13 replies to this topic

[2F-001]

Could anyone possibly point me towards a picture or details of Eric Broadley's 1172 car, "pre-Lola"?

What's brought this to mind is that someone has sent me a old picture, with a view to publishing it (in the Lotus Seven Club magazine), of two drivers with two cars, said to be at Brands Hatch. One is clearly a Lotus 6, its driver believed to be a John Howes (of the cams and exhaust business); the other driver is believed to be Anstice Brown (of whom I know nothing) is with a car of altogether more Series 1 or 2 Lotus 7 shape (well, vaguely) it clearly isn't and the front suspension is much more of the Lotus 6 persuasion... but it has it the name 'LOLA' on the nose above the stick-on number plate (XKM201) - this Lola lettering is reminiscent of the lettering within the subsequent extended-lozenge of the Lola badge we are all familiar with.

It occured to me that didn't know (or maybe have known but now forgotten) what Mr Broadley's early racer looked like. Or indeed why this machine would have the name Lola on it. I can only think of Lola Mk 1 and 2 being front engined, so I'm assuming it to be pre Lola production cars. The photo looks plausibly old enough for the Lotus 6 to not a wholly out-of-date machine at the time.

Sorry I'm not able to post the picture at the moment.

Thanks for any help you may be able to give.

[Charles Helps]

I'm not completely clear which car you are talking about here. ML's article in Motor Sport of September 1989 says there were two cars before the Lola Mk 1: a 750 Special belonging to Eric Broadley's cousin Graham and "[Eric] then built a 1172cc Ford Special called "Lola", which he and Graham shared in 1957"...

The 1172 car is described as 'Broadley's original Lola' in an article on the Lola Mk 1 in Thoroughbred and Classic Cars by George Rance in January 1977 and there is a picture of it (I only have a poor photocopy) showing the registration number XKM 201 and the word LOLA just above. Quite Lotus 7 like in looks (flat scuttle) but with what appears to be swing axle front suspension.

Maurice Jeffery (Jeff Howe) had his ex-Anthony Blight Lotus 6, registered SAF 1, from early 1955 till late 1957 when it went up to Halesowen so it is quite possible that your photo should show the two 1172 cc cars racing together in 1957, Eric Broadley taking the 1172 championship in that year.

[2F-001]

Thank you for the quick response, Charles.

I was assuming that if this car was indeed connected with Lola and Broadley, it was the "second" of his pre-Lola Mk1 machines - not the much earlier, very much Austin 7-based one.

(All the 'information' I've quoted is based on what the person who supplied the picture believes and has gleaned from his father - who I'm assuming was the photographer - not yet certain)

Forget the "John Howes" - that's my error I've introduced -- "JEFF HOWE" is the name I've been given. Sorry for that.

I can check out my MotorSports later this evening - I hadn't recalled that article.

In the meantime - thanks again; I'll report back...

[Tim Murray]

This photo appeared in an Autosport article from December 1968 called 'Lola - 1172 Special to T162', written by Justin Haler.



Thanks to Image Shack for hosting. Photo copyright Autosport.

[2F-001]

Thank you Tim, (that's the car positively identified).
I'll now go and do some reading and digging for myself!

Thanks.

[David McKinney]

John Anstice-Brown was a former 1172 champion at the wheel of a Lotus XI

[2F-001]

Thanks David.

I can't yet find any evidence for him driving the Lola.
(As an aside, if you Google for "Lola special" you unearth some five-and-a-half inch steel-heeled stiletto shoes and the rather exotic practice of nipple-piercing!)

[David McKinney]

Fortunate then that we're not talking about the next Broadley car, which became known as Lolita

[Charles Helps]

and I presume those weren't grease nipples...

Getting quickly back on thread, John Anstice-Brown was driving the ex-Mike MacDowell 1172 cc Lotus IX (Nine) when he won the 1172 Formula championship in 1956. This followed Mike's winning it in 1955. In 1957 J A-B and the Mk IX came second to Eric Broadley in the Lola. I don't think J A-B ever had an XI (Eleven) as he wrote in the 750 Motor Club Bulletin a couple of years ago that he traded the Mk 9 for an Austin Healey Sprite with which he won the Leinster Trophy , a handicap event on the Dunboyne circuit in Ireland.

[Crackers]

I was most interested to turn up this discussion from some 15 years ago when I was trying to trace a car that I was considering purchasing when at college back in around 1961. I was attending the Hatfield Tech as it then was and had a made also studying an external London University B Sc general science degree. His name was Mike and for the life of me I cannot remember his surname, but his significance was that he was then the owner of what was described as the Broadley 1172. Legend had it that it was indeed Eric's first fore into racecar design and construction and it was a fascinating device. It was an 1172 Formula car with a BRM modified side-valve Ford engine and 3-speed close ratio gearbox. It was largely Austin 7-based with alloy body panels with a Lotus 6-like nose section only more angular and the tali section was fully enclosed and rounded not unlike a small-scale MGA. I recall it had minimal road equipment with twin headlamps mounted inside the nose cone and we had to attach cycle guards on the front wheels. It had wire wheels and the rears had quite a wide offset outwards. It had a rudimentary hood and side curtains but they were rarely installed. The car was excilarating to drive especially compared with the family cars around at the time but alas whilst endeavouring to clutch-start it one cold morning one of the slender axle shafts broke so the sale fell through. I would love to know what happened to it as it would now be a significant piece of motor sport history.

[Allan Lupton]

Hello "Crackers" and welcome.

As I was at Hatfield College of Knowledge 1956-61 and feel I have a reasonable memory I should be able to help but can't. I do remember Brian Hart who had an 1172 special which we later knew was designed by Len Terry, so was the first Terrier - and Hart went on from tuning the Ford engine to much greater things of course.

Like many at the time I was at the Tech as part of a de Havilland apprenticeship and many/most of those doing the London external degree were DH apprentoids. Was the Mike you refer to one of us?

[D-Type]

As I understand it:
First the Broadleys built an Austin 7 special, name unknown, which was a reasonable road car but too conventional to be competitive with the 750 Formula experts when raced.  This I would call the "Pre-Lola".
Then he built an 1172 Formula car, named "Lola" which was more competitive.  When he sold it, the new owner renamed it "Lolita", possibly to avoid confusion with the new Lola 1100, or because he had developed it.  I suppose this is the "Original Lola"
Thirdly he built an 1100cc sports car which he also named "Lola".  This was so successful that it went into production as the Lola Mk1 and the Lola brand was born.  Hence "Prototype Lola" and "Lola Mk1".  Presumably, like all Mk 1s, it was named retrospectively when the Mk 2 was produced.  
Lola Mk 2 etc.

 

[RogerFrench]

D-type, I believe you understand correctly, that's how I remember it too. The Broadley special Austin Seven was a pretty Ulster-like car, but as you indicate, wasn't successful except in persuading the brothers to carry on.

Crackers, I can't place your car at all, but your description sounds more like an early Lotus than Lola. Maybe the MkIIIB?

[dgs]

Could anyone possibly point me towards a picture or details of Eric Broadley's 1172 car, "pre-Lola"?

What's brought this to mind is that someone has sent me a old picture, with a view to publishing it (in the Lotus Seven Club magazine), of two drivers with two cars, said to be at Brands Hatch. One is clearly a Lotus 6, its driver believed to be a John Howes (of the cams and exhaust business); the other driver is believed to be Anstice Brown (of whom I know nothing) is with a car of altogether more Series 1 or 2 Lotus 7 shape (well, vaguely) it clearly isn't and the front suspension is much more of the Lotus 6 persuasion... but it has it the name 'LOLA' on the nose above the stick-on number plate (XKM201) - this Lola lettering is reminiscent of the lettering within the subsequent extended-lozenge of the Lola badge we are all familiar with.

It occured to me that didn't know (or maybe have known but now forgotten) what Mr Broadley's early racer looked like. Or indeed why this machine would have the name Lola on it. I can only think of Lola Mk 1 and 2 being front engined, so I'm assuming it to be pre Lola production cars. The photo looks plausibly old enough for the Lotus 6 to not a wholly out-of-date machine at the time.

Sorry I'm not able to post the picture at the moment.

Thanks for any help you may be able to give.

A picture of Eric Broadley's first Lola is shown in the book 'Monoposto Formula 1958-1976, published by Formula One Register. It reads 'Lolita'  Eric Broadley's very first Lola  built to 1172 Formula, a Ford 10 special. It was road registered as XKM 201. He sold it to Alan Wershat who renamed it Lolita.

ZL 201 mention of Anstice-Brown, could be at  Monoposto race held at Brands Hatch 2nd July 1961, where both   Alan Weshat (Lolita (XKM 201)  and John Anstice-Brown (Hillwood 01) raced.

 

It appears that Lolita competed in quite a number of events in the early 1960's.

I am not sure if the  Monoposto book is still available, but maybe worth asking at FIR. It runs to just over 400 pages and contains the best record of this series of races, and has the added advantage of having photographs of approximately 60 of these specials