1969 Lola T163
Continued development of the Lola Can-Am car resulted in the winged Lola T163 of 1969.
The T163 used a lightweight alloy monocoque with a dry-sump big-block Chevrolet V8.
Chassis SL 163/17 was built specifically for Roger Penske and Mark Donohue using lightweight materials such as titanium and thinner 20-gauge aluminum. The result was inconsistent and the car was later converted to regular specification of the 5 other cars.
In Detail
| tags | canam |
| submitted by | admin |
| type | Racing Car |
| production | 6 |
| engine | Chevrolet V8 |
| position | Mid, Longitudinal |
| aspiration | Natural |
| front brakes | Ventilated Steel Discs |
| f brake size | 254.00 x 381.00 mm / 10 x 15 in |
| rear brakes | Ventilated Steel Discs |
| r brake size | 406.40 x 381.00 mm / 16 x 15 in |
| f suspension | Double Wishbones |
| r suspension | Half Axles w/Trailing Arms |
| transmission | LG 600 5-speed gearbox |
1969 Lola T163 Can Am SL163/20 – did not sell for $85,000
Chassis SL163/20 was delivered to American Lola importer Carl Haas on June 6, 1969. Its first owner, G Auto USA didn’t utilize the car, so in 1970 it was sold to SCCA racer Steve Weaver of Indianapolis. Weaver drove SL163/20 to 3rd place in the SCCA Central National Division points standings, with two outright wins at Michigan and Indianapolis Raceway Park. At the completion of the season, Weaver sold the SL163/20 chassis to Gregory Hodges, who campaigned it in SCCA California events. In 1973, Tony Settember acquired the car and entered it in the 1973 Laguna Seca Can-Am, where it blew a head gasket on just the second lap. SL163/20’s last appearance in Can-Am was under the ownership of Charles Semple, whose driver Bob Kemple qualified for the 1973 Riverside race but failed to start. After retiring from active racing, the car had a number of documented owners within America, New Zealand and France, who displayed it in their personal collections. In 2009, SL163/20 returned to California when it was sold to its latest owner. He had the car prepared for vintage racing by Toluca Lake Historics.
Auction Source: The Daytime Auction in Monterey by Mecum
