One to Buy: ex-Jerry Crawford 1965 Lola T70 Mk2
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During an enormously successful maiden campaign in 1965, Lola’s new Group 7 class T70 won major races in the UK, United States and Canada with international stars like John Surtees, David Hobbs and Walt Hansgen at the wheel. The T70 even made successful ventures further afield with Paul Hawkins and John Fulp winning massive events laid on in South Africa and Mexico.
For 1966, Lola produced a batch of updated Mk2 versions of the T70 which was deemed necessary to keep up with McLaren whose also very successful M1A (from the ‘65 season) was transitioning to more extreme M1B trim for 1966.
Promisingly, John Surtees’ had scored back-to-back wins with the prototype Mk2 during the autumn of 1965, winning the Brands Hatch Guards Trophy and big money Player’s 200 at Mont Tremblant.
Lola subsequently offered the T70 Mk2 to professional teams and privateers alike. Today, one that was supplied new to a true gentleman driver is currently on offer at the Springbok Sportwagen showroom in Isernhagen, Germany.
SL 71/20 was delivered new to Lola agent John Mecom Jr. in Texas on December 9th 1965 with a 4.7-litre / 289 cu-in Ford V8 and Hewland LG500 gearbox. Mecom sold the car to privateer Jerry Crawford who was moving up from the Lotus 30 he had raced in 1965.
During 1966 and ‘67, although he took in the occasional big Can-Am and USRRC race, Crawford predominantly raced his handsome white and blue Lola at more low key SCCA events where he did very well, picking up four Nationals wins (at Lime Rock, Bryar and twice at Thompson). When the original Ford engine blew mid-way through Crawford’s ‘67 campaign, it was replaced with a Chevrolet unit.
More recently, the highly eligible pre-1966 Lola has been raced at all the best historic events and looks to represent good value for such a high end Group 7 Prototype from the sport’s golden era.
