The Lola Mk1 was the first sports racing car made by Lola under Eric Broadley’s leadership. Launched in 1958, it was light, cheap and fast enough to win its class at Sebring in 1960, and it set the pattern for the customer racing cars that made the company’s name.
Lola Mk1 at a glance
| Maker | Lola, Britain |
|---|---|
| Year | 1958 |
| Designer | Eric Broadley |
| Body stylist | Maurice Gomm |
| Chassis | tubular spaceframe, steel or fibreglass |
| Bodywork | low, slim aluminium |
| Engine | Coventry Climax FWA, 1,098 cc |
| Power | 80 hp (60 kW) |
| Engine designers | Harry Mundy and Walter Hassan |
| Gearbox | four-speed manual |
| Weight | 368–381 kg |
| Built | 38–42, at least 32 known |
| Class win | 1960 12 Hours of Sebring |
based on one source (English Wikipedia).
History of the Lola Mk1
The Mk1 was created in 1958 as Lola’s first sports racing car, built under the leadership of Eric Broadley. Its body was designed and developed by the company’s chief stylist Maurice Gomm, and the car was made around a steel or fibreglass tubular spaceframe chassis covered by a low-profile, sleek aluminium skin.
Power came from the Coventry Climax FWA, a 1,098 cc four-cylinder engine designed by Harry Mundy and Walter Hassan and producing 80 hp. With a four-speed manual gearbox and a weight of only 368 to 381 kg, the small Lola was quick and, just as important for a constructor selling to private owners, simple to run.
The car’s best-known result came in 1960, when it won its class at the 12 Hours of Sebring driven by Charles Vögele and Peter Ashdown. At least 32 cars are known to have been built, although the real figure is believed to lie between 38 and 42. The Mk1 established the market for a light British sports racer and led on to Lola’s later customer cars, including the Mk6 GT.
Design and features
- Lola’s first sports car: the model that started the company’s racing line in 1958.
- Gomm bodywork: a low, sleek aluminium skin over a tubular spaceframe.
- Coventry Climax power: an 80 hp 1,098 cc engine designed by Mundy and Hassan.
- Very light: 368 to 381 kg with a four-speed manual gearbox.
- Proven in endurance racing: a class win at Sebring in 1960.
Lola Mk1 versions
- Early cars (1958): the original specification with the Coventry Climax FWA engine.
- Later cars: the type remained in production with at least 32 cars known and an estimated 38 to 42 built overall.
The Mk1 was followed by the Mk6 GT and, later, by the T70. More in the Lola collection.
Sources
- Lola Mk1, English Wikipedia: design, engine, weight, racing record, production
