There’s a myriad of factors that play a role in determining the value of a car. On top of race pedigree and rarity, another major consideration is ownership and driver history, as this area can massively bolster a vehicle’s valuation. And such is the case with this Lola T70 MK1 Spyder — a meticulously-restored, period-correct specimen that was previously piloted by Steve McQueen, Sir John Whitmore, and Sir Stirling Moss.
Famously appearing in John Starkey’s book Lola T70: The Racing History and Individual Chassis Record, this Lola specimen made its competition debut the year it left the factory in 1965, being campaigned at Silverstone and in the 1965 Kyalami 9 Hour. The following year in ’66, the T70 MK1 Spyder was hired as a camera/chase car for use in Steve McQueen’s unreleased F1 movie, Day of the Champion, where it was reportedly driven by Moss, Whitmore, and the “King of Cool” himself. Making this already-rare Lola racer all the more noteworthy is the fact that it is one of the very few Ford-powered specimens, being kicked along by a Dick Savy-built 4.7-liter V8 that’s been mated to a Hewland LG500 four-speed manual transmission.
This example also benefits from a comprehensive, ground-up restoration that was completed in early 2022 and utilized an all-new body and chassis, along with a thoroughly refreshed engine that’s seen only six hours of use since the completion of its rebuild. Other noteworthy elements include a race-gutted cockpit with period race seats and Smiths instrumentation supplemented via a digital Stack chronometric tachometer, and a period-correct handling package that features all-magnesium uprights and wheels, Koni 8211 shocks, Eibach springs, and AN-spec fasteners.
Currently located in Perth, Australia, this McQueen- and Moss-driven 1965 Lola T70 MK1 Spyder is currently being auctioned off through Collecting Cars, where (at time of writing) bidding has reached $210,000 with two days remaining on the sale.
