1973 LOLA T292 chassis HU 64
The LOLA T292 was the successor to the highly successful T290
In fact, over thirty LOLA T290s were built by the famous British firm set up by Eric Broadley in 1958.
With a view to further improving the LOLA T290, Patrick Head and John Barnard, who had both just joined the firm, set to work on modifying the new T292’s body so as to give the car considerably better aerodynamic adhesion than its predecessor.
The front bonnet was significantly lengthened and a raised, full-width rear wing was added.
The purpose of the new body-design was to enable the car to take corners faster. The other modifications concerned the rear disc brakes which were relocated to either side of the gearbox, in order to reduce the car’s unsprung weight. The excellent results obtained by the “new” LOLA proved the modifications to be a great success…
In 1973, the LOLA T292 left its rivals with no chance
The T292 was also a great success both commercially and at a sporting level, since LOLA won the Constructor’s Championship in 1973 and Chris Craft topped the 1973 2-litre European Championship at the wheel of a 2-litre Cosworth BDG powered T292.
HU64 is one of the last T292s to have been built in 1973
In 1973 the Bonnier racing team supplied two cars to the Portuguese BIP team, made up of the Portuguese drivers Jorge Pinhol, Mendonça, Carlos Santos and Carlos Gaspar. The cars bore chassis numbers HU 47 and HU 52. On 1st July 1973, Carlos Santos wrote off the HU 47 at Vila Real. The HU 47 was replaced by a new car, the HU 64. It is believed that for tax reasons, the new car was entered for certain races under the number HU 47, though it was the HU 64 which actually raced. It is this car which is up for sale.
1973 season race-record of the Bonnier BIP racing team:
April: Monza 1000 Kms
HU 52: Gaspar – Pinhol finished 13th (5th in the 2-litre category)
HU 47: Santos Cabral failed to finish
May: Spa-Francorchamps 1000 Kms
HU 52: Gaspar – Pinhol finished 16th
HU 47: Santos – Mandonça finished 6th (1st in the 2-litre category)
June: Nurburgring 1000 Kms
HU 52 : Gaspar – Pinhol qualified in 10th position, but failed to finish
HU 47 Santos – Mandonça qualified in 14th position, but failed to finish
July: Vila Real Circuit
HU 52: Gaspar won the race
HU 47: Santos wrote off the car
July: Estoril Grand Prix
HU 52: Gaspar finished 5th
August: Vila do Conde
HU 52: Mandonça failed to finish
HU 64: Gaspar won the race (for tax reasons, the car kept the N° HU47)
September: Nogaro Grand Prix
HU 52: Pinhol finished 8th
HU 64: Gaspar failed to finish
October : Barcelone 400 Kms
HU 52: Ist race, Pinhol finished 14th; 2nd race, he failed to finish (accident)
HU 64: Ist race, Gaspar finished 8th ; 2nd race, was unranked
Octobrer : Estoril
HU 52: Pinhol finished 4th
HU 64: Gaspar won the race
At the end of the season, the HU 64 passed into the hands of French teams. It was entered for the French Mountain Championship and driven by Alain Denis and Gilles Lécluse from 1987 to 1989. It raced in Yacco and Crédit Agricole racing colours. It was at this time that it was fitted out with the rear hood of the LOLA T298.
The HU 64 was sold on 24th May 1996, at the CHAUFAILLES Europe Exhibition, to Mr. Jean-Claude Bertrand, a Luxembourg resident. At the time of the sale, the HU 64 still bore Yacco and Crédit Agricole racing colours, as in 1987.
The car preparation firm MEC AUTO carried out a complete restoration of the HU 64 to restore it to its 1973 format. A fully documented record of the restoration work is available. MEC AUTO was in charge of the maintenance and race-preparation of the HU 64 up until 2012, even though the car changed hands more than once during this period.
To be precise, the HU64 was acquired in 1999 by Mr. Guido and Mr. Günter Diefenthal, living in Germany.
It was then bought by Mr. Rodrogo Gallego, living in Portugal. Mr. Gallego himself drove it to victory at the GP Historico Do Porto race meeting in 2009.
In October 2012, the HU 64 was acquired by its present owner who entrusted its maintenance to Marc Widar (and his firm Widi). The Cosworth BDG engine was completely overhauled by Richardson in the UK.
In 2014, its owner entered it for two hotly-disputed races of the Classic Endurance Racing series, managing to finish 6th in the 2014 Spa Classic scratch race.
The HU 64 is a highly competitive LOLA T292. It is being offered for sale with a set of spare parts, including a LOLA T298 rear hood.
SOLD
Technical specifications
Make
Model
Year
Chassis number
Chassis
Body
Engine
Power
Gearbox
Weight
: Lola
: T292
: 1973
: HU 64
: Unibody
: Fibre
: 2 l BGD Cosworth Richardson
: 300 HP @ 9 500 rev/min
: Hewland FG 400
: 600 kg