Classic racing cars will always be highly sought, and this 1986 Lola T86/00 was driven throughout its racing life by a man who went on to conquer the Indianapolis 500 on two occasions. It remains in the condition that it was in following its final race and represents a piece of Indy Car history. It is located in Cross Plains, Indiana, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set a BIN of $125,000, but there is the option available to make an offer.

This car has a brief but interesting competition history. It is the 5th T86/00 built by Lola, It was used throughout the 1986 season by Arie Luyendyk, a driver who would go on to secure wins in the Indianapolis 500 in 1990 and 1997. The car was utilized by Luyendyk in the 1986 Indy 500, where he qualified 19th and finished the race in 15th. The last photo in this article shows the car as it competed in that year’s Indy 500. During that year’s CART PPG Series, Luyendyk split his driving duties between this car and a March 86C. This car only started seven races in his hands, with its best result being a 6th place at the season opener in Phoenix. When Luyendyk changed teams at the end of 1986, in a somewhat unusual move, this car went with him to Hemelgarn Racing. However, for that season the team concentrated their efforts on the March 87C. The car sits in the road course configuration as it last raced, and appears to be in very good condition. I suspect that it has undergone a repaint since it turned its last laps, as the paint and sponsor decals appear to be faultless.

At the business end of the vehicle, you will find the turbocharged 2.65-liter Cosworth DFX engine, which first appeared in USAC competition in 1976. A development of the ultra-successful Cosworth DFV Formula 1 engine, by 1986 the DFX was pumping out around 850hp. Just like the engine upon which it was based, the DFX went on to absolutely dominate USAC and CART competition for more than a decade. By the time the DFX engine was ready to be retired, it had notched up a total of 153 race wins, 10 consecutive Indianapolis 500 victories, and powered the cars of the Series Champions every year from 1977, through until 1987. It isn’t clear when this engine was last fired, but I have to admit that I’d love to hear it run now.

We live in an era now when the vast majority of racing cars are fitted with electronic dashes, and drivers can scroll through a mountain of information on an LCD display. In 1986, such technology was in its infancy, so what you see here is about what was the norm in 1986. It is a model of simplicity, with the dash being dominated by the tachometer. The driver also gets gauges for water and oil temperature, a boost gauge, a couple of warning lights, and some labels made from the ever-reliable Dymo tape. The thing that dominates for me is the tiny Momo wheel. When you consider the down-force and g-forces that this car was capable of producing, the fact that a driver could turn the wheel without the aid of power steering is a testament to the strength of the people who gripped the wheel.

Classic race cars will always be popular, and cars like this Lola are a significant part of American motorsport history. As the owner rightly points out, when cars like this reach the end of their competition life, they are quite often stripped of their useful components such as the engine, transaxle, and sundry other parts, and the remains are consigned to a dusty corner of a workshop. The fact that this one is complete and as last raced makes it a bit special, and I’d love to think that someone will buy it and return it to the track so that it can at least turn some demonstration laps.