THE LOLA T640
All pictures copyright Lola Heritage unless otherwise stated.
The T640 at the Lola factory, note the US Spec wheels and slicks.
Lola's two previous Formula Ford 1600 designs, the T440 and the T540 had both been a success especially the latter which won the BRDC Esso Formula Ford 1600 and the BARC Junior FF1600 Championships. The new design, the T640, continued to, unusually for the time, keep a front radiator configuration while a new spaceframe featured a new suspension front and rear featuring upper rockers on the rear replacing a single upper link.
The majority of cars built, twenty-seven, were in US spec running racing wheels and slicks, just three were in the E (European) spec, steel wheels and treaded "road" tyres. As can be seen from the Press Release below modifications were introduced during the year as the teams learnt more about their cars.
Despite the number of different manufacturers running in FFord 1600 in the early '80s the T640 proved a good choice winning the Townsend Thoresen FF1600 Championship and more importantly the FFord Festival when all the best runners from the UK and Europe came together and Julian Bailey came out on top.
Year(s) of Construction: 1982
Total Built: 30 (3 to E spec)
T640 CHAMPIONSHIP WINS
YEAR |
CHAMPIONSHIP |
WINNER(S) |
NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Townsend Thoresen FF1600 Championship | Julian Bailey | Lola T640E-Ford |
| 1982 | Birmingham Post & Mail/Donington FF1600 Championship | Mark Peters | Lola T640E-Ford |
| 1985 | John Player Special Champion of Brands FF1600 Championship | Colin Stancombe | Lola T640/2E-Ford |
| 1988 | Delta Freight Monoposto Kent Championship | Chris Fox | Lola T640E-Ford |
| 2008 | CFDA (Canadian Formula Driver’s Association) | Dave McKay | Lola T640-Ford |
T640 SIGNIFICANT RACE WINS
1982
DATE |
VENUE/MEETING |
DRIVER |
NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12th April | Brands Hatch | Julian Bailey | Round of the Townsend Thoresen FF1600 Championship |
| 12th April | Brands Hatch | Julian Bailey | Round of the Champion of Brands Hatch Championship - Winner Heat 1 |
| 12th April | Brands Hatch | Julian Bailey | Round of the Champion of Brands Hatch Championship - Winner Final |
| 31st May | Snetterton | Julian Bailey | Round of the Townsend Thoresen FF1600 Championship |
| 5th June | Oulton Park | Julian Bailey | Round of the Townsend Thoresen FF1600 Championship |
| 4th July | Donington Park - DRC | Julian Bailey | Round of the Townsend Thoresen FF1600 Championship |
| 24th July | Oulton Park - BRSCC (NW) | Julian Bailey | Round of the RAC British FF1600 Championship |
| 14th August | Donington Park - DRC | Mark Peters | Round of the Birmingham Post & Mail/Donington FF1600 Championship |
| 22nd August | Mallory Park - BRSCC (M) | Julian Bailey | Round of the RAC British FF1600 Championship |
| 29th August | Brands Hatch | Julian Bailey | Round of the Townsend Thoresen FF1600 Championship |
| 19th September | Thruxton - BARC | Julian Bailey | Round of the RAC British FF1600 Championship |
| 19th September | Donington Park - DRC | Mark Peters | Round of the Birmingham Post & Mail/Donington FF1600 Championship |
| 26th September | Brands Hatch | Julian Bailey | Round of the Townsend Thoresen FF1600 Championship |
| 10th October | Donington Park - DRC | Mark Peters | Final Round of the Birmingham Post & Mail/Donington FF1600 Championship |
| 31st October | Brands Hatch | Julian Bailey | Marlboro World Cup FF Festival |
1983
DATE |
VENUE/MEETING |
DRIVER |
NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th April | Lydden Hill | Peter Rose | Round 2 of the BARC Junior FF1600 Championship |
| 23rd October | Thruxton | Peter Rose | Round 15 of the BARC Junior FF1600 Championship |
1984
DATE |
VENUE/MEETING |
DRIVER |
NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31st March | Oulton Park | Peter Townsend | Round of the P&O Ferries FF1600 Championship |
| 15th April | Snetterton | Peter Townsend | Round of the P&O Ferries FF1600 Championship |
1985
DATE |
VENUE/MEETING |
DRIVER |
NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18th August | Brands Hatch - BRSCC | Colin Stancombe | Round of the John Player Special Champion of Brands FF1600 |
| 6th September | Brands Hatch - MGCC | Colin Stancombe | Round of the John Player Special Champion of Brands FF1600 |
| 12th October | Cadwell Park - 750MC | Bob Berridge | 750MC FF1600 Race |
| 17th November | Brands Hatch - BHRC | Colin Stancombe | Round of the John Player Special Champion of Brands FF1600 |
Julian Bailey's T640 fitted, for some reason, with slicks and steel wheels.
Journalist and Historic racer Marcus Pye tries the T640 for size.
Michael Andretti's T640 at West Palm Beach with, Eric Broadley second from the right.
Germany's Beate Nodes racing in Europe, she went om to be the first woman to be on the podium in a DTM race.
Julian Bailey with the winner's garland.
