LOLA SET FOR REVIVAL
New owners for the famous Lola brand have plans to recover the marque’s position at the top of the motorsport tree.
The famous Lola brand is on track for a revival following its takeover by businessman and IMSA driver Till Bechtolscheimer. Lola has formerly raced in many leading classes including Formula One, IndyCar and Sportscars but has not been racing since 2012.
A company announcement last week confirmed the deal, which covers the intellectual property for more than 400 racing cars from its previous racing projects while opening up the possibility of hitting the track again. The Lola Technology Centre is also going to get a fresh coat of paint and a tech upgrade.
“With the completion of the transaction, Lola Cars Ltd now controls all of the assets of the iconic British brand that has designed and produced nearly 5000 race cars spanning 400 di erent model types, gaining unparalleled success in motorsport championships around the world including IndyCar, Le Mans, Formula 1, Formula 3000, Formula 5000, A1GP and Touring Cars,” the company announcement said.
Bechtolsheimer was a bit more forthcoming, saying his goal is to go racing.
“Our plan is to re-establish Lola as a leading design and engineering force in modern motorsport. I have built a career investing in energy efficiency and see motorsport playing a significant role in the innovation and testing of new solutions. Through Lola, we hope to develop and provide investment for some of these solutions.
“I have a huge amount of respect for the industry and understand that this will be a long process. We have immediate plans for substantial upgrades to the Lola Technical Centre, in particular the wind tunnel, and are actively working toward our first project to put new Lolas back on track. I firmly believe that our biggest asset is the Lola name and what it means to so many in the motorsport industry; it will help us to attract great talent and form lasting partnerships.”
Prior to its bankruptcy in 2012, Lola had competed in a wide variety of motor racing classes, dominating at various times ChampCar Racing (IndyCar), Sportscar, Formula Two/3000, A1GP and Formula 5000. Its run in Formula One was a little more troubled, including the Haas Lola car for Alan Jones return to F1 in the mid-1980s.
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