At the end of the day, Formula 5000 is still the ultimate bang for the buck
in vintage racing
in vintage racing
One of the most attractive categories within historic motor racing is Formula 5000, catering to single-seater (near-Formula One) cars powered by production-based engines of up to 5 liters capacity. Formula 5000 racing was introduced in 1968 in American SCCA as Formula A. In the U.K. and Europe, Formula 5000 matching American Formula A was adopted in 1969 and manufacturers such as McLaren-Trojan and Lola Cars were quick to support it.
When Formula 5000 was adopted in Britain for 1969, Lola Cars was already selling T140 Formula A chassis to America. Based on T70 sports car running gear, the original T140 had been a simple and capacious multi-tubular space frame design, which proved competitive. For 1969, the basic T140 specification was updated to create the T142 model as offered here. The car sold in considerable numbers to America, South Africa, Canada, and the U.K., with more than 40 combined 140/142 chassis being completed at Huntingdon. One compelling reason for the model’s contemporary popularity was its selling price of £5,500 ($13,750), complete with a Traco-modified Chevrolet V8 engine.