Sir Jackie Stewart’s 1966 Indy 500 Lola comes to auction

The ex-Steve McQueen ‘hero car’ from the filming of Le Mans will undoubtedly be the star lot at the Mecum sale in Florida, the first major car auction of 2025 – but don’t forget this fabulous Lola.

One of just three T90s built, this is the car in which Jackie Stewart made the first of his two appearances at the Indianapolis 500 having been recruited to drive for the team of Texas oil tycoon John Mecom Jr.

The 1966 event was the 50th edition of the American classic and saw the traditional 33 starters – but incredibly 11 crashed out on the first lap and a mere seven completed the race, the lowest ever number of finishers.

Stewart had a huge lead with just 10 laps remaining but the T90’s scavenge pump packed up causing a drop in its 4-litre V8’s oil pressure that sidelined the Flying Scot. Mecom team-mate Graham Hill inherited the lead, winning the race on his debut.

All the same, Stewart was named as Indianapolis’s Rookie of the Year for his performance and, just six weeks later, drove the same car to victory at the USAC non-championship Fuji 200 in Japan.

It is currently owned by Monterey-based enthusiasts Gary and Jackie Runyon who, after spending decades building a blue-chip collection of more than 50 cars, have been gradually selling them off through Mecum in the face of a changing market driven by younger buyers.

“We baby boomers are getting older and, while I particularly like factory race cars, they aren’t what the millennials are after,” explains Gary. Sad – but probably true.

1966 Lola T90. On sale with Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee, Florida, January 18. Estimate on request.