Description:

1972 Lola T290 HU-29

• Iconic early 70ies sports prototype, one of 35 T290 built, sold to Enzo Osella's Torino Corse
• Raced and hillclimbed successfully in Europe and Italy in 1972 to '74
• Fitted with 2.0 Litre Cosworth BDG engine & Hewland FG400 gearbox
• Completely overhauled, fresh and race-ready with current FIA HTP
• Eligible for Peter Auto's CER2 and Le Mans Classic, Masters Sports Cars Legends, HSR, etc.

The Lola T290 is an iconic sports prototype racing car produced by British manufacturer Lola Cars in 1972 and was the successor to the winning T210 and T212. Designed by Eric Broadley, the T290 was created as part of the highly competitive FIA Group 5 regulations, specifically for the 2-Litre European Sports Car Championship. Its design emphasized lightweight construction, aerodynamic efficiency, and adaptability, making it a favorite among privateer racing teams.
Powered by a range of 2.0L engines, most commonly the Ford-Cosworth BDG inline-four, the T290 offers impressive power-to-weight performance. Its sleek, low-profile bodywork features a distinctive long tail and a focus on aerodynamics, ensuring high-speed stability and cornering prowess. The chassis is an aluminium monococque with excellent rigidity and ease of maintenance, coupled with advanced suspension for optimal handling.

Renowned for its versatility and success, the Lola T290 achieved significant victories in endurance and sprint races alike where its direct competition was primarily the Chevron B21 and Abarth Osella SE021. Its legacy is celebrated as a testament to Lola’s engineering prowess and its contribution to sports car racing during the golden era of the 1970s. A total of 35 Lola T290 chassis were built between 1972 and 1973. The T290 served as the foundation for a broader series of cars in the T290/292/294/296/298 lineage, as Lola adapted and refined the design to remain competitive in the 2-Litre European Sports Car Championship and other endurance racing events. The T290’s popularity and versatility made it a preferred choice for privateer teams, contributing to its enduring reputation in motorsport history.

Our car, VIN Nr HU-29, completed by the early summer of ’72, was sold through Ecurie Bonnier, the European Lola agency, to factory supported racing driver Guy Edwards, a salesman by profession who had already bought and received two other T290s; HU22 which he raced with Barclays International sponsorship, and HU26 which Guy sold to Barrie Smith. HU29 was sold engineless to Enzo Osella of Torino Corse who had taken over Abarth from Fiat. All Abarth racing prototypes up to this point had used spaceframe chassis, so in order to fully understand the dynamics involved in designing and building his own monocoque racing car, Osella bought a pair of Chevron B19s and trio of T290s all of which would be fitted with a variety of four cylinder Fiat derived Abarth engines of 1300cc, 1600cc and 2000cc.

HU-29 was fitted with the 1300cc unit and was sold to Gianni Varese who would race the Lola-Abarth during the next three years in European and Italian championship races and hillclimbs running in the 1300cc Group 5 class. Debuted at Monza in June ’72, Varese then went on to win his class at Cesana-Sestriere the following month. Before the next event at Riete-Terminillo the roll-hoop was replaced as the new regulations which came into effect on April 1st 1972 outlawed the original T290 design. The Lola-Abarth was last raced by Varese in the summer of 1974 before he switched to an Osella and HU-29 was sold to Michael Jowett of Belgium and continued to be hillclimbed in Europe. It was gradually updated with a T292 nose, a homemade rear wing and a Ford BDG engine. HU-29 was then sold to French historic racer Patrick Behar of France in 1986 who received the car with standard T290 bodywork painted dark green. He repainted the car in yellow with a black stripe and in 1991 sold HU-29 to Pierluigi Rizzi of Padova, Italy. Sold to Italian classic car dealer Luigi Moreschi, HU-29 then passed through the hands of British based Ferrari specialist Steven Griswold who sold the car through Coys Auctions to Spanish collector José Segimon in 1999. José sold the car to the current Portuguese owner in 2001 who raced the car - now wearing T292 bodywork in yellow Ecurie Bonnier livery - sparingly in European historics; a highlight being its victory at the 2009 Boavista Historic GP where HU-29 won its race driven by historic racer and Group 4 race series founder Jonathan Baker.

After sitting idle in the owner's collection for several years, HU-29 was completely rebuilt in 2024 to its original T290 specification, equipped with a fresh, zero km BDG-engine and FG400 gearbox, new KONI shocks, wheel bearings, suspension and brakes overhaul. Its new T290 bodywork was painted in its striking "red and white" as raced by Gianni Varese in 1973. The car comes with a spare set of wheels and all T290 body moulds. Also included is the old T292 bodywork and mechanicals which - if desired - would allow conversion to T292 specfication. Lastly, HU-29 is sold with fresh crack test, new fuel cell and comes with an FIA HTP valid until 2034.

This immaculate and competitive open prototype racer is prepared to the very highest standard and is eligible for the world’s most prestigious historic motorsport events, including the Le Mans Classic.

Keyword Search Terms: