Lola T450 and T550

I think the Russell T460 was actually the ex-Mallock T450 F2 car. Used briefly in 76 by Mallock, then dumped for his March 742/75B, which he won at Snetterton G8 in. Russell used the car quite a bit in Libre with an Atlantic engine in 78, then got the ex-South March 782. His cars were always very well prepared, but not very fast...I don't think Russell got the car until '78, he had a converted F3 GRD in 77, so Render couldn't have had it in mid-78, unless he borrowed it from Russell.

Now I think about it, didn't Render also have the ex-works/Marazzi T550 F2 car, that I think Lawler also used, or was entered in once or twice in 78. nb, it seems that no-one else agrees with me on the Lawler T550 matter !!!

How many other T450s were made, I guess some of these may also have been called T460s over time, as the Atlantic car went pretty well, compared to the F2 version.

Dan there were 4 T450s made as I understand it.The change over would have been simple given they are basicly the same car as a 460.

Lola T450s

1976:
HU1 ATS for Mikka Arpianen
HU2 Mikko Kozarowitzky
HU3 Ardmore Racing: Ray Mallock - pretty well trashed at Mallory early in season and Mallock went back to March 742/75B. Ashley tried to qualify the car at Thruxton F2. Sold July? to Adrian Russell. Used by Russell through 1977 G8 series

Does that leave 1 T450 unaccounted for Chris ? Is it the Roland Binder car, from later 76 then 77, or is this one of the ex-ATS cars ? I'd always assumed it was, purely on geographical grounds. Was the missing one the prototype perhaps...

Dan

Apologies, missed HU4 off the T450s. This was the Roland Binder car.

How does Kinnane sound for the owner of the ex Trimmer car?

Chris

Lets see if I can collate where we are at with

T450s
HU1 ATS for Mikka Arpianen
HU2 Mikko Kozarowitzky
HU3 Ardmore Racing
HU4 Roland Binder.

Don't forget the ex Mallock/ David Render car, which someone suggested may be a T450.

Bryan

The Mallock/Russell/Render car was T450 HU3, the ex-Ardmore car. I still seem to think Render maybe had the ex-works T550 Abarth at some point, anyone else ??

Dan.
Thanks, missed seeing it first time around.
No wonder we all go nuts trying to sort out this stuff, when in period the reporters don't call the cars as they were, just seemed to work on close enough / near enough theory. Render's car called as a T460 in period Autosport.

Chris
Im working on the list, in the meantime some more to think about. I have been in contact with David Dettrickson in the US. He has T450 HU1 Fia F2 then hillclimbed still in original condition I'm told. This would be the ATS car now in the US.

Colin

The Wentz car you refer to as a one-off drive at Brands.
Do you mean T450-HU1? That was the ex Mikka Arpianen F2 car and Wentz did indeed use it in the Shellsport meeting at Brands on the August Holiday.

Chris

Did Wentz use a T450 in any other F2 races in 76? I've a vague recollection that he may have. I'll check Autocourse later today; their records are good I find (shame no chassis nos.)

Originally posted by Dan Rear
Bryan

The Mallock/Russell/Render car was T450 HU3, the ex-Ardmore car. I still seem to think Render maybe had the ex-works T550 Abarth at some point, anyone else ?? I met up Adam Ferrington at Goodwood and he provided me with some notes taken at hillclimb meeting. In 1980, when it's with Render, and in 1984, when it's with Jonathon Skinner, Adam notes the chassis number of the Lola T450 as HU1.

Allen

Bryan

The Mallock/Russell/Render car was T450 HU3, the ex-Ardmore car. I still seem to think Render maybe had the ex-works T550 Abarth at some point, anyone else ??
"I met up Adam Ferrington at Goodwood and he provided me with some notes taken at hillclimb meeting. In 1980, when it's with Render, and in 1984, when it's with Jonathon Skinner, Adam notes the chassis number of the Lola T450 as HU1."

As I have mentioned on the Chevron thread, this is the car that never raced in F2; only sprints and hills, used by Rowan's brother-in-law, Rod, as well as Mr Render.

The Abarth motor was used once in an F2 Lola with Henton at Thruxton, I recall (was this in the 550 model?) and not used again.

driftwood,

the T550 was only used once in F2 you're right, but not with Henton. It had the Abarth engine, and came out at the 77 Silverstone Int Trophy race, the 1st round of the Euro F2 series that year, with Roberto Marazzi. Non-started, and never seen again racing I believe. I do recall Alo Lawler being entered in it in a 78 Aurora race, though whether it was a misprint of his T460 I don't know. I guess at this distance only Alo could tell us the real truth.

On the Henton matter, I think you're confusing the Lola with the Wheatcroft/Pilbeam he was entered in at Thruxton in 76, which had an Abarth motor IIRC. Again this entry didn't come to much, I believe Bob Evans was connected with this as well later that year.

Dan

Correct on the Henton/Pilbeam. The only outing for the Lola with the Abarth motor was with Roberto Marazzi in practice for the International Trophy meeting.

Regarding T450s.

I don't have a problem with Render's car as HU1. I think the attribution of HU1 to ATS is a dodgy F1R entry. I was at the Brands G8 race where it was meant to have appeared, but it wasn't one of the plates I recorded - being far too shy to venture into such an imposing set up.

As to Render's car being the ex Mallock-Russell car [which we all agree started life as HU3]. There is a possible solution. Mallock bent that car VERY badly early on in the season, in testing. It's feasible that Lola scrapped it and swapped it the test car.

Chris

Chris, on the above, I read in the Mallock book (Paul Lawrence and pretty good), that the prototype T450, or was it the 'T362' from late 75, was badly bent early in 76. The car Ray M then got was a new one, and much worse than the one he'd tested then crashed. So possibly it was a 'new' one, maybe HU-3.

From memory on this thread, have we got 4 T450s, 2 to ATS, one to Ardmore/Ray, one to Binder. The one Wentz used occasionally in both G8 and F2 in 76 was, I've always thought, the ATS car that Mikko K started out in, and had an awful time with. I presumed ATS sent it back to Lola in disgust, and Lolas then tried to improve it with Ted W, who was going well with the T460 in Indylantic at the time.

Maybe I'm quite wrong on ATS having 2, though didn't they intend to enter both Mikko K and Mika Arpianen that year? Possibly there was only ever 1 ATS car, I checked my 76 Autocourse yesterday, there only appears to have been 1 ATS ever entered at a time.

Thoughts ??

Dan

I agree. ATS only ever entered one car, shared between Kozarowitzky, Arpianen and Wentz.
Roland Binder had one.
Mallock stuffs one and gets it replaced. This might well be HU3 replacing HU1 except it doesn't satisfy the provenance for the Render car as being ex Mallock-Russell. [Which HU1 replacing HU3 does].

sorry to go back into the tread but re 450 550 cars
i can confirm
T450#1 was raced by adrian russell in uk
the car never raced in F2 events
it was then used by Mr Render on the hills/ sprint series but he enetered it as 460 probably due to the fact that he could not read the plate correctly ( easily done as the plate is stamped a 5 & 6 can look the same at a glance)
he sold the car and did have 550 lola with abarth motor he changed the motor and alan newton ended up with the abarth motor and the holbay spare parts to make another lump
hope this satisfies the record keepers

Originally posted by driftwood
sorry to go back into the tread but re 450 550 cars
i can confirm
T450#1 was raced by adrian russell in uk
the car never raced in F2 events
it was then used by Mr Render on the hills/ sprint series but he enetered it as 460 probably due to the fact that he could not read the plate correctly ( easily done as the plate is stamped a 5 & 6 can look the same at a glance)
he sold the car and did have 550 lola with abarth motor he changed the motor and alan newton ended up with the abarth motor and the holbay spare parts to make another lump
hope this satisfies the record keepers

DW, are you saying T450-HU1 was used by Russell then Render, but that it wasn't the Mallock car ? If so, was HU1 crsahed by Ray M early that year, then replaced by HU3. HU1 then passes, presumably repaired to Russell, HU3 as a new car then onto Mallock, occasionally Ian Ashley.

If this is right, where does Hu3 go after that ??

car was crashed and had a replacement tub fitted its not a chassis # swap cars 1- 4 are all aaccounted for and we know where they are -234 in europe

According to my records Dave Render's Lolas were as follows:

1) 1978 1.6 Lola-Ford BDA T460 - actually T450-HU1
2) 1979 to 1980 2.0 Lola-Abarth T560
3) 1981 1.6 Lola-Ford BDA T460 (see 1)
4) 1983 1.6 Lola-Ford BDA T460 again plus
2.8 Lola-Hart T560
5) 1984 and 1985 2.8 Lola-Hart T560

Can anyone shed any light on the T560 which looked very much like an F2 car?

Interesting information on David Render's Lolas

Ad by Render in Autosport 9.9.82 p. 70 lists for sale
Lola T560 chassis 2
Lola T450 chassis 1

Now the 460 confirms observations
I think that Mallock originally had HU3 and was given HU1 to replace it after the Mallory accident, so that the history of this car is indeed Mallock - Russell - Render.

The chassis number for the 560 suggests that there really were two 560s [or that the 550 happened to sit in the planned 560 series as chassis HU2]. This can't be a kit of T460 HU2 as that car was in the USA.

Chris

Chris. Do we now assume the T450-1 story goes : works development, Mallock (to replace the Mallory wreck), Russell, Render. If so, and HU3 was rebuilt by the works, then to Europe as DW said, I wonder which mug from the Continent bought it, a climber perhaps ?

Re the 550/560s, I guess they were numbered in 1 sequence only, hence the US Atlantic car was HU1, and the Marazzi F2 car HU2.



Whilst having another trawl through Autosport mags I spotted that at the end of 1981 David Render had two Lolas for sale.

Lola T460-01 with a 1600 BDA and

Lola T560-02 with a 2000 Hart 420R

:cool:

swiss still has his car
my man has 5 lola cars 360 460 450 cars and then the mad ozzie has the rest of the production run !!

there is a car for sale in usa @ $30k "rebuilt" engine etc 2 yrs ago
in uk 1600 cars are not wanted when u can run 2 lire f2 car
yes Fa car and f2 cars are usually the same chassis and often same suspension
but 400 cc is another 50 hp on some engines and what wins races?

DW, who's the Swiss T460 man, just out of interest ?

Klaus has the car in Switzerland.

Hello,

I am the son of the guy who have the Lola T450 HU3. It's a very rare car with a lot of parts. I agree that it's probably the worst seventies formula 2 car, but this year, we won three races: two in the championship monoposto and one in the french hillclimbing championship.

I created a website and I would like to find pictures/articles about the Lola T450.

Do you know Dave Dedrickson out in WA state? He owns T450 #1, T460 #1, T460 #15 and T360 #15.

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/swhillclimb/images/6-picture3.gif

David Render at Shelsley Walsh in 1981.The programme has it as a T460 plus it was running a 1.6 BDA engine.

This may help!

Did it not race at all in F2? I know it practised at Thruxton in April 1976, but qualified well down the grid and Ian Ashley withdrew.
[Ardmore Racing with a Swindon BDX]

Lola records for the Lola T450 are as follows:

HU450/1 (Light Blue) Ardmore
HU450/2 (Marlboro) ATS
HU450/3 (Dark Blue) Mader
HU450/4 (Red) Germany/Bill Bradley

Does this clear up these cars once and for all? The identifications of HU1 as the ATS car and HU3 as the Mallock car (both from F1R?) are just plain wrong aren't they?

Or am I missing something?

Allen

Allen

Ray Mallock badly damaged the Ardmore car quite early on at Mallory
In a testing shunt I think.
Agree that F1R is wrong about ATS car, but might Lola not have done one
of their little swaps between 1 and 3?

Chris

Hi Chris

It's possible there was a swap but what's the evidence? I say that not because I doubt the evidence but because I simply don't know what it is. I haven't followed these cars at all well.

As far as I've been able to see so far, Lola's normal practice was to put a new (unnumbered) tub into a crashed car. I've only got one piece of evidence so far for someone getting a different car to what's in the invoice record and that's Kroll's T142 in 1969. And there might have been that T190 we talked about years ago. Can't think of another off hand. Can you?

Allen

A T560 Hart 2.8 was shared by Erwin Lyndsay and Jonathan Toulmin at the 1987 Brighton Speed Trials. Presumably the ex-Render car. Any more updates?

Lola T560-HU2

David Render - with Abarth 6cy 2 Litre - 1979/80/82
At the Brighton Speed Trials in 1979 Allan Humphries drove the car.

David Render - With Hart 2.0 then 2.8 - 1983/84/85

Jonathan Toulmin - With Hart 2.8 - 1988

Lola T450-HU1

David Render - with 1.6 BDA - 1978/81

Jonathan Skinner - with 1.6 BDA - 1983/84

Mike Lane - with 1.6 BDA - 1985/86

NB A Lola T450 appeared driven by Rod Fisher; in 1988 it had a 2.0 BDA whilst in 1989 it ran a 2.0 BDG. I suspect this was the ex-render HU1 but cannot confirm.

Re: Lola T560 HU2

I owned this car for a brief period at the beginning of 1996. I bought the car from Alan Newton who I think bought it from Render (I can confirm this if anyone is interested) The car was fitted with a running Abarth 15 deg 260 '6' cylinder engine on Lucas injection. I exchanged the car for an Abarth Osella PA1 with a collector in Italy who still owns the car. In fact he is planning to hill climb it in Italy this year.

The car was fitted with a chassis plate which was stamped T560 HU2. I have a photo somewhere.

Colin Pool

Welcome Colin

I recall you posted a few times a few years ago but it's good to have you back. You've owned so many cars that are of interest to us, be warned that there may be questions. :)

Interesting to know that the T560 had regained its Abarth when you had it. If you are able to confirm it's route to you, that would be most helpful.

Allen

Alan Newton had two 'Abarth' 6 cylinder two litre engines. One went with the Lola whilst the other was installed in a March F2. I think only one was an original engine whilst the other was assembled from spares around a newly manufactured block.

Colin was out sprinting his glorious Abarth Grp 6 at Colerne last year and I believe in May he is back again!

:cool:

Steve

Do you know who Newton got the T560 from?

Allen

Steve

Do you know who Newton got the T560 from?

Allen

No!:)

Hello

Since I posted last week I have been to see Alan N (dropping off an Abarth 6 cyl and a 4 cyl for servicing). Anyway we chatted about the Lola Abarth. It seems that John Reid of Holbay 'loaned' the Abarth engine to David Render. In the search for more power, David R asked John if he would take the engine out to 2.5 litres. John was not interested and the engine was returned to Holbay. Alan N bought T560 HU2 from David R and then bought the 15 deg 260 engine from Holbay thus reuniting car and engine. Alan's second engine (the vertical one) was not built from a new block as such. It was an original Abarth block but bought from Holbay who, as is common knowledge, bought the entire project from Abarth following Fiat's clampdown on the SE027 project. I owned this engine in 1996.
Alan built a final Abarth engine (I say final because there are no more blocks left and believe me, you would not want to make one) for Englebert Moell in Switzerland. Englebert bought all the 6 cyl stuff that Holbay had and Alan made the engine. It was a costly exercise because many new parts had a be made from scratch. The '45 degree engine' was destined for Englebert's SE027 but when I saw him last June, he said that the installation was proving too complicated and he was going to stick with a 4 cylinder.

The PA2 I drove at Colerne belonged to Peter Rigby (not me) and I believe that he is going to drive it there himself next month

Lola records for the Lola T450 are as follows:

HU450/1 (Light Blue) Ardmore
HU450/2 (Marlboro) ATS
HU450/3 (Dark Blue) Mader
HU450/4 (Red) Germany/Bill Bradley

Does this clear up these cars once and for all? The identifications of HU1 as the ATS car and HU3 as the Mallock car (both from F1R?) are just plain wrong aren't they?

Or am I missing something?

AllenYves Courage drove a Lola T450-BMW in French hillclimbs in 1976. Yes, that's right, 1976. So a brand new one, "toute nouvelle" in fact. It first races at Charnisay on 14 March and in the black-and-white picture it's definitely dark in colour.

So which one is this?

Allen

HU1: Mallock
HU2: ATS
HU4: Binder
so HU3 via Mader, the Swiss agent?

Chris

Didn't we think Ray M used HU3 for a few races, after his Mallory shunt in the first G8 race destroyed HU1??

Maybe, but didn't we eventually conclude that all references to HU3 in the UK were mistaken and should refer to HU1?

Dan

I'm suspicious about that observation, given the F1R's equally flawed noting of the ATS car. All the other observations we have, plus the build record, plus Lola's track record of putting in new tubs to existing cars, plus Render's identification of his car as chassis 1 in an ad, points to Ardmore always having HU1 - regardless of what plate it had on it...

Chris

Was Mader the Lola agent for France in 1976? it would make sense that he's picked up the agency from Bonnier who presumably took care of most of Europe.

I think he was Swiss but he might have covered France as well

Chris

I wonder why in heaven Yves C would have bought a brand new Lola F2 in 76. Wasn't he in 2-litre G6s by that time? And if he was to buy an F2 for the hills, why the heck a Lola? Cheap maybe ?? Any of our French colleagues shed any light on this?

He'd had a McLaren M21 before. Maybe he liked to stay apart from the crowd.

He'd had a McLaren M21 before. Maybe he liked to stay apart from the crowd.

Probably cheaper than jumping on the band-wagon as well!

Heine Mader is Swiss & he took over the Lola agency for EEC when JoBo was killed in 1972
He had his BMW engine service company running alongside the Lola dealership and many T294/6 cars ran BMW motors so it makes sense the HU3 car has M12 power

The T450 car to Bill Bradley could be last car sold going cheap

1 FYI he bought T390 hu5 after all the other cars where sold so is he a lola agent in Germany or a Lola fan the hoovers up the last unsold car at a good price?

2 Did he race cars? is he German or a Brit out there?
he also has his name on a lola T296 car in 1977

Bradley was Lola agent in Germany in the mid 70s, his name is all over the SV build records.

Chris

aha
ive only seen his name on 2 sports cars
was he a brit usa or a german guy?