Lola Cars International Ltd. was one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of racing cars in the world. The company was one of the top chassis suppliers in sports car racing in the 1960s. Through different race car series with various single-seaters including Formula Junior, Formula 3 and Formula 2 cars, Lola was giving rise to the Ford GT40 (see above) in collaboration with Ford. The GT40 became a very successful race car which won between 1966 and 1969 the Le Mans an impressive four times in a row, entrenching it in racing history and propelling Carroll Shelby even further into legendary status. Why Carroll Shelby? In the early-1960s, Ford had gained an interest in long-distance road racing and decided it was time to invest in a car that could compete in the likes of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. In 1963, Ford and Ferrari struck a deal for production, but Ferrari cut the project off after they couldn’t come to an agreement as to whether Ford could participate in the Indy 500 or not. Ford then decided if Ferrari wasn’t going to work with them, they were going to beat them. Ford negotiated with both Lotus and Lola before deciding to go with Lola, but the car was a complete mess and retired much more than it finished. After the 1964 Nassau race, Carroll Shelby stepped in to right the ship. The Ford GT40 1969 is still one of the most classic racing icons of all times in my opinion. The 1969 model year, the GT project was shut down and the GT40 production stopped at just 107 cars, ending its impressive run. If I will win the lottery one day, I will do my best to get one. For Lola and myself!