A Mark III coupe built in July 1967, it was assigned the serial number SL73/117 and sold new to Garner, who entered it in the 1968 12 Hours of Sebring, several Can Am races, the 1969 24 Hours of Daytona (where it placed second) and the 1969 12 Hours of Sebring. Garner then sold it to Ward, reportedly after the movie studios forbade Garner from all racing activities in 1969.
After filming was completed, Ward turned the Mark III over to Dan McLoughlin to have it straightened before he returned it to Warner Brothers.
McLoughlin bought the Mark III, drove it on the street, then sold it back to Ward a few years later. Ward, in turn, sold it to Eddie Hill in 1973 (sans the prop bodywork), and Hill held on to it for the next few decades, before selling it in 2007 to Lola collector Marc Devis of Belgium.
http://www.gtc-collection-cars.com/car-for-sale/1967-lola/t70-mkiii-gt-coupe-36.html
Curious where a Scotsman named Reeve Whitson came into this story with James Garner and his Whitson/James Garner (American International Racing Team)?
ReplyDeleteSL73/117 Chevrolet 5.5 1967-08-25 Gr.6 Whitson/James Garner (American International Racing Team) => Eddie Hill Coupe.
Info is from this website:
http://www.wsrp.cz/chassis/chassis_lola_t70.html
Best Regard,
Peter
Great article, but you are certainly missing the part about James Garner's partner, Reeve Whitson, who was responsible for producing the street versions of the Ford MK lll. The link below is the source for the following information about MkIII Coupe Chassis No. SL73/117, and the link below that is an article that I wrote that covers the accomplishments and business debacles that Reeve Whitson was involved in several ventures:
ReplyDeleteSL73/117 Chevrolet 5.5 1967-08-25 Gr.6 Whitson/James Garner (American International Racing Team) => Eddie Hill Coupe.
http://www.wsrp.cz/chassis/chassis_lola_t70.html
And here is an interesting bit of Auto Racing history that few have ever heard of:
https://zodiackilleridentified.com/2021/07/29/reeve-whitson-builder-seller-and-driver-of-race-cars/
thank you it's focused on one thing, and fills out an article on Eddie's ownership. What you've written does not, and I find has no indication of Whitson's involvement with the Eddie Hill Coupe, nor does your article show involvement with the Mk III. That might be from my lack of reading comprehension, but I looked for Whitson's involvement, and didn't find it.
DeleteI found that there was a lot of amazing info in the article, like INS, and Linkletter, but not the Whitson involvement with the Garner Mk III, not the Mk III program.
So, your comment on my article is out of context, it seems to me.
Jesse:
DeleteI put the link in my original post, but here it is again:
http://www.wsrp.cz/chassis/chassis_lola_t70.html
It is the 15th entry from the bottom of the list, and clearly says Whitson/James Garner
sold this coupe to Eddie Hill.
SL73/117 Chevrolet 5.5 1967-08-25 Gr.6 Whitson/James Garner (American International Racing Team) => Eddie Hill Coupe.
Reeve Whitson and James Garner worked together and had many mutual friends in Hollywood and the racing industry. Reeve Whitson is the individual who tried to build a street version of the GT40 and only about 10 prototypes were ever made.
Whitson was helping fund Garner behind the scenes, as Whitson's goal was to acquire technology for his sponsors.
SL73/117 Chevrolet 5.5 1967-08-25 Gr.6 Whitson/James Garner (American International Racing Team) => Eddie Hill Coupe.