17:43 As an English person, couldn't help but smile when he said he was working out of Slough :) It's universally regarded as a pretty dismal place. The poet Betjemen wrote a poem wishing it'd been bombed. The UK version of the Office sitcom was set in Slough as part of the joke.
Unbelievable that he had the foresight to buy it 50 years ago and keep it all these years original.. not many of us keep anything that long.. what a treat, thanks Jay.. L.A Rob
I will ALWAYS love the Lola GT! My uncle was a car salesman in a foreign import only dealership back in the 70's....you know. when there weren't any Triumph, MG, Fiat, Saab, Lotus, Renault, Volvo, Austin, etc... dealerships. They handled all the exotic stuff even maseratti and Ferrari from time to time. Anyway...His boss had just acquired a Lola GT in an auction and he told me to come down for lunch. He got the keys and walked me out to the lot....I had no clue. He walked up to the Lola and said "saw you drooling over this one"...."get in". I was so stoked! We drove around for awhile, then he pulled into a shopping center and stopped, shut off the car and got out. Well, are you gonna drive it or what? He said. I was out of the passenger seat and around the car like lightning LOL. He let me drive it for about an hour up through the coastal mountains above Palo Alto. My uncle was the best.
In our opinion, Jay Leno's Garage is the best automotive related show period. Beats anything on Velocity (but we do like the close 2nd "Wheeler's Dealer's"). The details and in depth attention they give to each vehicle is awesome. It's not about "how much work goes into it" or "the cost". Just flat out admiration for the years, makes and models and their performance. 10+
such an awesome story. perfect match. Ford GT was one of my favorites as an ignorant little kid. i just loved the design. then they reissued it! now the new one is simply mindblowing. i love seeing the evolution of design.
This video holds most of the lengthiest moments Jay hasn't actually cut off anyone. Stands testament to his interest to the car and it's history and his reverence to the man talking.
This car is absolutely a rare piece of history, I would not even try to guess what it would be worth, as they say everything has a price. Thanks Jay for letting us have a peek at history. Great video.
I've been going to the Petersen Museum every week to look at this car. It's in the "silver" show on the second floor. In the next room Dan Gurney's 1967 Spa winning Eagle Grand Prix car is on display. All totally incredible. Good show Jay Leno!
I saw this car at the Petersen, now have many, many pictures of it and was quite excited to see it! Several weeks later, back at the Petersen, the Lola isn't there, but there are two guys walking around the room where the Lola had been. One of them had a shirt emblazoned with LOLA GT on it and I asked if they owned the car that had been there! First gentleman, the one with the shirt, told me no, but them pointed out the owner ( I believe the first person that I spoke with has a show on Velocity, about the restorations that occur at the GUILD...I apologize that I can't recall his name). Both people were quite personable and took the time to answer my bumbling questions and even mentioned that they were on their way to JAY LENO'S GARAGE to film an episode about the LOLA GT. Alas, I couldn't wrangle an invite to go with them, but what a thrill to learn about the car from the owner. And to now see the LOLA GT in Jay Leno's garage and learn so much about the car from a real professional interviewer, thank you Jay and the owner of the LOLA GT........
Exactly. I was indifferent to Jay as a late night host - but in Jay's Garage he has met his dream job, and is excellent at presenting these great cars, and their owners and builders. Great car, great owner, great show Jay!
@@cdjhyoung Jay was similar hosting the Tonight Show, in my opinion-Down-to-Earth, interested in the guests, didn’t try to always top them if they told a joke. Similar to Carson.
what a legend car & owner, I love how Jay's garage is one of the few car enthusiast show that you can actually learn something, unlike most of the shows today are entertainment rather than factual. never knew this car existed, what a car!
Jay this is what I call " out doing your self " what an honor to see this on such a great channel. My grandfather owned a junk ( salvage ) yard while I was growing up in the sixties and seventies, I had the pleasure of working around some great vehicles, engines, muscle at its finest hour. This 260 was an engine that was unforgettable with it's gold valve covers. The junk yard was my playground up until I went overseas. Thanks again Jay.
What are the rarest that came through your grandfather's yard that you should have yanked out of there knowing how rare and what they would be worth today ????.......any Ferraris, 66- 67 novas , gull wing Mercedes ,lol , 427/454 corvettes,etc ????.................Erik
1963! One of the best examples of being ahead of its time. Jay is so knowledgeable and he knows what questions to ask, which makes the show as good as it is.
What a gorgeous automobile. It has just the right degree of restoration and patina. This car captures the elusive feel of being a time capsule. It looks clean, fresh, and can make the following half-century of automotive evolution drop away like a faint whisper. It is the epitome of a timeless classic. Allen Grant is someone I did not know of before, but he is obviously every bit as special as his car. I admire his talents, his accomplishments, and his demeanor. He has the gift to tell a fascinating story with humility and grace. Thank you, Jay, for a stellar episode. The car is an absolute gem of automotive history. Its owner is a genuinely likable and first-class guy. And, his story is the stuff of dreams coming true.
Very cool car but the discussion with Allen Grant really made this episode great. Love the guy's personality, stories, and the fact that he is part of the automotive history we all enjoy. Thanks for this one Jay!
The moment he mentioned AC Bristol, I knew this guy was the luckiest young SOB (no disrespect) in the right place, right time, but at least he came with the right attitude and passionate state of mind. He was there from the birth of the racing and customer Cobras as well as the legendary GT40. Allen Grant is made from the right stuff Caroll Shelby was looking for, he certainly knew how to choose his people. 🙏🏽
me3333 - If you ever get to Boulder, CO go to the Shelby American Collection. CSX2000 is parked next to one of the Daytona Coupes which is next to the Cobra that Bondurant won in at Rossfeld in '65. There are also 7 or 8 original GT40s including chassis 104, 1015, 1074, J-4, J-7 and one of the 7 MK 3s. Soon GT40 103 is supposed to arrive as well.
I saw pictures of this Lola in an Autocar magazine at the UF Llbrary back in ‘63. I thought it was really beautiful and still remember ogling the pictures back then.
Well done Allen Grant, for being in the right place, at the right time, and understanding the importance of that Lola and having the guts to stump up the purchase price! I was actually at the 1963 Racing Car Show, where it caused a minor sensation, and I also saw it race at Brands Hatch too. It always bugged me that Ford, and the excellent movie Le Mans 66 never acknowledged this car in the story.
What a nice video to come across. I know nothing about cars but while researching my Great Grandfather Wilfred Gordon Aston who was the motoring correspondent, known as "Petrol Vapour"", for the Tatler Magazine in the 20's and 30's I came across this by chance. Different era I know but I could see his love for engineering and cars in this lovely exchange between Mr Leno & Mr Grant and of course that fantastic car. Many thanks for posting this...
289 out of a '67 Mustang was the first engine I rebuilt by myself. I tried to use all the techniques I had been reading about in the car mags, like rod beam polishing and piston/rod balancing, de-flashing the block and smoothing the oil return passages in the block, oil pump and the heads. I drilled oil returns into my pistons, too. I did a bit of port work on the heads, as well, cleaning up the bowls and polishing the valves (swirl polish these days) and combustion chambers - I even indexed the spark plugs. That little small block would wind out like no tomorrow, w/ the highest RPM hit being 9700 RPM, when I missed a shift that made me cringe. Never got it on a dyno, but I'm certain it was making well over 300 HP. Plenty of oomph! for a fairly light weight '67 Mustang.
Thanks for sharing this piece of history. I had a few of these as Tyco slot car racers back in the 60's. I thought they were just a beautiful car then and still do today. Some things never change.
Seeing a live interview with Mr. Grant, awesome! Several years back I met and spoke with Gordon Chance, an ex-Shelby American wrench. It was truly like having an audience with the Pope, unforgettable! OBTW, back in the day the Lola GT was my favorite. Seeing it on Jay Leno's Garage with its longtime owner and Shelby Driver/Mechanic was frosting on the cake. Thank you Mr. Leno and Mr. Grant.
just finished reading Anthony Pritchard's Ford vs Ferrari and this video shows up in my que. The book has several pics of this car and the ones that J. Mecom campaigned with the Chevy 327. What a delightful ampersand to finishing the book. Thank you Alan and Jay for this great video
I was disappointed , I wanted to see this thing drive. I'm actually really surprised a race car driver of all people is in the "don't drive it club." If the tires are such a thing for him he could save them and put them on the shelf and put driving tires on it.
i saw this car at olympia in 64 at the racing car show ,it blew me away as a 19 year old gearhead ,later in life i worked on gt40,s ex essex wire , this was so pretty
What a stunning car. As a proud owner of an 06 Ford Gt knowing the history behind it all is so impressive . I wish this would have gone into full production. You can see the inspiration for the Ford GT in this design . So great full for men like this that preserve this history. So great that he had the sense to preserve this gem !
I built a 1:32 model of this car when I was a kid. Without understanding its significance, I thought (and still think) it was exotic and beautiful. What a car!
JAY, LOVE ALLEN'S STORY AND THE STORY OF THAT GORGEOUS LOLA. TRULY A GREAT PART OF AMERICAN AND BRITISH MOTORING HISTORY. THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THESE STORIES ALIVE. YOU DO A GREAT SERVICE FOR NOT ONLY AUTO HISTORY BUT HISTORY IN GENERAL.
In 1966, I entered a 12 hour slot car endurance race with this car (1/24 scale). I added a roof scoop from a Chaparral 2D kit to get more air to the little electric motor.Even slot cars were vulnerable to overheating. It finished the race.
Going through and watching these old episodes for the first time is a treat. Jay really knows how to pick a guest, both person and car. This one is a gem.
I remember the Racing Car Show when this car was announced. I think I stood for at least 30 mins with my tongue hanging out absolutely entranced. Lovely video, thank you..
This car is so small and short, it’s like a go cart with a body. Amazing car, amazing man. If this car was available today, it would look nicer than 95% of the modern cars.
I drive past the old Lola factory in Huntingdon on my way to work. These days it’s owned by a double glazing and door firm. The birthplace of so many stunning cars, such a shame. About 8-10 years ago, Lola paraded a load of classics around the town, the sound was amazing!
In my 64 years, I've never seen a more beautiful automobile. I would be terrified to drive it among today's kamikaze highway 'drivers', but at the same time, it would be the thrill of a lifetime. Thank You, Jay, for inviting this man and his car to your show ... what a breath-takingly gorgeous machine(!!) 🙂.
An accident at any speed would crush the driver's feet, and spray him with hot coolant, engine oil and 35 gallons of fuel. This car took the balls of a Himalayan Yak to drive at race speeds. But what a beautiful car.
If you say the "Himalayan Yak" comment aloud in a Jay Leno voice, it's a lot of fun. I've been doing this for the last 30 minutes or so. While I'm laughing uncontrollably in between, my wife is threatening to divorce me. Thanks for posting this. Anybody know a good divorce attorney? ;-)
It was another reason, drivers did not like driving the Porsche 917. Almost half their body was in front of the front suspension of the car, with virtually no crash protection in an accident.
What an engine sound. You don't start an engine such as this, you wake it. And it will always sound grumpy until it warms up. And that is how it should be.....
Its a common stock small block ford ohv 260 - 289 cu. In. V8 that is stock same engine for mustangs and fairlanes and galaxy's . it even has the stock autolite four barrel carb ...which made it very reliable and easy to drive on the street ...so why was it fast ? Did you hear what jay said it weighs? 1700 pounds that is 1000 pounds less than a mustang and 3000 pounds lighter than a ford galaxy 500 that used the 260 v8 as its standard v8 ....so a small stock ho hum V8 is perfect to go fast in a car that weighs less than a vw bug
I was 15 years old when I went to the Olympia exhibition centre in London for the 1963 racing car show. I remember seeing a silver Lola road going car and this must have been it. Three years later I saw a Lambo Muira in London for the first time and I said to myself, I wonder if Lambo were inspired by this car.
I saw this car race at the Nurburgring in Germany in 1963. When I was looking over the paddock wall I overheard two British mechanics talking about it. "Have you seen the new Lola? It makes the Ferrari Berlinetta look like a lorry!" It was a beautiful car but did not finish the race. The track announcer informed the crowd that the Lola had stopped near the Pflantzgarten with "tire trouble". It truth, the Colotti transaxle had failed. I had a portable tape recorder and recorded the sounds of part of this race, including the Lola sound and the track announcement. Allen, if you want a digitized copy of that tape, contact me.
Lola was a racing car and engineering company founded in 1958 by Eric Broadley and based in Huntingdon, England. Over the course of fifty years, it was one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of racing cars in the world suppling countless race series. The Lola was indeed the genus of the later UK built and engineered GT40 MK I, Mk II and Mk III with Ford supplying resources and power plant. I believe Lotus were also approached by Ford, but wanted the Lotus name attached to the project - Ford rejected that proposal. The GT40 Mk VI was an American based project with Roy Lunn involved - an English engineer who had previously worked with AC cars and Aston Martin, contributing to the Ford Mustang (Ford Mustang 1) and Boss 429. The GT40 won as a US team in '66 and '67 and again as a UK team under John Wyer in '68 and '69.
Many would be also surprised to know that Lola has survived even in the 2010s. They fell victim to the 2008 global economic crisis that has lead to many smaller (but priorly famous) manufacturers either going bankrupt or being sold to bigger car companies.
Mark Sibley, trying to make it sound like Ford only contributed resources, when in fact 90% of the engineering was by Ford in Dearborn Michigan. And regarding the Boss 429, this was solely accomplished down the street by Ford in Dearborn at Kar kraft. You also are incorrect about the Mustang 1, also a Dearborn project. Lola was in Slough, not Huntington.
Just the history and provenance of the car makes it priceless..The story behind the car makes it even better..For 54 years old this car would definitely turn heads..
you can see how this prototype in 63 influenced designs up to a decade later, including the Lamborghini Miura. Designs like this happen from a singular vision, not a committee like today.
Look closely.....the designer of the Miura said he used the Ford GT40 as his inspiration as an Italian flair-version of this car. I always loved the Miura style and also the GT40....and never made the connection. After I heard this news about the Miura designer saying this....it now all becomes clear.
@@chrismofer I'm partial to the T 40 , it was my first car body for my first hand built from brass tubing slot car for racing on commercial slot car tracks ...out of all the choice of car bodies of the day back in 1965 the Lola T 40 sort of stood out among everything else ..the body was clear acrylic 1/24th scale,, the trick to that was you painted them on the inside to protect the paint .
Jay, I've been watching ever since highschool and I'm really grateful for the fact you share your passion without any nonsense. Though you are extremely wealthy your passion is not corrupted by it. Thank you and God bless you!!!
G00D G0LLY!!!! What a Great 0l' Car to see again after all these years. I figured it had been "Crushed" years ago. Thanks to Jay again for bring us ALL this moment in History.
This is literally a blast from the past! I'd just started club racing in a cheap English sports car, avidly reading Road and Track and Sports Car Graphic (had a full page photo of a Ferrari GT carving a corner in the Targa Florio on my shop wall). I thought this was the sleekest car I'd ever seen---moreso than even the Ford GT---and a couple of the kids at the local slot-racing parlor (remember those?) had 1/24 models of this beauty. As Mork From Ork used to say, "Heavy sigh..."
That's how race cars were built, gas welded and annealed frames. Indy and Sprinters were very similar. I got to crew the famous "Andy Gump" sprinter built by Bruce Bromme Sr back in the early 60's, After all Sprinters were the original Indy cars, and I loved them. This Lola has my favorite engine block, it's simple, and strong, and it doesn't break the bank to make em fast. Quick and fast is the key, but it helps to keep the cost down.
Tha Q OK...well try this. Take a selfie. Then head to the track and fling you car around and very high speeds. Get all unnecessary sideways at high rates of speed. Of course drive to and from the circuit as fast as humanly possible. Maybe a drag race or two on the way. Then when you get back to the doublewide take another selfie. I guaranty you will look younger.
Please don't speak on subjects you know nothing about. I't just makes automotive enthusiasts appear to be *HUMORLESS* uneducated knuckle draggers. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hafele%E2%80%93Keating_experiment
Isn't it great! Nothing more silly than these modern supercars - all enormous with a little head poking up above the window line... They just look awful in comparison.
You should see how small a Porsche 917 is in person.. I saw one in real life a few years ago and thought it was a 1/2 scale model of the real thing. Just look up "Porsche 917 size" in google images and it shows one next to a 70's 914....
That's enthusiasm in its essence.. a gearhead that went to live the dream, and has never looked back. Man, if I only were born in the 60's, i would have been a motorsports journalist
17:43 As an English person, couldn't help but smile when he said he was working out of Slough :) It's universally regarded as a pretty dismal place. The poet Betjemen wrote a poem wishing it'd been bombed. The UK version of the Office sitcom was set in Slough as part of the joke.
Unbelievable that he had the foresight to buy it 50 years ago and keep it all these years original.. not many of us keep anything that long.. what a treat, thanks Jay.. L.A Rob
I will ALWAYS love the Lola GT!
My uncle was a car salesman in a foreign import only dealership back in the 70's....you know. when there weren't any Triumph, MG, Fiat, Saab, Lotus, Renault, Volvo, Austin, etc... dealerships. They handled all the exotic stuff even maseratti and Ferrari from time to time.
Anyway...His boss had just acquired a Lola GT in an auction and he told me to come down for lunch. He got the keys and walked me out to the lot....I had no clue.
He walked up to the Lola and said "saw you drooling over this one"...."get in".
I was so stoked! We drove around for awhile, then he pulled into a shopping center and stopped, shut off the car and got out. Well, are you gonna drive it or what? He said. I was out of the passenger seat and around the car like lightning LOL.
He let me drive it for about an hour up through the coastal mountains above Palo Alto.
My uncle was the best.
That’s so badass. Thanks for breaking that one out.👍
You are a lucky man. Having driven a car that even Jay Leno hasn't driven!
What an incredible experience. You're such a lucky man and your uncle must have been wonderful.
Jolujo 58 This is a well told story. Unfortunately it’s not true.
There is no overlap in the Venn diagram of people who have driven the Lola and those who use the word “stoked” in TH-cam comments,
With all the cars Jay owns, you can see the lust he still has in his eyes for this car.
jay west How romantic.
+Phoenix Rising It's his passion so of course
jay west Absolutely, he would give this race car a nice home
You always want the one you don't have.
You always want the one you can't fit in. : O
fixed it for you
In our opinion, Jay Leno's Garage is the best automotive related show period. Beats anything on Velocity (but we do like the close 2nd "Wheeler's Dealer's"). The details and in depth attention they give to each vehicle is awesome. It's not about "how much work goes into it" or "the cost". Just flat out admiration for the years, makes and models and their performance. 10+
It is ok, Harry's garage pisses all over it though
Dunno who is more interesting, the man or the car. Awesome bit of history, thanks Jay.
The car is awesome but the stories are priceless.
All of Jay's guests, especially this gentleman are down to earth lovely people.
This gentleman is the source for the history that we must preserve. The car identifies the history, the man signifies it.
such an awesome story. perfect match. Ford GT was one of my favorites as an ignorant little kid. i just loved the design. then they reissued it! now the new one is simply mindblowing.
i love seeing the evolution of design.
The car
As a teenager I stood and gazed at this car for at least 30 mins at the Racing Car Show in '63. Thanks for showing it.
This video holds most of the lengthiest moments Jay hasn't actually cut off anyone. Stands testament to his interest to the car and it's history and his reverence to the man talking.
oh god, shut up. its his show and he does it for free, get over it, he can do what he wants
Jay always cuts of his guest or will ask them the same question on something they just spoke about !
Yes, I noticed that too. Says a lot.
Jay does the best interviews , really knowledgeable himself but never over rides his guests. Gets the best out of them and always with a bit of humor.
This car is absolutely a rare piece of history, I would not even try to guess what it would be worth,
as they say everything has a price. Thanks Jay for letting us have a peek at history. Great video.
I've been going to the Petersen Museum every week to look at this car. It's in the "silver" show on the second floor. In the next room Dan Gurney's 1967 Spa winning Eagle Grand Prix car is on display. All totally incredible. Good show Jay Leno!
I saw this car at the Petersen, now have many, many pictures of it and was quite excited to see it! Several weeks later, back at the Petersen, the Lola isn't there, but there are two guys walking around the room where the Lola had been. One of them had a shirt emblazoned with LOLA GT on it and I asked if they owned the car that had been there! First gentleman, the one with the shirt, told me no, but them pointed out the owner ( I believe the first person that I spoke with has a show on Velocity, about the restorations that occur at the GUILD...I apologize that I can't recall his name). Both people were quite personable and took the time to answer my bumbling questions and even mentioned that they were on their way to JAY LENO'S GARAGE to film an episode about the LOLA GT. Alas, I couldn't wrangle an invite to go with them, but what a thrill to learn about the car from the owner. And to now see the LOLA GT in Jay Leno's garage and learn so much about the car from a real professional interviewer, thank you Jay and the owner of the LOLA GT........
Another comment, if I may: Jay's a straight up class act. Put the guest at ease and ask smart questions. Great!
Exactly. I was indifferent to Jay as a late night host - but in Jay's Garage he has met his dream job, and is excellent at presenting these great cars, and their owners and builders. Great car, great owner, great show Jay!
@@cdjhyoung Jay was similar hosting the Tonight Show, in my opinion-Down-to-Earth, interested in the guests, didn’t try to always top them if they told a joke. Similar to Carson.
This episode is the type of material that keeps me coming back for more from Jay's garage.
what a legend car & owner, I love how Jay's garage is one of the few car enthusiast show that you can actually learn something, unlike most of the shows today are entertainment rather than factual. never knew this car existed, what a car!
I had a slot car with this body.
I had the Lola too that and the Chaparral all of those slot cars I had when I was a kid Jay has them on the show i think thats pretty cool.
I'd say Daddy Doug does a pretty good job… But you are correct!
Jay this is what I call " out doing your self " what an honor to see this on such a great channel. My grandfather owned a junk ( salvage ) yard while I was growing up in the sixties and seventies, I had the pleasure of working around some great vehicles, engines, muscle at its finest hour. This 260 was an engine that was unforgettable with it's gold valve covers. The junk yard was my playground up until I went overseas. Thanks again Jay.
What are the rarest that came through your grandfather's yard that you should have yanked out of there knowing how rare and what they would be worth today ????.......any Ferraris, 66- 67 novas , gull wing Mercedes ,lol , 427/454 corvettes,etc ????.................Erik
1963! One of the best examples of being ahead of its time. Jay is so knowledgeable and he knows what questions to ask, which makes the show as good as it is.
What a gorgeous automobile. It has just the right degree of restoration and patina. This car captures the elusive feel of being a time capsule. It looks clean, fresh, and can make the following half-century of automotive evolution drop away like a faint whisper. It is the epitome of a timeless classic.
Allen Grant is someone I did not know of before, but he is obviously every bit as special as his car. I admire his talents, his accomplishments, and his demeanor. He has the gift to tell a fascinating story with humility and grace.
Thank you, Jay, for a stellar episode. The car is an absolute gem of automotive history. Its owner is a genuinely likable and first-class guy. And, his story is the stuff of dreams coming true.
Very cool car but the discussion with Allen Grant really made this episode great. Love the guy's personality, stories, and the fact that he is part of the automotive history we all enjoy. Thanks for this one Jay!
The moment he mentioned AC Bristol, I knew this guy was the luckiest young SOB (no disrespect) in the right place, right time, but at least he came with the right attitude and passionate state of mind. He was there from the birth of the racing and customer Cobras as well as the legendary GT40. Allen Grant is made from the right stuff Caroll Shelby was looking for, he certainly knew how to choose his people. 🙏🏽
Wow! What an absolute treat to see this up close as it was.
My Grandson is 10 and even he was in awe of it.
I'm a hardcore car guy and we owned one (of two) Lang Cooper Cobras back in the 80's and I never even knew this car existed. It's amazing.
This is why I love Jays Garage. What a fantastic car and guest. I could listen to this history lesson all day.
I'm sitting watching this just around the corner from the old Lola factory. I feel so sad when I drive past all that history.
I love how Jay takes is love for cars and skills as an interviewer to share so much great history on some totally awesome cars.
This guy is the most honest straight forward person I've seen in a long time. They don't make Classy Gentleman's like this anymore.
I remember seeing this car in a magazine. Beautiful and so tiny. Thanks for having this one one in the garage. It made my week.
I saw this car at the Racing Car Show in '64! Great to know it has survived all this time...
wow, this dude raced the daytona coupes. royalty indeed.
yeah ,he even worked on them !!
I would consider it a milestone in my life to just see a real Daytona in person but to work on one and race it would be unreal.
me3333 - If you ever get to Boulder, CO go to the Shelby American Collection. CSX2000 is parked next to one of the Daytona Coupes which is next to the Cobra that Bondurant won in at Rossfeld in '65. There are also 7 or 8 original GT40s including chassis 104, 1015, 1074, J-4, J-7 and one of the 7 MK 3s. Soon GT40 103 is supposed to arrive as well.
Back in the day when the only people brave enough to race these cars were the guys that built them.
Yeah, mucho respect ! And he survived this era, quite a feat !
I saw pictures of this Lola in an Autocar magazine at the UF Llbrary back in ‘63. I thought it was really beautiful and still remember ogling the pictures back then.
Well done Allen Grant, for being in the right place, at the right time, and understanding the importance of that Lola and having the guts to stump up the purchase price! I was actually at the 1963 Racing Car Show, where it caused a minor sensation, and I also saw it race at Brands Hatch too. It always bugged me that Ford, and the excellent movie Le Mans 66 never acknowledged this car in the story.
What a nice video to come across. I know nothing about cars but while researching my Great Grandfather Wilfred Gordon Aston who was the motoring correspondent, known as "Petrol Vapour"", for the Tatler Magazine in the 20's and 30's I came across this by chance. Different era I know but I could see his love for engineering and cars in this lovely exchange between Mr Leno & Mr Grant and of course that fantastic car. Many thanks for posting this...
I remember seeing this car in Road &Track when I was a kid. I built the 1/32 Monogram slot car kit of the Lola GT. Beautiful restoration!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I've watched this episode 5 or 6 times. For me, this is the best episode of the show. A beautiful car that is not some pimped out kiddie car.
One of the best episodes. Awesome car and history around it. Jay’s tv series is so addictive!
what a wonderfull racecar, one of the prettiest ever made, saw it racing in 1963 1000 km race at Nurburgring
Still my favourite episode. Legendary car and legendary owner.
What a rare Lola and an incredible story about it!
289 out of a '67 Mustang was the first engine I rebuilt by myself. I tried to use all the techniques I had been reading about in the car mags, like rod beam polishing and piston/rod balancing, de-flashing the block and smoothing the oil return passages in the block, oil pump and the heads. I drilled oil returns into my pistons, too. I did a bit of port work on the heads, as well, cleaning up the bowls and polishing the valves (swirl polish these days) and combustion chambers - I even indexed the spark plugs. That little small block would wind out like no tomorrow, w/ the highest RPM hit being 9700 RPM, when I missed a shift that made me cringe. Never got it on a dyno, but I'm certain it was making well over 300 HP. Plenty of oomph! for a fairly light weight '67 Mustang.
Thanks for sharing this piece of history. I had a few of these as Tyco slot car racers back in the 60's. I thought they were just a beautiful car then and still do today. Some things never change.
Seeing a live interview with Mr. Grant, awesome! Several years back I met and spoke with Gordon Chance, an ex-Shelby American wrench. It was truly like having an audience with the Pope, unforgettable! OBTW, back in the day the Lola GT was my favorite. Seeing it on Jay Leno's Garage with its longtime owner and Shelby Driver/Mechanic was frosting on the cake. Thank you Mr. Leno and Mr. Grant.
What a treat. You can see this man just light up when talking about this piece of history. What an interesting duo they make.
"These are the tires that where on it 51 years ago."
I knew then that we weren't getting a test drive.
Awesome video!
Amesie's Automotive Corner
And the magnesium wheels, lol.
same heh.
Haha 😆. Ditto.
Everett Mabry lol, I completely agree with that.
just finished reading Anthony Pritchard's Ford vs Ferrari and this video shows up in my que. The book has several pics of this car and the ones that J. Mecom campaigned with the Chevy 327. What a delightful ampersand to finishing the book. Thank you Alan and Jay for this great video
after the part " these are the tires that were on it when I bought it " I realized Jay isn't taking it for a ride 😂
I think Jay was with you... "Oh... original tires eh? well... guess we can't see if it will do a burnout then..."
I was disappointed , I wanted to see this thing drive. I'm actually really surprised a race car driver of all people is in the "don't drive it club." If the tires are such a thing for him he could save them and put them on the shelf and put driving tires on it.
You could see the dry rot on the sidewalls
+writerconsidered It's a r-a-c-e-c-a-r.
The left front tire looked a little soft in the early frames of the video, too.
i saw this car at olympia in 64 at the racing car show ,it blew me away as a 19 year old gearhead ,later in life i worked on gt40,s ex essex wire , this was so pretty
Please have this car back and take it for a ride! I'd love to see it drive
What a stunning car. As a proud owner of an 06 Ford Gt knowing the history behind it all is so impressive . I wish this would have gone into full production. You can see the inspiration for the Ford GT in this design . So great full for men like this that preserve this history. So great that he had the sense to preserve this gem !
I've just seen still pictures of the mk6 before. This is amazing! Thank you Mr Grant & Jay!
I built a 1:32 model of this car when I was a kid. Without understanding its significance, I thought (and still think) it was exotic and beautiful. What a car!
I absolutely love this car the fact that they tried to make it a street car and flailed only makes it a better story.
what a educational bit we have here. there are so many unique and interesting people in the world. so cool.
JAY, LOVE ALLEN'S STORY AND THE STORY OF THAT GORGEOUS LOLA. TRULY A GREAT PART OF AMERICAN AND BRITISH MOTORING HISTORY. THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THESE STORIES ALIVE. YOU DO A GREAT SERVICE FOR NOT ONLY AUTO HISTORY BUT HISTORY IN GENERAL.
Agreed but, please stop SHOUTING!
In 1966, I entered a 12 hour slot car endurance race with this car (1/24 scale). I added a roof scoop from a Chaparral 2D kit to get more air to the little electric motor.Even slot cars were vulnerable to overheating. It finished the race.
Looks like a special effect to make Jay look ten feet tall.
CC and Wally that was funny!
I just saw this exact car today at the Shelby American Collection in Boulder, Colorado. So cool.
Was my favorite HO car when i was a kid.
Going through and watching these old episodes for the first time is a treat. Jay really knows how to pick a guest, both person and car. This one is a gem.
Thank You Allen. God Bless You and Your Family
I remember the Racing Car Show when this car was announced. I think I stood for at least 30 mins with my tongue hanging out absolutely entranced. Lovely video, thank you..
Thank you Jay and Allen for such greatness!
Look how TINY it is. A grandfather of the Ford GT. What a cool and rare piece of automotive history. One of the best Jay Lenos ever.
No engine no transmission - "Oh our son is real bright." LOL
Harris Montevallo lmao, for the love of cars man.
Didn't even bother inflating the tires
And yet this car is worth more money now than his parents probably ever had in their lives.
Thomas Webb Good point
In 1967 Shelby was selling the Daytona Coupes
for $12,500 without engine & transmission
Brilliant series.Jay Leno's sense of humour. A Yank that actually make's Brits laugh. Add his amazing knowledge of his subject, just love it.
This car is so small and short, it’s like a go cart with a body. Amazing car, amazing man. If this car was available today, it would look nicer than 95% of the modern cars.
It looks like it's bin made from earth material, then shaped by wind and water. And then it breathes fire! It is BEAUTIFUL in every way!
The content you produce Jay is so good that I watch episodes over and over. Please keep it coming.
I drive past the old Lola factory in Huntingdon on my way to work. These days it’s owned by a double glazing and door firm. The birthplace of so many stunning cars, such a shame. About 8-10 years ago, Lola paraded a load of classics around the town, the sound was amazing!
3 classics, one video. Thanks Jay.
In my 64 years, I've never seen a more beautiful automobile. I would be terrified to drive it among today's kamikaze highway 'drivers', but at the same time, it would be the thrill of a lifetime. Thank You, Jay, for inviting this man and his car to your show ... what a breath-takingly gorgeous machine(!!) 🙂.
An accident at any speed would crush the driver's feet, and spray him with hot coolant, engine oil and 35 gallons of fuel. This car took the balls of a Himalayan Yak to drive at race speeds. But what a beautiful car.
You might as well go faster than the competition then, if you are gonna die anyway :D
If you say the "Himalayan Yak" comment aloud in a Jay Leno voice, it's a lot of fun. I've been doing this for the last 30 minutes or so. While I'm laughing uncontrollably in between, my wife is threatening to divorce me. Thanks for posting this. Anybody know a good divorce attorney? ;-)
WHEN MEN WEREN'T WOMEN
What a beautiful,simple car that is timeless in design and pure thoroughbred.
It was another reason, drivers did not like driving the Porsche 917.
Almost half their body was in front of the front suspension of the car, with virtually no crash protection in an accident.
what beautiful car, so fortunate to have the owner tell the story, this why I watch your show religiously
It's so great to see Jay genuinely excited and impressed about a car!!! It would be interesting to see how much this Lola would bring at auction.
Vampirebear13 no it would be depressing, as well it would be soul sucking to witness it being reduced to a number.
What a treat , thank you Jay , Carrol and the whole team .
What an engine sound. You don't start an engine such as this, you wake it. And it will always sound grumpy until it warms up. And that is how it should be.....
"You don't start an engine such as this, you wake it" - great phrase
Running on 7 and a half cylinders, and very rich.
That sound is like Viagra
Its a common stock small block ford ohv 260 - 289 cu. In. V8 that is stock same engine for mustangs and fairlanes and galaxy's . it even has the stock autolite four barrel carb ...which made it very reliable and easy to drive on the street ...so why was it fast ? Did you hear what jay said it weighs? 1700 pounds that is 1000 pounds less than a mustang and 3000 pounds lighter than a ford galaxy 500 that used the 260 v8 as its standard v8 ....so a small stock ho hum V8 is perfect to go fast in a car that weighs less than a vw bug
Damn, that is a work of art. A true thing of beauty!
Simply the best!
Thank you Allen.
Thank you Jay.
You really made my day.
Life goes fast !! good to see someone who did so many things in his life and is only 77! awesome
Great episode Jay. And thanks to Allen for the stories. Priceless.
I was 15 years old when I went to the Olympia exhibition centre in London for the 1963 racing car show.
I remember seeing a silver Lola road going car and this must have been it.
Three years later I saw a Lambo Muira in London for the first time and I said to myself, I wonder if Lambo were inspired by this car.
I saw this car race at the Nurburgring in Germany in 1963. When I was looking over the paddock wall I overheard two British mechanics talking about it. "Have you seen the new Lola? It makes the Ferrari Berlinetta look like a lorry!" It was a beautiful car but did not finish the race. The track announcer informed the crowd that the Lola had stopped near the Pflantzgarten with "tire trouble". It truth, the Colotti transaxle had failed. I had a portable tape recorder and recorded the sounds of part of this race, including the Lola sound and the track announcement. Allen, if you want a digitized copy of that tape, contact me.
Lola was a racing car and engineering company founded in 1958 by Eric Broadley and based in Huntingdon, England. Over the course of fifty years, it was one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of racing cars in the world suppling countless race series. The Lola was indeed the genus of the later UK built and engineered GT40 MK I, Mk II and Mk III with Ford supplying resources and power plant. I believe Lotus were also approached by Ford, but wanted the Lotus name attached to the project - Ford rejected that proposal. The GT40 Mk VI was an American based project with Roy Lunn involved - an English engineer who had previously worked with AC cars and Aston Martin, contributing to the Ford Mustang (Ford Mustang 1) and Boss 429. The GT40 won as a US team in '66 and '67 and again as a UK team under John Wyer in '68 and '69.
Thank you for sharing ! I did not know all of that .
Many would be also surprised to know that Lola has survived even in the 2010s. They fell victim to the 2008 global economic crisis that has lead to many smaller (but priorly famous) manufacturers either going bankrupt or being sold to bigger car companies.
Lotus had a prototype for the GT which became the Europa
The Lola Mk1 was built to beat the Lotus model 11 lemans sports racer which was built in 1956.
Mark Sibley, trying to make it sound like Ford only contributed resources, when in fact 90% of the engineering was by Ford in Dearborn Michigan. And regarding the Boss 429, this was solely accomplished down the street by Ford in Dearborn at Kar kraft.
You also are incorrect about the Mustang 1, also a Dearborn project. Lola was in Slough, not Huntington.
Just the history and provenance of the car makes it priceless..The story behind the car makes it even better..For 54 years old this car would definitely turn heads..
you can see how this prototype in 63 influenced designs up to a decade later, including the Lamborghini Miura. Designs like this happen from a singular vision, not a committee like today.
Look closely.....the designer of the Miura said he used the Ford GT40 as his inspiration as an Italian flair-version of this car. I always loved the Miura style and also the GT40....and never made the connection. After I heard this news about the Miura designer saying this....it now all becomes clear.
Gotta agree with Fitzy Hogan, the car was great Historically and the Gentleman is interesting as hell. Thank you !
Well, I'm not the world's most passionate guy
But when I looked in her eyes
Well, I almost fell for my Lola
Lo lo lo lo Lola, lo lo lo lo Lola
clean elvis by dan reeder also
"i drive a modified T-series Lola. it's kinda heavy but i like the feel"
And yet there is nothing gay about that thing ! LOL
@cableaddict Some times ya can't tell till ya get up close....lol. SCARY !!
@@chrismofer I'm partial to the T 40 , it was my first car body for my first hand built from brass tubing slot car for racing on commercial slot car tracks ...out of all the choice of car bodies of the day back in 1965 the Lola T 40 sort of stood out among everything else ..the body was clear acrylic 1/24th scale,, the trick to that was you painted them on the inside to protect the paint .
By the Kinks I like that one Jared.
Jay, I've been watching ever since highschool and I'm really grateful for the fact you share your passion without any nonsense. Though you are extremely wealthy your passion is not corrupted by it. Thank you and God bless you!!!
G00D G0LLY!!!! What a Great 0l' Car to see again after all these years. I figured it had been "Crushed" years ago. Thanks to Jay again for bring us ALL this moment in History.
This is literally a blast from the past! I'd just started club racing in a cheap English sports car, avidly reading Road and Track and Sports Car Graphic (had a full page photo of a Ferrari GT carving a corner in the Targa Florio on my shop wall). I thought this was the sleekest car I'd ever seen---moreso than even the Ford GT---and a couple of the kids at the local slot-racing parlor (remember those?) had 1/24 models of this beauty. As Mork From Ork used to say, "Heavy sigh..."
WOW, what a treat to see this car and hear the stories. Thanks!!! And, ....."only two payments left" HA HA HA HA HA !!!
That's how race cars were built, gas welded and annealed frames. Indy and Sprinters were very similar.
I got to crew the famous "Andy Gump" sprinter built by Bruce Bromme Sr back in the early 60's, After all Sprinters were the original Indy cars, and I loved them.
This Lola has my favorite engine block, it's simple, and strong, and it doesn't break the bank to make em fast. Quick and fast is the key, but it helps to keep the cost down.
that guy doesn not look 77
Driving fast keeps you young. According to Einstein it has something to do with time slowing down as you approach the speed of light.
Jared Connell Then explain the owner of this Lola?
NuclearGrizzly um
time dilation only works as you approach light speed
Tha Q OK...well try this. Take a selfie. Then head to the track and fling you car around and very high speeds. Get all unnecessary sideways at high rates of speed. Of course drive to and from the circuit as fast as humanly possible. Maybe a drag race or two on the way. Then when you get back to the doublewide take another selfie. I guaranty you will look younger.
Please don't speak on subjects you know nothing about. I't just makes automotive enthusiasts appear to be *HUMORLESS* uneducated knuckle draggers.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hafele%E2%80%93Keating_experiment
Leno is so enamored with this car he is afraid to get too close to it. Respect.
D'oh! Hope you got to sit in it Jay. Thank you so much for these kinda videos tho, History happens once, we need to make sure people hear it.
Incredible story. Incredible story teller.
I can listen to these tales all day
Could that be any smaller? Never seen a person stand next to it. Wow.
Isn't it great! Nothing more silly than these modern supercars - all enormous with a little head poking up above the window line... They just look awful in comparison.
Victoria Barron I have never seen or owned a car that is as high as my waste. Even my firebird was higher then this car
Victoria Barron
You should see how small a Porsche 917 is in person.. I saw one in real life a few years ago and thought it was a 1/2 scale model of the real thing. Just look up "Porsche 917 size" in google images and it shows one next to a 70's 914....
They look even smaller in the real world haha
Had a chance to meet Allen at the Shelby museum at Boulder, CO in 2018. Had him autograph a poster. A wonderful gentleman indeed...
It's crazy to see Jay and Allen tower over the Lola
That's enthusiasm in its essence.. a gearhead that went to live the dream, and has never looked back.
Man, if I only were born in the 60's, i would have been a motorsports journalist
great story and a top man working back in the day - he seems like a cool guy no big ego.