Emelia Hartford finds abandoned Lola T70 kit car hidden in overgrowth and missing major components but still wants to buy it
Published on Apr 03, 2026 at 4:11 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Apr 02, 2026 at 3:46 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Emelia Hartford is a true automotive enthusiast and YouTuber extrordinaire, and she could be set to make a big decision as she aims to buy an abandoned Lola T70 kit car.
Hartford is no stranger to big purchases and projects; her epic Plymouth Superbird NASCAR project is proof of that.
This Lola project, however, currently belongs to her good friend Dean and would be another challenge for her and potentially an expensive one.
Yet the opportunity to create her own Lola T70 race car and revive this project would be one hell of an achievement.
How Emelia Hartford was teased by the abandoned Lola T70
Dean has always had some interesting projects hiding at his house, and tempts Emelia Hartford with them.
She took her Ford GT40 reconstruction, which used to belong to Dean, back to visit him.
“Dean hit me up because he wanted to show me something,” she said.
“You guys know Dean by now; he always has something crazy up his sleeve,” she went on to add.
Her friend soon revealed the reason he had invited her over.
Hidden in the undergrowth was a Lola T70 kit car, just begging to be finished.
While it has sat for some time, Hartford was still incredibly intrigued by the project.
Of course, the big question was, would she bite and take the project on?
Hartford was very intrigued by the Lola project
A couple of nervous laughs from the YouTuber suggested she knew this would be a massive undertaking.
“Oh my gosh, Dean,” she said after peering into the cockpit.
“Look at all the spiders and the rust on the floorboard,” she remarked, with some trepidation.
Compared to other cars she has bought from him, the Lola T70 would be a lot more work.
There is no engine or spare parts for the car, so the YouTuber was really on the fence about the project.
In the end, she and Dean negotiated around a $13,000 asking price for the T70.
She headed home, very tempted by the Lola, yet equally, she knew how good it could be when finished.
Plus, she’s in need of a new project to sink her teeth into.
We think Emelia Hartford would really be able to work her magic on this kit car.
Why the T70 is so tempting for the YouTuber
The real Lola T70 is a sports car icon, designed by Eric Broadley for Can-Am and endurance racing.
British manufacturer Lola built the T70 in 1965, as a successor to the Mk6 that inspired the Ford GT40.
Over its racing career, it became a sports car legend, winning 232 races, taking 348 podiums, and 91 pole positions.
Lola’s current test driver, F1 race winner Johnny Herbert, recently remarked on the T70.
“Everything feels as if it’s in the right place,” said Herbert.
“The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, to hear that roar from the V8 sitting right behind you is something that always gets your emotions going,” he said after driving the famous David Piper example.
“You have wonderful feedback through the steering wheel; the response I get is exactly what I want,” he added.
Power in the original cars mostly came from Chevrolet V8 engines, but Ford also provided powertrains.
Few sports cars can claim to have so much success.
The car won the 1969 24 Hours of Daytona with a 1-2 finish.
Lola also produced seven continuation models from 2005 to 2012 before the company shut down.
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Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a heritage steam railway.
