SL70/14 was invoiced on 12/08/65 to the Alpha Corporation and was intended for Walt Hansgen to race. However, the car instead ended up with Carroll Shelby and Dan Gurney who had entered into partnership with each other at the start of the year and formed AAR. The car was never used and sold to Chuck Jones of Team Meridian in October ‘65 with the engine still to be bolted in.
The car was first used in the Elvis Presley film “Spinout”. Shot on location between the 9th and the 11th of March ’66, the silver painted car was driven by an unknown stunt driver employed by the studio. The start and finish sequences were filmed in parking lot 21 of the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles with the road racing scenes taking place on the Kanan Road highway leading from Agoura to Paramount Ranch. The car was then prepared for the USRRC for Skip Hudson.
The car was partly sponsored and entered by Lancer Racing, who made clear plastic bodies for slot-cars. The car featured a unique modified tail made by Chuck Jones which incorporated twin low-slung carburettor air intake engine scoops. Chuck also hand applied silver meta-flake paint to the wing tops and intake surrounds. A bigger rear spoiler was also fitted along with one inch wider wheels all round. Skip took five podium finishes during the season to finish 3rd overall in the USRRC and also won the Santa Barbara SCCA Nationals during the season.
In July 1966, actor and amateur racing driver Steve McQueen tested the car at Riverside in a test arranged by Skip Hudson. The test took place whilst Steve was testing six road going GT cars for the American magazine “Sports Illustrated”. In the August ’66 edition, he reported that the Lola T70 was the fastest car he had ever driven around the Riverside course, at times reaching speeds of up to 157mph.
In 1967 the car was with Hollywood actor and racing enthusiast, James Garner. This was the year after he had starred in the film “Grand Prix” as the racing driver “Pete Arron”. Keen to continue the racing experience, Garner set up a driver’s school at Riverside and did two drivers school events in preparation for racing the car, when filming commitments allowed. Garner’s racing ambitions though were scuppered by his employers, MGM Film Studios, who placed a complete ban on Garner driving racing cars. SL70/14 was placed in storage but was leased for use as a camera car in the 1970 television film “The Challengers” where it was driven by Bob Bondurant. The car then went back into storage at Charlie and Kerry Agapiou’s workshops where it remained until bought by Robin Spurrier in 1973.
When Robin purchased the car it was painted orange and wearing racing number 6. Robin raced the car in SCCA events for a couple of years then sold the car in 1978 to Andrew Harmon of Mississippi. In 1983 the car was sold to Mr Skiles of California and to Corrado Cupellini in 1985 along with a rebuilt Ford 289ci 4.7 litre V8 & rebuilt suspension. Painted dark blue, the car did a couple of historic events at Road America in the early nineties. 1993 the car was sold to an anonymous Canadian owner. In 2001 the car returned to Europe and was sold through Jean Guikas to M. Dobuchet, France, and was re-painted in metal dark blue July ’02. It was tested in June ’03 at Grand Sambuc for 45 laps. In 2004 the car was sold to the present owner who had the car re-furbished in 2005. Now painted dark blue with a white centre stripe, the car was seen on track at Val-de-Vienne in France in the summer of 2011.
