Special Feature

Birth of Lola

Michael Lawrence

One of the most memorable motor races I have ever seen was broadcast from the 1959 Easter Monday Goodwood Meeting and it was for 1100-cc sports cars. For three years, the class had been dominated by the Lotus Eleven, but the top three spots on the grid were filled by Lola, a new marque, with an Elva Mk IV in fourth.

Thanks to the Coventry Climax FWA engine, the 1100-cc sports racing class had become the category for the ambitious young driver with his eye set on higher things. The Lotus Eleven had seen off competition from at home, mainly Cooper, and overseas, mainly the Etceterini. It reigned supreme in SCCA events and they were important to all small constructors because America was where the money was. And not only had it won classes at Le Mans, it had broken the French grip on the Index of Performance. The Eleven dominated its class like no other car of its time.

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