One to Buy: ex-Barrie Smith 1969 Lola T70 Mk3B GT
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Lola were great beneficiaries of the FIA’s decision to restrict engine capacity of top flight Group 6 Prototypes to three-litres for 1968.
Like Ford’s GT40, the Lola T70 Mk3B GT was, on account of a sufficient number of T70s having been built, eligible for the Group 4 Sports class which permitted engines of up to five-litres. Together, these existing purpose-built designs had a two-litre advantage over the Prototypes in Group 6.
That year, the quasi-works Gulf GT40s won half the World Sportscar Championship races on the calendar, including Le Mans, and delivered the International Championship for Makes.
As for Lola’s T70 Mk3 GT, which was a true customer car in its second year of competition, it scored more than 25 outright wins at national and international level.
For 1969, Lola introduced the new T70 Mk3B GT which ranks among the most beautiful cars of all time.
In the handsome blue and yellow colours of Sunoco Oil, Roger Penske Racing’s Mark Donohue and Chuck Parsons delivered a stunning debut win for the Mk3B at the ‘69 Daytona 24 Hours (that year’s World Sportscar Championship season opener).
Another gorgeous-looking Mk3B GT to have appeared in 1969 was chassis SL/76 148 which is currently on offer at the Mitchell Curated showroom in The Cotswolds.
Supplied to British privateer, Barrie Smith, SL76/148 picked up a class win at the Salzburgring in 1969 which he followed up with more impressive outings during 1970.
That year, Smith collect a brace of wins at Crystal Palace along with a third place finish at Phoenix Park in Ireland and fourth overall at the Thruxton RAC Trophy. The season ended with a trip to South Africa where Smith and Jackie Pretorious finished seventh overall and won their class at the Kyalami 9 Hours!
Today, this stunning low ownership T70 is being offered with UK road registration and current FIA HTP having recently undergone a major rebuild by marque experts.
