Lola's Formula One heritage

1962: Eric Broadley is persuaded by Reg Parnell to build a Formula One car for the Bowmaker Racing team. Designated the Mk 4, this secures pole position for its first World Championship encounter, the Dutch GP at Zandvoort, in the hands of John Surtees. This tally has still to be added to in 244 attempts! Surtees retires on this occasion, but the car proves a consistent frontrunner, taking the ex-bike ace to second places in the British and German GPs. Surtees also wins the non-championship 1000 Guineas race at Mallory Park, the only Formula One victory for Lola. The team’s other driver is Roy Salvadori, who fails to record a finish in a morale-sapping season. Both Surtees and Lola finish fourth in the respective drivers’ and manufacturers championship. This remains Lola’s most successful F1 foray.

1963: Surtees leaves to join Ferrari and the project loses momentum, Reg Parnell Racing runs updated Mk4As for Chris Amon, Masten Gregory, Maurice Trintignant, Lucien Bianchi and Mike Hailwood. Amon is the most successful of these, finishing seventh in the French and British GPs. Both John Campbell-Jones (Tim Parnell Racing) and Bob Anderson (OW Racing Enterprises) have a handful of GP outings between them in the ’62-spec car.