Why romanticism isn't the key factor in Lola’s racing return
The iconic Lola name is being relaunched after it was taken over by new ownership. Part of that reboot is a planned return to racing, though the exact details of this are still to be finalised - though its new owner does have a desire to bring the brand back to the Le Mans 24 Hours. But romanticism doesn't appear to be the driving force behind this renewed project...
The idea grew out of passion and a love for motorsport. The new owner of Lola reveals that his initial thought when he realised the iconic British race car constructor was up for sale was to rescue it from the dustbin of history. But then, Till Bechtolsheimer the businessman kicked in. He reckons there might just be a niche to be carved for an established brand in a changing motorsport landscape.
“The idea of one of the really iconic motorsport brands being consigned to the history books was a really sad thought,” says Bechtolsheimer, who runs an investment company in New York during the week and races an Acura in the IMSA SportsCar Championship at the weekends. “The initial motivation was a romantic idea that could I play a small part in preventing that from happening, from preventing Lola disappearing and helping give it a new lease of life. What gave me the confidence to go through with it is a bit of a different story.”
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