Lola T280

[Jeremy Jackson]

Alain,

According to Autosport's report, there was an organiser's mix-up regarding the Lolas. The Craft/Larrousse car was black-flagged for leaving the pits under a red light. (They changed their minds, and the car later re-joined).
Larrousse was put in the other car in place of Bonnier, apparently because Bonnier had argued with the organisers over the disqualification, and he was worried "that the orgainsers might take things further"

No mention about the practice you mentioned - Bonnier/Wisell had 5th fastest time, Craft/Larrousse 7th. But Wisell began half a lap late because the car wouldn't start.

Hope you followed that!

[Alain HACHE]

yes Jeremy I follow
SPORT AUTO tell exactly: la Lola de Wissel descend son chrono largement en dessous de deux minutes. Elle aurait réalisé le deuxiéme temps d'après ses chronométreurs et ceux de Ferrari . Le chronométrage officiel n'est pas d'accord et ne lui accorde que le cinquiéme temps , ce qui est déjÃ* excellent pour une première sortie etc ....
Jeremy it seem that Bonnier and Ferrari teams was ok about
Wissel lap time in spite of Race Organization .About black flag Jo Bonnier had a great fury and "meet" argentin Police
after dispute with race manager . Probably Jo Bonnier must
give excuse , SPORT AUTO tell no more about that...
Ã* bientôt

[phdm]

Jean Blaton has/had two cars. The one entered in the Poulain aution in December 1999 (did not sell) was T282 HU6. The other one T286 HU7.
One Swiss Cheese liveried car did indeed pass through the hands of Willy Widar. It came from Switzerland. No idea of the chassis number. No idea where it went afterwards.

[Alain HACHE]

thanks PDHM.
who is Willy Widar ? Also (like T280)some T290 from Jo Bonnier's team had swiss cheese livery .
Is the chassis number of J Blaton's T282:HU 06 ? If you sure of that it could be very interessant to understand
the story of the T280 ,282 ,284 ,286 .
Ã* bientôt ALAIN

[phdm]

Willy Widar was a Belgian car builder (he built the Lola Mk1 inspired Widi and some other derivatives) and restorer.
He passed away a few years ago. He was well known in the historic racing circles. His name was mentioned in one of the above posts. The car was definitely a DFV engined Lola.

If you look at the Poulain auction catalogue, the Blaton's car is listed as "HU282/6". Amazingly there is also a picture of a chassis plate reading T286 HU7. There are a few pictures of "the" car but one can see one car with chromed roll hoop and yellow rear view mirror and one car with black roll hoop and black rear view mirror. So JB has/had two cars. For what it is worth, the rumour was that one car was suspect.

[Kojima_KE007]

That is very interesting.

A story I heard is that the first T286 built was designated as chassis 06 by Lola. Therefore there should be no more than 5 T280s and T282s combined in total.

[Jeremy Jackson]

We thought on page 4 of this thread that HU05 was the prototype T282 or T280/2, and there weren't many customers for the T282, apart from the Filipinetti/Gitanes chassis (Would this have been HU5 or 6?)

Autosport's 1975 article on Lola had a table which had the total of 6 T280/T282s. So with 3(+1; HU10) T286s in '77 (From HU10 advert on race-cars.com: "In 1977, Lola built on 3 T286s, but after an order by Alain de Cadenet, a 4th was built."), that would work.

However, I don't know where the T284 fits in - Schulthess' car is called T284 or T286 at various times, but delivered just before Le Mans 1974. An update perhaps, or HU6, IF the Gitanes car was HU5?

[Michael Oliver]

Originally posted by Jeremy Jackson
We thought on page 4 of this thread that HU05 was the prototype T282 or T280/2, and there weren't many customers for the T282, apart from the Filipinetti/Gitanes chassis (Would this have been HU5 or 6?)

Autosport's 1975 article on Lola had a table which had the total of 6 T280/T282s. So with 3(+1; HU10) T286s in '77 (From HU10 advert on race-cars.com: "In 1977, Lola built on 3 T286s, but after an order by Alain de Cadenet, a 4th was built."), that would work.

However, I don't know where the T284 fits in - Schulthess' car is called T284 or T286 at various times, but delivered just before Le Mans 1974. An update perhaps, or HU6, IF the Gitanes car was HU5?

Maybe the prototype T280/2, which was crashed at Kyalami and described as a write-off, was rebuilt. It those days it was quite unusual for a car to be junked unless nothing could be salvaged from it, and the identify of a previous chassis was often used in order to be able to use the same paperwork. So perhaps the Gitanes car from 1973 was given the chassis number HU05? Does anybody have any information to the contrary? Also, maybe the Schulthess car was the Gitanes car updated to 74 spec? Just thoughts off the top of my head BTW, without reference to any journals!

Michael

[Jeremy Jackson]

Hi Michael,

I agree with the Kyalami car possibly being rebuilt using HU05, but (with the benefit of referring to journals!) the ex-Gitanes car was used by Jolly Club in 1974-75 and driven by Lella Lombardi / Giorgio Pianta in 1977 (I'm assuming still entered by Jolly Club, but nothing to confirm that).

[Dan Rear]

What about the T380(s), I thought the de Cadenet 1975 car was one of these, rather than a T280 variant. It ceratinly looked more like the T390 2-litre cars than the 280/290 series. Or did you mean Jeremy that the 77 "de Cadenet LM" car was built around a T280/286 tub ?

Would a list of cars, T280-86, plus T380 be useful to update us at this point, its all getting a bit complex for me !

[Jeremy Jackson]

Dan,

de Cadenet's 75 car was T380-based. His 1977 order for a T286 was cancelled/not taken up, so that chassis sat at Lola until Wallis used it for Thundersports

There's not much more than the summary Michael used on about Page 3 of this:

HU01 - Ecurie Bonnier (c. Jan 72)
HU02 - Ecurie Bonnier (c. Jan 72)
HU03 - Noritake Takahara (Mar 72)
HU04 - Carlos Gaspar (c. Jun 72)

HU01 goes to Rouveyran at end of 72 then ? (Willy Widar?) (Swedish guy Alain mentioned)
HU02 was written off Le Mans 72
HU03 stays in Japan and is still there
HU04 goes back to Ecurie Bonnier (hence ex-BIP references in race reports) then to Lord, then Zaborowski, Malcolm Johnstone, Brian & David Auger (hence reference to HU04), then Geoffrey Marsh/Marsh Plant and then ? (Rosso Bianco?)"

T286: HU7-10? HU10 built 77, but unused until 1986

T286 also sold to Xavier Lapeyre, T284 (Or T286) to Heinz Schulthess in 1975 as I mentioned.


Not sure of much re:T380s, de Cadenet's 75 chassis was based on HU4, I believe, but was re-numbered LM-2 (LM-1 being the 1972-74 chassis, nee "Duckhams Special"

His 77 & 78 builds were completely new (i.e not Lola-based), AFAIK

Jolly Club had HU2 according to Autosport, and I think messrs Casoni/Capoferri may have raced this, despite it being referred to as a T390, but not totally convinced. May have actually been a T390 with a DFV.

[Michael Oliver]

Originally posted by Jeremy Jackson
Hi Michael,

I agree with the Kyalami car possibly being rebuilt using HU05, but (with the benefit of referring to journals!) the ex-Gitanes car was used by Jolly Club in 1974-75 and driven by Lella Lombardi / Giorgio Pianta in 1977 (I'm assuming still entered by Jolly Club, but nothing to confirm that).

Jeremy

From what you say, it doesn't leave very many options for the Schulthess car... If we assume for now (always dangerous!)that the Gitanes T282 was HU05 rebuilt, which was then used by Jolly Club subsequent to 1973, the T284 must have been HU06? Unless it was HU07 and this car was later updated to T286 spec and given a chassis plate to reflect that. To sum up:

T280 HU01 Ecurie Bonnier, Rouveyran
T280 HU02 Ecurie Bonnier, written off Le Mans 72
T280 HU03 Takahara in Japan
T280 HU04 Gaspar, Jolly Club, Lord etc.
T282 HU05 Ecurie Bonnier/Gitanes, Jolly Club
T282 HU06 possibly T284 HU06 Schulthess
T284 HU07 possibly T286 HU07 ??

And after that I'm lost, as I haven't really looked into anything other than T280s and a bit of T282!

Michael

[Jeremy Jackson]

Michael,
Yep that looks OK to me, with HU08/09 being Lapeyre...

The type for Schulthess' car was inconsistently reported at the time, (due to inconsistent entries?), but I think it's place in the list is OK

[Dan Rear]

Chaps, thanks for the lists, all looks OK. Are we saying only 2 T380s were made, one to AdC, the other to Jolly Club both in 1975. When you say Jeremy that AdC's was built on -04 tub, di you mean T280-HU4, ie that it was an update rather than a brand new one?

[Jeremy Jackson]

AdC's 1975 car was apparently based on T380-HU4, re-numbered LM-2.

I've no idea re T380 nos 1 & 3. I doubt the T390s shared the chassis numbering. I would have been happier if AdC's chaasis was based on HU1! That still might be the case, as the source I had for HU4 isn't beyond errors...

T380-HU2 was Lolas 1001st chassis, according to Autosports; Nur. 75 report. According to Autosport's article in 1975 when 1000 was reached, the list has 1 x T380 and 2 x T390s upto that point (May 75)

[Dan Rear]

As I recall the T390s were Edwards(Caravans International etc) and Raymond (Fisons?). No others sold, possibly just as well, given that Lola reverted to the T290 series for 76-onwards ?

[Jeremy Jackson]

Reudi Jauslin raced one at the 1975 Hockenheim 2-litre race, so that would be a third chassis,

Raymond only raced his a couple of times, reverting back to Chevron, with a new B31, quite quickly!

[Alain HACHE]

about the T286 # 21 entered in the 24 H of Le Mans 1976 :
the annual book of C Moity and JM Teissédre tell that this car was just out from factory for the race , the owner was
Mr PAINVIN , Co drivers X Lapeyre and Chevanne , Cosworth engine from G Hill (?) , X Lapeyre made only a test before the race in Karland . The 2 reporters are very serious and I think that this info is correct but what can be the chassis number of this car out from factory in May or June 1976 ?

[Michael Oliver]

Originally posted by Alain HACHE
about the T286 # 21 entered in the 24 H of Le Mans 1976 :
the annual book of C Moity and JM Teissédre tell that this car was just out from factory for the race , the owner was
Mr PAINVIN , Co drivers X Lapeyre and Chevanne , Cosworth engine from G Hill (?) , X Lapeyre made only a test before the race in Karland . The 2 reporters are very serious and I think that this info is correct but what can be the chassis number of this car out from factory in May or June 1976 ?

Alain

Maybe this was Lapeyre's 1975 car, which had gone back to the Lola factory to be freshened up and to have any latest updates to the specification added?

Michael

[Jeremy Jackson]

The LM yearbook that Alain mentions says of this car "...(evolution of the T294 2-litres)"

Wonder if that means this was an upgraded 2-litre, as the T286 would logically be an evolution of the T284?

Only other option is that the 3 T286s made in 1977 is not quite 100%, and at least one was made in 76?

[Alain HACHE]

Yes Jeremy ,
T280 is also an evolution of T290 or is T290 an evolution of T280 ? At this time I think that LOLA factory builded a
lot of chassis abble to be T280 or T290, the same for
T284 and T294 etc etc ....So a chassis could get3L or 2L engine and why not ? change engine in her life ...So JM Teissédre could write: a evolution of .....
Maybe somebody know if the T280 chassis is exactly like T290 ?
Alain

[fausto]

The Jolly Club T282 was raced in 1974 by Pianta-Lombardi, with Lavazza sponsorship. In 1975 Pianta and Brambilla drove the car, plain white with Arrigoni sponsorship at Monza, then at Nurburgring they had a new T380 (plain white/Arrigoni).
The same car was used the following year by Capoferri partnered by "Pam" and, later in the year, Mario Casoni.

[Jeremy Jackson]

Fausto,

The Capoferri car was always referred to (in UK reports anyway) as a T390-DFV, so I wasn't sure whether it was an "inaccuracy" or a T390 uprated with a DFV. So this definitely was the Jolly Club T380?

Do you know anything about a T282 entered for Manfredini/Casoni in the 1977 Coppa Florio by Citta dei Mille?

Thanks

[fausto]

Jeremy, I remember from the period magazines that the Pianta/Brambilla/Casoni/Capoferri car was referred as T380, apparently it started life as an original 3 litres car, but you cannot trust Italian journalists on matters like non-Ferrari sportscar chassis numbers.
The Manfredini-Casoni 1977 car could be a Gulf Rondini sponsored car, Rondini being the Bergamo area Gulf dealer (and the company that helped Alessandro Pesenti Rossi with his mid-seventies F.1 adventure with Tyrrell), Scuderia CittÃ* dei Mille was from Bergamo too. At the time Capoferri was the Italian Lola importer and played around with various cars (T284, T286), he even built his own chassis, probably based on a Lola, the Capoferri M1.
More in a couple of days, when I reach the magazines, they aren't here with me...

[Jeremy Jackson]

Great, thanks very much.
UK sources also said the M1 was indeed Lola-based.