Not one but two Lola T616s will be put up at auction at the sale organized by the Russo and Steele company in Monterey, California from August 14th through the 16th. Monterey: do you recognize the name? It is home to the Laguna Seca circuit and its famous corkscrew turn.

Mazda is the first, and still only, Japanese manufacturer to win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1991), but it was not the first class victory for a rotary engine: the 717C in 1983 and the No. 68 powered by Mazda in 1984 came before it. The latter as well as its sister car, the No. 67, that reached the third step on the podium of the C2 class the same year, are for sale at auction.

In the early 80s, Lola wanted to challenge Porsche and Ferrari, dominators in the 1970s, hence the design of the T616. For their first race rollouts in February 1984 at Daytona and Miami, the 1.3L Mazda rotary engine T616s passed under the checkered flag.

In April at the 1,000km of Monza, the No. 67 clinched the win in the C2 class thanks to Jim Busby and Richard (Rick) Knoop, whereas its sister car the No. 68 in the hands of Deter Quester and Boy Hayje was forced to retire.

At Le Mans in June, the No. 68 Lola, entered by the BF Goodrich Company, reached the top step on the podium in the C2 class with the Americans John Morton and John O'Steen and the Japanese driver Yoshami Katayama behind the wheel, while the No. 67 car finished third thanks to the Americans Jim Busby and Rick Knoop and the Dutch driver Boy Hayje.

The Lola T616s then went to Nürburgring and Fuji, before...disappearing for nearly 20 years! Former drivers Jim Busby and Rick Knoop finally unearthed and restored them, giving them a new lease on life in vintage races, namely at Goodwood.

Amateurs will be able to participate in the auction Saturday, August 16, 2014 around 9:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m. in the U.K. The cars will go to the highest bidders, with no reserves in place.

Cécile Bonardel / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

 

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