Eric Broadley
Encyclopedia
Eric Broadley MBE
(born 22 September 1928) is a British entrepreneur
, engineer
, and founder and former chief designer of Lola Cars, the motor racing manufacturer and engineering company. He is arguably one of the most influential automobile designers of the post-war period, and over the years Lola has had a hand in many high-profile projects in Formula One
, IndyCar
, and sports car racing
. Broadley sold Lola to Martin Birrane
in 1999.
. In his spare time Broadley was heavily involved in motor racing with the 750 Motor Club
. In common with the majority of other competitors - including Colin Chapman
, Frank Costin
and Brian Hart
- he built his own cars around Austin 7
chassis, using home-made and proprietary
parts. His first car, the Broadley Special) was built in 1956 to comply with rules governing the "Ford Ten Special" (or "1172 Special") class, using an 1172cc (72ci) side valve
engine, originally introduced for the pre-war Ford Model C
.
The Broadley Special was an instant success, winning a number of local and national events in the UK. On the back of this record Broadley, at the request of a number of drivers seeking something besides a Lotus XI
, immediately began to design a chassis to accept a more powerful 1098cc (67ci) Coventry Climax
engine and BMC
A-series
gearbox. This car, with its up-to-the-minute space frame
chassis, was to be come the Lola Mk1, named for the lyrics of a song from the contemporary musical Damn Yankees
: "whatever Lola wants, Lola gets". Although, as Broadley freely admits, the Mk1 was too powerful for his level of driving skill http://www.lolaheritage.co.uk/history/story.htm, in 1958 he became the first man ever to lap the Brands Hatch
Indy circuit in under one minute. Once she was sorted, she beat the XIs "with monotonous regularity" (notably in the hands of Peter Ashdown
, who racked up at least a score of wins, including a class win and sixth overall at the 1959 Tourist Trophy
. Her success soon attracted the interest of other privateer
s, so Broadley and his cousin were prevailed upon in 1958 to build three further copies. Lola Cars Ltd. was born.
Staying largely at Bromley
, Broadley set up shop in West Byfleet
, Surrey
, using £
2000 of his own savings, producing thirty-five more Mk1s through 1962, all with the Coventry-Climax. with ever improving results on the track. Despite its limited experience, in 1960 Lola produced its first single-seat open-wheeled
model: the Mark 2, for Formula Junior
. Performance was promising rather than electric, and its front engine was a mistake, in a formula dominated by rear-engined cars, but despite this, and only one win in the 1960 season, forty-two were sold, nevertheless. Redesigned for 1961, the mid-engined Mk3 consistently finished behind contemporary Lotuses and Cooper
s.
to design and build a Formula One
chassis for his Bowmaker-Yeoman Racing Team. The Lola Mk4
featured the usual tubular
spaceframe, with an innovative front suspension
using lower wishbone
s and upper transverse links with radius arms, while the rear had upper and lower transverse links and radius arm; Broadley's idea continued to be used into the 1970s. The Mark 4 originally used the common Coventry-Climax four, while a 1.5 liter (91ci) V8 later became available. Though John Surtees
and Roy Salvadori
proved quick in them, and a one was put on the pole
in its first ever race, the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix
, by Surtees, the car failed to finish. Surtees went on to win the 2000 Guineas at Mallory Park
, and placed second at the British
and German
Grands Prix
.
Bowmaker-Yeoman got out of Grand Prix at the end of 1962, selling their Mark 4s to the Tasman Racing Series
; here, Surtees and teammate Tony Maggs
did quite well, with Surtees winning the New Zealand Grand Prix
(not a World Championship
event). For 1963, Parnell sold one to Bob Anderson and ran another for Chris Amon
, who was rarely successful, though he ran seventh in the British Grand Prix; Anderson did better, winning the (non-championship) Rome Grand Prix
as a privateer.
Efforts on a Formula Junior car, Mark 5, through 1962 led to nine sales but only limited success; an improved Mark 5A gave Richard Attwood
a win in the Monaco Grand Prix
Junior event.
The 1963 Racing Car Show debuted the sensational Mark 6 (Lola GT), a trendsetter into the '70s. It featured a Ford 4.2 liter (255ci) V8 and Colotti
four-speed box under a sleek fiberglass
body, showing good handling and "a remarkable turn of speed" for only 250 hp (186 kW), enough to put it in the running for the 1963 Vingt-Quatre Heurs du Mans
until the gearbox balked and David Hobbs crashed.
This performance attracted the attention of Ford, who were looking for a way to win LeMans, and offered Broadley a one-year deal to redesign the GT, with aid from Ford at Ford Advanced Vehicles, Slough
; it produced the GT-40, different from the Mark 6 only in detail.
Broadley, used to being his own boss, quit after 18 months, but later took over another plant near Ford Slough to develop Lolas. The first from here were the new Mark 5As for Midland Racing Partnership (as used by Atwood), now redesignated Mark 53. The derivative Mark 54 Formula Two
single-seater, also used by Midlands, gave Atwood seconds at Pau, Albi, and the Nürburgring
, while Maggs came second at Aintree
. A monocoque
single-seater for F2 and F3
, the T60, was introduced in 1965; five were built, but were not a success, and the development models, T61 and T62, bought by Midlands and six other customers, were no better. The other 1965 debut, the T70, was just the opposite, "destined to become one of the most successful and long lived of sports cars". Offered with 5.4 or 6.2 liter (327ci or 377ci) Chevrolet
and Hewland
four-speed or ZF
five-speed, and patterned on the Mark 6 and GT-40, it was nevertheless fresh, and was almost as big a revelation as its older sibling. FIA created Group 9 (later Group 7) just for the T70, while Surtees drove one in British races, including a Guards Trophy victory at Brands Hatch
in a works
car. Fifteen were sold in 1965, as well as thirty-two of the improved Mk2, introduced in 1966.
In his first venture at Indianapolis, Broadley's Type 80, with the 4.2 liter Ford, were unsuccessful. For 1966, team owner John Mecom ordered three improved T90s for Jackie Stewart
, Graham Hill
, and Rodger Ward
; Stewart's fell out in the lead on Lap 190, giving Hill the win. A heavily-modified T90 would put Al Unser
in second in 1967.
Improving the T70 in 1967, Broadley came up against the McLaren juggernaut in Can-Am and scored only one win, Surtees' at Las Vegas
. To qualify for European prototype
racing, Broadley designed a coupé
body for the heavy, unreliable Aston Martin
twin cam
engine. This led to retirements at the Ring and LeMans, so Surtees switched to the reliable 5.7 liter (350ci) Chevrolet, revealing fragility in the suspension. Even so, Hawkins/Epstein took the Spa 1000km
and Hawkins/Love second at the Kyalami
Nine Hours in privateers. Finally homologated
as a Group 4
coupé with Chevy engine in 1968, and despite poor performance in the World Championship due to lack of works support, it sold over one hundred copies to privateers. Prime among them was Denny Hulme
, winning the Tourist Trophy
that year, for starters. Developed as the Mk3B (officially T76) in 1969, with new bodywork and lighter weight, it went to private buyers such as Frank Gardner
, Trevor Taylor
, Paul Hawkins, and Mike de Udy, who picked up wins in SCCA events during 1969-70, as well as its first World Championship sports car race, in the hands of Mark Donohue
and Chuck Parsons
at the 24 Hours of Daytona
(a one-two Lola finish), plus second by Jo Bonnier and Herbert Muller at the Austrian 1000km, giving Lola third in the championship.
Nor did Broadley neglect single-seaters. In 1967, he created an all-new monocoque, the F2 T100, only to waste considerable effort and money on the problematic BMW
radial-valve engine; after a switch to the Cosworth FVA
, it was a competitor, giving Surtees wins at Zolder
and Mallory Park and second at Reims
. It would later be revised as the T102 and supplied to BMW. The same year, Broadley's new Formula One
T110, jointly with Surtees, was abandoned. The chassis for Honda
's F1 car, also in 1967, came out a touch overweight, but light enough to win the Italian Grand Prix
. Making use of the American 5 liter stock blocks and T70 suspension for Formula A, Broadley built the spaceframe T140 once-seater; it became T142 for the British equivalent, Formula 5000
.
In 1968, Broadley returned to Indianapolis with the T150, suitable for either two- or four-wheel-drive; four-wheel-drive proved preferable, but even the greater traction could not prevent Unser from crashing. He also prepared the T160, to replace the outclassed T70, for Can-Am, providing several to American privateers, while Surtees, who planned to run a Chevy-powered Weslake
-prepared car, broke with Lola and was uncompetitive.
For 1969, Broadley's T162 Can-Am car was run over by the dominant McLarens, and only seven were built. The subsequent T163 was little better, though Parsons earned one second and two thirds. Additionally, the new T190 FA/F5000 car had a monocoque
, more advanced than the T142, but a handful to drive. Partly in response, Frank Gardner was brought on board, perfecting the T190 so it was competitive, scoring wins at Thruxton
and Silverstone
, and getting Broadley's attention. Broadley stretched it further, into the T192, and asked Gardner to oversee development testing from then on.
Offerings in Formula Two, Formula Three
, Formula Ford
, Formula Vee
, Formula Super Vee
, Formula Atlantic
, and Can-Am kept Broadley very busy in the '70s. By 1972, Lola were virtually alone in providing customer cars. They were as quick as ever, as the T280 (built by request of Jo Bonnier) demonstrated, but they were still hampered by the absence of a dedicated development team, despite Gardner's presence. For all that, and for all the "bewildering variety", few Lolas were real failures.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 22 September 1928) is a British entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
, and founder and former chief designer of Lola Cars, the motor racing manufacturer and engineering company. He is arguably one of the most influential automobile designers of the post-war period, and over the years Lola has had a hand in many high-profile projects in Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
, IndyCar
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
, and sports car racing
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
. Broadley sold Lola to Martin Birrane
Martin Birrane
Martin Birrane is an Irish millionaire, and owner of Lola Cars and the Mondello Park racetrack. Born in Ballina, County Mayo in 1935, and educated at St. Muredach's College, in Ballina, Birrane made his money in property development. He personally competed in the Le Mans 24 Hours ten times,...
in 1999.
Early years
Eric Broadley trained as an architect in the late 1940s, and after completing his studies took a job as a quantity surveyorQuantity surveyor
A quantity surveyor is a professional working within the construction industry concerned with building costs.The profession is one that provides a qualification gained following formal education, specific training and experience that provides a general set of skills that are then applied to a...
. In his spare time Broadley was heavily involved in motor racing with the 750 Motor Club
750 Motor Club
750 Motor Club is an auto racing club in the UK. It was founded in 1939 and was originally for Austin 7 fans . It later led to racing and the 750 Formula where specials were raced...
. In common with the majority of other competitors - including Colin Chapman
Colin Chapman
Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman CBE was an influential British designer, inventor, and builder in the automotive industry, and founder of Lotus Cars....
, Frank Costin
Frank Costin
Frank Costin was an automotive engineer who pioneered monocoque chassis design and was instrumental in adapting aircraft aerodynamic knowledge for automobile use. He was the brother of Mike Costin, co-founder of Cosworth. Frank Costin used his aeronautical knowledge to design and build a chassis...
and Brian Hart
Brian Hart
Brian Hart is a British former racing driver and engineer with a background in the aviation industry. He is best known as the founder of Brian Hart Limited, a company that developed and built engines for motorsport use.- Racing career :Beginning in 1958, Hart enjoyed a successful career as a...
- he built his own cars around Austin 7
Austin 7
The Austin 7 was a car produced from 1922 through to 1939 in the United Kingdom by the Austin Motor Company. Nicknamed the "Baby Austin", it was one of the most popular cars ever produced for the British market, and sold well abroad...
chassis, using home-made and proprietary
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
parts. His first car, the Broadley Special) was built in 1956 to comply with rules governing the "Ford Ten Special" (or "1172 Special") class, using an 1172cc (72ci) side valve
Flathead engine
A flathead engine is an internal combustion engine with valves placed in the engine block beside the piston, instead of in the cylinder head, as in an overhead valve engine...
engine, originally introduced for the pre-war Ford Model C
Ford Model C Ten
The Ford Model C Ten was a car from Ford built in the United Kingdom between 1934 and 1937. The car was also assembled in Spain between 1934 and 1936...
.
The Broadley Special was an instant success, winning a number of local and national events in the UK. On the back of this record Broadley, at the request of a number of drivers seeking something besides a Lotus XI
Lotus Eleven
The Lotus Eleven was a racing car built in various versions by Lotus from 1956 until 1958. The later versions built in 1958 are sometimes referred to as Lotus 13, although this was not an official designation...
, immediately began to design a chassis to accept a more powerful 1098cc (67ci) Coventry Climax
Coventry Climax
Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, and speciality engine manufacturer.-History:The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was relocated to Paynes Lane, Coventry, and renamed to Coventry-Simplex by H...
engine and BMC
British Motor Corporation
The British Motor Corporation, or commonly known as BMC was a vehicle manufacturer from United Kingdom, formed by the merger of the Austin Motor Company and the Nuffield Organisation in 1952...
A-series
BMC A-Series engine
Austin Motor Company's small straight-4 automobile engine, the A-Series, is one of the most common in the world. Launched in 1951 with the Austin A30, production lasted until 2000 in the Mini. It used a cast-iron block and cylinder head, and a steel crankshaft with 3 main bearings...
gearbox. This car, with its up-to-the-minute space frame
Space frame
A space frame or space structure is a truss-like, lightweight rigid structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern. Space frames can be used to span large areas with few interior supports...
chassis, was to be come the Lola Mk1, named for the lyrics of a song from the contemporary musical Damn Yankees
Damn Yankees
Damn Yankees is a musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., during a time when the New York Yankees dominated Major League...
: "whatever Lola wants, Lola gets". Although, as Broadley freely admits, the Mk1 was too powerful for his level of driving skill http://www.lolaheritage.co.uk/history/story.htm, in 1958 he became the first man ever to lap the Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
Indy circuit in under one minute. Once she was sorted, she beat the XIs "with monotonous regularity" (notably in the hands of Peter Ashdown
Peter Ashdown
Peter Hawthorn Ashdown is a former motor racing driver. He drove in a single Formula One World Championship Grand Prix, racing a Cooper....
, who racked up at least a score of wins, including a class win and sixth overall at the 1959 Tourist Trophy
RAC Tourist Trophy
The International Tourist Trophy is an award given by the Royal Automobile Club and awarded semi-annually to the winners of a selected motor racing event each year in the United Kingdom. It was first awarded in 1905 and continues to be awarded to this day, making it the longest lasting trophy in...
. Her success soon attracted the interest of other privateer
Privateer (motorsport)
In motor sport, a privateer is usually an entrant into a racing event that is not directly supported by an automobile manufacturer. Privateers teams are often found competing in rally and circuit racing events, and often include competitors who build and maintain their own vehicles...
s, so Broadley and his cousin were prevailed upon in 1958 to build three further copies. Lola Cars Ltd. was born.
Staying largely at Bromley
Bromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
, Broadley set up shop in West Byfleet
West Byfleet
West Byfleet is a village in Surrey. Forming part of the Greater London Urban Area it lies in the stockbroker belt just outside the M25 motorway, 19 miles from Charing Cross, 8 miles from London Heathrow. The village grew up around the station on the London & South Western Railway. The...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, using £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
2000 of his own savings, producing thirty-five more Mk1s through 1962, all with the Coventry-Climax. with ever improving results on the track. Despite its limited experience, in 1960 Lola produced its first single-seat open-wheeled
Open wheel car
Open-wheel car, formula car, or often single-seater car in British English, describes cars with the wheels outside the car's main body and, in most cases, one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have their wheels below the body or fenders...
model: the Mark 2, for Formula Junior
Formula Junior
Formula Junior is an open wheel formula racing class first adopted in October 1958 by the CSI . The class was intended to provide an entry level class where you could use inexpensive mechanical components from ordinary automobiles...
. Performance was promising rather than electric, and its front engine was a mistake, in a formula dominated by rear-engined cars, but despite this, and only one win in the 1960 season, forty-two were sold, nevertheless. Redesigned for 1961, the mid-engined Mk3 consistently finished behind contemporary Lotuses and Cooper
Cooper Car Company
The Cooper Car Company was founded in 1946 by Charles Cooper and his son John Cooper. Together with John's boyhood friend, Eric Brandon, they began by building racing cars in Charles' small garage in Surbiton, Surrey, England in 1946...
s.
Formula One and international fame
On the back of his initial success, and despite his inexperience (and the failure of the Mark 2), in 1961 Broadley was approached by Reg ParnellReg Parnell
Reginald Harold Haslam Parnell was a racing driver and team manager from England. He participated in seven Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, achieving one podium, and scoring a total of 9 championship points.-Driving career:Before World War II Parnell was a very successful racing...
to design and build a Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
chassis for his Bowmaker-Yeoman Racing Team. The Lola Mk4
Lola Mk4
The Lola Mk4 and the derivative Mk4A were Formula One racing cars constructed by the Lola company in 1962. They were designed by Lola founder, owner and Chief Designer Eric Broadley at the request of Reg Parnell, proprietor of the Bowmaker Racing Team...
featured the usual tubular
Superleggera
Superleggera is an automobile chassis construction technology developed by Felice Bianchi Anderloni of Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring. The company was located just north of Milan, near Alfa Romeo, Italian Citroen, and the former Isotta-Fraschini plant...
spaceframe, with an innovative front suspension
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
using lower wishbone
Control arm
thumb|right|300px|Double Wishbone SuspensionIn automotive suspension, an automobile's control arm or wishbone is a nearly flat and roughly triangular suspension member , that pivots in two places. The broad end of the triangle attaches at the frame and pivots on a bushing...
s and upper transverse links with radius arms, while the rear had upper and lower transverse links and radius arm; Broadley's idea continued to be used into the 1970s. The Mark 4 originally used the common Coventry-Climax four, while a 1.5 liter (91ci) V8 later became available. Though John Surtees
John Surtees
John Surtees, OBE is a British former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula One driver from England. He was 500cc motorcycle World Champion in 1956 and 1958–60, Formula One World Champion in 1964, and remains the only person to have won World Championships on both two and four wheels...
and Roy Salvadori
Roy Salvadori
Roy Francesco Salvadori is a former motor racing driver and manager from England. He participated in 50 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 12 July 1952, and achieved two podiums, scoring a total of 19 Championship points.During a varied career he also won the 24 Hours of Le...
proved quick in them, and a one was put on the pole
Pole position
The term "pole position", as used in motorsports, comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole. The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsports, a driver has pole position when he or she...
in its first ever race, the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix
1962 Dutch Grand Prix
The 1962 Dutch Grand Prix was the eleventh time the Dutch Grand Prix motor race was held. The race also held the honorary designation of the 22nd European Grand Prix. It was run to Formula One regulations as the opening round of the 1962 World Drivers' Championship on 20 May 1962...
, by Surtees, the car failed to finish. Surtees went on to win the 2000 Guineas at Mallory Park
Mallory Park
Mallory Park is a motor racing circuit situated in the village of Kirkby Mallory, just off the A47, between Leicester and Hinckley. With the full car circuit measuring only 1.35 miles it is amongst the shortest permanent race circuits in the UK...
, and placed second at the British
1962 British Grand Prix
The 1962 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Aintree on July 21, 1962.- Classification :* Scuderia Ferrari withdrew their other two entries, cars #4 and #6, to which drivers had not been allocated.-Standings after the race:...
and German
1962 German Grand Prix
The 1962 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Nürburgring on August 5, 1962.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings...
Grands Prix
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
.
Bowmaker-Yeoman got out of Grand Prix at the end of 1962, selling their Mark 4s to the Tasman Racing Series
Tasman Series
The Tasman Series was a motor racing series held from 1964 to 1975, in Australia and New Zealand, and named after the Tasman Sea between the two countries...
; here, Surtees and teammate Tony Maggs
Tony Maggs
Anthony Francis O'Connell "Tony" Maggs was a racing driver from South Africa. He participated in 27 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 15, 1961...
did quite well, with Surtees winning the New Zealand Grand Prix
New Zealand Grand Prix
The New Zealand Grand Prix, sometimes known as the New Zealand International Grand Prix, is an annual motor racing event held in New Zealand first run in 1950. Currently it is the signature race of the Toyota Racing Series. It is one of only two current national Grand Prix events that are not part...
(not a World Championship
World championship
A world championship is the top achievement for any sport or contest. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best nation, team, individual in the world in a particular field. Certain sports do not have a world championship, instead...
event). For 1963, Parnell sold one to Bob Anderson and ran another for Chris Amon
Chris Amon
Christopher Arthur Amon MBE is a former motor racing driver. He was active in Formula One - racing in the 1960s and 1970s - and is widely regarded to be one of the best F1 drivers never to win a championship Grand Prix...
, who was rarely successful, though he ran seventh in the British Grand Prix; Anderson did better, winning the (non-championship) Rome Grand Prix
Rome Grand Prix
The Rome Grand Prix was an automobile race held in Rome, Italy from 1925 until 1991....
as a privateer.
Efforts on a Formula Junior car, Mark 5, through 1962 led to nine sales but only limited success; an improved Mark 5A gave Richard Attwood
Richard Attwood
Richard James David "Dickie" Attwood is a British former motor racing driver. During his career he raced for the BRM, Lotus and Cooper Formula One teams. In his whole F1 career he achieved one podium and scored a total of 11 championship points...
a win in the Monaco Grand Prix
Monaco Grand Prix
The Monaco Grand Prix is a Formula One race held each year on the Circuit de Monaco. Run since 1929, it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigious automobile races in the world, alongside the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans...
Junior event.
The 1963 Racing Car Show debuted the sensational Mark 6 (Lola GT), a trendsetter into the '70s. It featured a Ford 4.2 liter (255ci) V8 and Colotti
Valerio Colotti
Valerio Colotti was an Italian automotive engineer, known for his early work with Ferrari and Maserati chassis and transmission systems....
four-speed box under a sleek fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
body, showing good handling and "a remarkable turn of speed" for only 250 hp (186 kW), enough to put it in the running for the 1963 Vingt-Quatre Heurs du Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
until the gearbox balked and David Hobbs crashed.
This performance attracted the attention of Ford, who were looking for a way to win LeMans, and offered Broadley a one-year deal to redesign the GT, with aid from Ford at Ford Advanced Vehicles, Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
; it produced the GT-40, different from the Mark 6 only in detail.
Broadley, used to being his own boss, quit after 18 months, but later took over another plant near Ford Slough to develop Lolas. The first from here were the new Mark 5As for Midland Racing Partnership (as used by Atwood), now redesignated Mark 53. The derivative Mark 54 Formula Two
Formula Two
Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, is a type of open wheel formula racing. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985, but the FIA announced in 2008 that Formula Two would return for 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship...
single-seater, also used by Midlands, gave Atwood seconds at Pau, Albi, and the Nürburgring
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
, while Maggs came second at Aintree
Aintree
Aintree is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside. It lies between Walton and Maghull on the A59 road, about north of Liverpool city centre, in North West England....
. A monocoque
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
single-seater for F2 and F3
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
, the T60, was introduced in 1965; five were built, but were not a success, and the development models, T61 and T62, bought by Midlands and six other customers, were no better. The other 1965 debut, the T70, was just the opposite, "destined to become one of the most successful and long lived of sports cars". Offered with 5.4 or 6.2 liter (327ci or 377ci) Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
and Hewland
Hewland
Founded by Mike Hewland in 1957, Hewland is a British engineering company specialising in racing-car gearboxes. Hewland was the first company to manufacture a bespoke racing-car gearbox....
four-speed or ZF
ZF Friedrichshafen
ZF Friedrichshafen AG, also known as ZF Group, and commonly abbreviated to ZF, is a German public company headquartered in Friedrichshafen, in the south-west German region of Baden-Württemberg....
five-speed, and patterned on the Mark 6 and GT-40, it was nevertheless fresh, and was almost as big a revelation as its older sibling. FIA created Group 9 (later Group 7) just for the T70, while Surtees drove one in British races, including a Guards Trophy victory at Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
in a works
Factory-backed
Factory-backed is a term commonly used in motorsports to describe a sponsored racing team, car, motorcycle or driver that competes with official sanction and financial support, or "backing" from a manufacturer. As motorsports competition is an expensive endeavor, some degree of factory support is...
car. Fifteen were sold in 1965, as well as thirty-two of the improved Mk2, introduced in 1966.
In his first venture at Indianapolis, Broadley's Type 80, with the 4.2 liter Ford, were unsuccessful. For 1966, team owner John Mecom ordered three improved T90s for Jackie Stewart
Jackie Stewart
Sir John Young Stewart, OBE , better known as Jackie Stewart, and nicknamed The Flying Scotsman, is a Scottish former racing driver and team owner. He competed in Formula One between 1965 and 1973, winning three World Drivers' Championships. He also competed in Can-Am...
, Graham Hill
Graham Hill
Norman Graham Hill was a British racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion. He is the only driver to win the Triple Crown of Motorsport — the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indianapolis 500 and Formula One World Championship.Graham Hill and his son Damon are the only father and son pair both to...
, and Rodger Ward
Rodger Ward
Rodger M. Ward was an American racecar driver who won the 1959 and 1962 Indianapolis 500. He also was the 1959 and 1962 USAC Championship Car champion.-Early history:...
; Stewart's fell out in the lead on Lap 190, giving Hill the win. A heavily-modified T90 would put Al Unser
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
in second in 1967.
Improving the T70 in 1967, Broadley came up against the McLaren juggernaut in Can-Am and scored only one win, Surtees' at Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. To qualify for European prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
racing, Broadley designed a coupé
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
body for the heavy, unreliable Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
twin cam
Camshaft
A camshaft is a shaft to which a cam is fastened or of which a cam forms an integral part.-History:An early cam was built into Hellenistic water-driven automata from the 3rd century BC. The camshaft was later described in Iraq by Al-Jazari in 1206. He employed it as part of his automata,...
engine. This led to retirements at the Ring and LeMans, so Surtees switched to the reliable 5.7 liter (350ci) Chevrolet, revealing fragility in the suspension. Even so, Hawkins/Epstein took the Spa 1000km
1000km Spa
The 1000 Kilometres of Spa-Francorchamps is an endurance race for sports cars held at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.- History :The Spa 24 Hours had been introduced in 1924, and other races followed. As on the Nürburgring, both a 24-hour race for touring cars and GTs is held, and an...
and Hawkins/Love second at the Kyalami
Kyalami
Kyalami is a motor racing circuit located in Midrand, Gauteng province, South Africa. The circuit has been used for Grand Prix and Formula One races and has hosted the South African Grand Prix many times. In recent years, the area surrounding the circuit has developed into a residential and...
Nine Hours in privateers. Finally homologated
Homologation
Homologation is a technical term, derived from the Greek homologeo for "to agree", which is generally used in English to signify the granting of approval by an official authority...
as a Group 4
Group 4 (racing)
The Group 4 racing class referred to regulations for cars in sportscar racing, GT racing and rallying, as regulated by the FIA. The Group 4 class was replaced by Group B for the 1983 season.-Production requirements:...
coupé with Chevy engine in 1968, and despite poor performance in the World Championship due to lack of works support, it sold over one hundred copies to privateers. Prime among them was Denny Hulme
Denny Hulme
Denis Clive "Denny" Hulme, OBE was a New Zealand racing driver, the 1967 Formula One World Champion for the Brabham team....
, winning the Tourist Trophy
RAC Tourist Trophy
The International Tourist Trophy is an award given by the Royal Automobile Club and awarded semi-annually to the winners of a selected motor racing event each year in the United Kingdom. It was first awarded in 1905 and continues to be awarded to this day, making it the longest lasting trophy in...
that year, for starters. Developed as the Mk3B (officially T76) in 1969, with new bodywork and lighter weight, it went to private buyers such as Frank Gardner
Frank Gardner (driver)
Frank Gardner OAM was a racing driver from Australia. He was best known as a Touring car racing and Sports car racing driver. He also participated in nine World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 11 July 1964. He scored no championship points...
, Trevor Taylor
Trevor Taylor
Trevor Taylor was a British motor racing driver from England.Born in Sheffield, the son of a garage owner from Rotherham, Taylor was the product of the later period of 500cc Formula 3 racing, initially using a Staride and later Cooper Norton...
, Paul Hawkins, and Mike de Udy, who picked up wins in SCCA events during 1969-70, as well as its first World Championship sports car race, in the hands of Mark Donohue
Mark Donohue
Mark Neary Donohue, Jr. , nicknamed "Captain Nice", was an American racecar driver known for his ability to set up his own race car as well as driving it to victories. Donohue is probably best known as the driver of the 1500+ bhp “Can-Am Killer” Porsche 917-30 and as the winner of the 1972...
and Chuck Parsons
Chuck Parsons
Charles W. "Chuck" Parsons was an American sports car racing driver. Parsons drove in SCCA and USSRC competition, then became a driver in the Can Am series...
at the 24 Hours of Daytona
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, currently known as the Rolex 24 Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on a combined road course, utilizing portions of the NASCAR tri-oval and an infield...
(a one-two Lola finish), plus second by Jo Bonnier and Herbert Muller at the Austrian 1000km, giving Lola third in the championship.
Nor did Broadley neglect single-seaters. In 1967, he created an all-new monocoque, the F2 T100, only to waste considerable effort and money on the problematic BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
radial-valve engine; after a switch to the Cosworth FVA
Cosworth
Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries...
, it was a competitor, giving Surtees wins at Zolder
Zolder
The Circuit Zolder, also known as Circuit Terlaemen, is an undulating motorsport race track in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium.Built in 1963, Zolder hosted the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix on 10 separate occasions in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as the 1980 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix. The F1 circus...
and Mallory Park and second at Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
. It would later be revised as the T102 and supplied to BMW. The same year, Broadley's new Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
T110, jointly with Surtees, was abandoned. The chassis for Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
's F1 car, also in 1967, came out a touch overweight, but light enough to win the Italian Grand Prix
Italian Grand Prix
The Italian Grand Prix is one of the longest running events on the motor racing calendar. The first Italian Grand Prix motor racing championship took place on 4 September 1921 at Brescia...
. Making use of the American 5 liter stock blocks and T70 suspension for Formula A, Broadley built the spaceframe T140 once-seater; it became T142 for the British equivalent, Formula 5000
Formula 5000
Formula 5000 was an open wheel, single seater auto-racing formula that ran in different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982. It was originally intended as a low-cost series aimed at open-wheel racing cars that no longer fit into any particular formula...
.
In 1968, Broadley returned to Indianapolis with the T150, suitable for either two- or four-wheel-drive; four-wheel-drive proved preferable, but even the greater traction could not prevent Unser from crashing. He also prepared the T160, to replace the outclassed T70, for Can-Am, providing several to American privateers, while Surtees, who planned to run a Chevy-powered Weslake
Weslake
Weslake Research and Development was founded by Harry Weslake, with premises in Rye, East Sussex, England. Weslake was a cylinder head specialist who had been instrumental in modifying the side valve standard engine used in the first SS sports car. He also worked on the larger SS engine: "The...
-prepared car, broke with Lola and was uncompetitive.
For 1969, Broadley's T162 Can-Am car was run over by the dominant McLarens, and only seven were built. The subsequent T163 was little better, though Parsons earned one second and two thirds. Additionally, the new T190 FA/F5000 car had a monocoque
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
, more advanced than the T142, but a handful to drive. Partly in response, Frank Gardner was brought on board, perfecting the T190 so it was competitive, scoring wins at Thruxton
Thruxton Circuit
Thruxton Circuit is a motor racing circuit located near the village of Thruxton in Hampshire, England which is used to host a number of motorsport events including British Touring Cars and Formula 3 racing....
and Silverstone
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
, and getting Broadley's attention. Broadley stretched it further, into the T192, and asked Gardner to oversee development testing from then on.
Offerings in Formula Two, Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
, Formula Ford
Formula Ford
Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing....
, Formula Vee
Formula Vee
Formula Vee is a popular open wheel, single seater junior motor racing formula, with relatively low costs in comparison to Formula Ford or Formula BMW....
, Formula Super Vee
Formula Super Vee
Formula Super Vee was a type of open-wheel motor created to act as a platform for the promotion of VW products, playing much the same role in the 1970s as formulae such as Formula Renault play today. The idea for Formula Super Vee is generally attributed to Josef Hopen, who worked as the Special...
, Formula Atlantic
Formula Atlantic
Formula Atlantic is a specification of open wheel racing car developed in the 1970s. It was used in professional racing through the IMSA Atlantic Championship until 2009 and is currently primarily used in amateur racing through Sports Car Club of America Formula Atlantic.-History:The history of...
, and Can-Am kept Broadley very busy in the '70s. By 1972, Lola were virtually alone in providing customer cars. They were as quick as ever, as the T280 (built by request of Jo Bonnier) demonstrated, but they were still hampered by the absence of a dedicated development team, despite Gardner's presence. For all that, and for all the "bewildering variety", few Lolas were real failures.
After motorsport
Broadley has also set up his own limousine company since leaving motorsport, entitled Lola Limousines.Sources
- Twite, Mike, "Lola: A prolific racing builder", in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 11, p. 1213-8.