Cache of Rare Lola Race Car Molds Hits Auction Block

With enough money and time, it’s possible to fix almost any car, no matter how rare or valuable. Break a tiny piece of unobtanium plastic trim, and there’s probably someone out there who can 3D-print a new one for you. And if you stick your McLaren F1 into a ditch, then McLaren itself will be only too happy to build you a new carbon-fiber tub.

Even so, repairing the old fiberglass body of a classic race car can involve a lot of trial and error. Unless, that is, you have the original molds—and if you have a Lola in your collection, then you may well want to keep an eye on this upcoming W&H Peacock auction in the U.K.

The collection of molds and fiberglass tools covers several race-car bodies constructed by Lola from the 1960s to the 1980s, including the Lola Mk1, Lola T70 Mk2, the Lola T70 Mk3 and Mk3 B, and a selection of other single- and twin-seat bodies.

The molds are used to standardize the manufacture of the fiberglass panels used on the cars, ensuring each one is as close as possible to the last. More importantly, the fact that they survive means that skilled modern hands can, in theory, create a body as good as identical to the original models from the 1960s.

As well as the molds, which cover everything from panels and smaller components to nose cones, the auction listing includes plenty of other related tools and equipment from T W Mouldings (TWM), the British fiberglass specialist pending liquidation.

TWM has owned the molds since 1990, when it purchased them from Lola’s founder, Eric Broadley. Lola itself officially ceased trading in 2012, and the company’s assets and its name were snapped up by various other firms. A company called Broadley Automotive, meanwhile, currently builds authentic replicas of the original Lolas, including the T70, T76, and the Can-AM T160.

The collection of molds and tools will be sold through a timed online auction taking place on February 7. No estimates are listed, but each lot will be subject to both a 20.5 percent buyer’s fee, and a value-added tax (VAT).

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