IND Paul Ricard International (P.H. Archambeaud) ran (#??)
10/10/1971 IND Montlhery Coupes du Salon (B. Wollek) ran (#4)
10/10/1971 FRA Montlhery (P.H. Archambeaud) 1st oa (#??)
26/03/1972 FRA Albi (P.H. Archambeaud) 4th oa (#??)
02/04/1972 FRA Nogaro (P.H. Archambeaud) 5th oa (#??)
16/04/1972 IND Montlhery Coupes de l'ACIF (P.H. Archambeaud) 3rd oa (#??)
01/05/1972 FRA Magny-Cours (P.H. Archambeaud) 4th oa (#??)
07/05/1972 IND Paul Ricard (P.H. Archambeaud) 4th oa (#??)
14/05/1972 FRA Montlhery (P.H. Archambeaud) 3rd oa (#1)
04/06/1972 FRA La Chatre (P.H. Archambeaud) 3rd oa (#??)
17/09/1972 IND Montlhery Coupes de Paris (P.H. Archambeaud) 5th oa (#1)
01/10/1972 IND Magny-Cours (P.H. Archambeaud) 2nd oa (#??)
08/10/1972 IND Montlhery (P.H. Archambeaud) 2nd oa (#4)
Later sold to Franco Sbarro, Switzerland
Later sold to David Piper, UK
Later sold to Brian Redman, UK
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Supercar Nostalgia & unattributed
