David McKinney

Yes I was in correspondence with Don recently (about David) and I have regarded the falling out that led to him not being "here" any more as a great loss to us all.

 

It may be time for some of us to revisit the old problems and see if an olive branch can be found.

Yes, indeed.

It always amused me that this thread (http://forums.autosp...ol#entry2732743) did not amuse David, particularly since it was started more-or-less in his honour - but then again, it's very presence on TNF was mofe-or-less anathema to him. He DID have a sense of humour - it just did not run in this direction.

But at least Don joined-in, and accepted his laurel wreath with good grace - coupled, perhaps, with some bemusement.

Nary a word from The Prof, though.

I am holding a pleasing sum of money which has been handed to me by various people after the funeral, and subsequent to that, for passing on to the League of Friends of St Bartholomew's Hospital, which is the charity agreed upon by David's sister and daughter for donations to be made in David's memory. Latterly, David had been receiving treatment at Barts Hospital.

If anyone else would like to consider making a donation, please PM me and I will let you have details.

I first got to know Dave when I was a poor university student and he was the publisher of a motorsport newspaper in Wellington, New Zealand. I used to visit his office for a free read of the overseas motorsport publications like Autosport. He was always welcoming and I'd like to think he recognised a kindred spirit as we shared a common interested in formula racing cars. This was when NZ introduced Formula Pacific to replace F5000. The first two International series were won by the incomparable Keke Rosberg in Fred Opert Chevrons.

When I moved to Singapore, I became the Malaysian GP correspondent for Dave's publication. I still remember laboriously typing out race reports (pre-word processors) and posting them with photo negative contact strips back to NZ. In time-honoured tradition, I received a free subscription!

We lost touch when he sold up and moved to the UK. Only recently did we link up and the last time we emailed (in August last year) was to discuss chassis numbers of Chevrons that were raced in S.E. Asia - I write the occasional feature for a Singaporean motoring quarterly. So you can imagine the shock for me to come across the news in this forum that he had died. I am the sadder to know he is no more of this earth.

Commiserations Sky, but, please continue to post here....David would have approved! Cheers, 275

I am pleased to report that I have, today, forwarded a cheque for £250 to Barts Guild in David's memory, the money to be spent assisting in the comfort of future patients.

Many thanks to those of you who generously donated to the fund.

The new issue of Motor Sport carries a  modest, but seemly, obituary to David. Well done to them.

Roger Lund

I think that David would have been rather pleased to see this, apart from the inclusion of the word "late" of course.

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...ME:B:SS:GB:1120

"...the good is oft interred with their bones."  Clearly not in this case though.

Simon's offer is a real bargain compared to this one:

http://www.amazon.co...9&condition=new

Edited by Allan Lupton, 15 April 2014 - 12:01.

I must say, I wouldn't ,part with my copy - not even for £181.00

David's collection of Motor Sport and Autosport are being auctioned by Bonhams on Monday 28th April at Royal Airforce Museum in London.

I think that David would have been rather pleased to see this, apart from the inclusion of the word "late" of course.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...ME:B:SS:GB:1120

 

"...the good is oft interred with their bones."  Clearly not in this case though.

Got it!

I've also got a few hundred copies of Autosport and MotorsSport and various Classic car magazines of David's sitting here in my study, if anyone would like to collect them from North London (N7)

This appraisal of David's book on the Maserati 250F just in from Don Capps

http://speedreaders....-maserati-250f/

Again I'm late to this with my step-dad passing away around that same time. I am so sorry to hear David is gone. We emailed a few times last year and he mentioned his illness. My condolences to his family.

Ursula

Today David's ashes were scattered at a very appropriate place.  Thanks to Lord March for allowing this and to Doug Nye for facilitating.  A bench has been placed in the garden and within a few days should have a plaque attached.  Unfortunately, I only had my phone with me, but more and better pictures will hopefully follow.

Very nice, and appropriate.  Thanks Roger and all.

David B

Small tribute to David (Ill see if I can make it smaller!)

Edited by tsrwright, 07 June 2014 - 06:59.

Some better photographs of yesterday's event, taken by John Whiteman.

Knowing David, he would have been really, really chuffed to learn that his friends thought so highly of him to arrange for his ashes to be scattered at fellow Kiwi Bruce McLaren's memorial. Thank you all.

Great pictures well done everybody  a really nice touch.

Good news, Roger has been into the Bruce McLaren Memorial Garden at Goodwood and has fixed the nameplate to David's bench.

That is so good.

and I have about five questions that I know he has the answer too.

Edited by Patrick Fletcher, 28 June 2014 - 13:24.

He could've used a level... just saying!

He could've used a level... just saying!

My first thought as well, but I'm pleased that you were the one who invited condemnation by coming out with it. Someone should've gone to Specsavers...

In case anyone who never met David is offended, he was a good bloke who usually had a sense of humour. He certainly wouldn't have been offended by a wonky plaque, or even a "bloody Kraut" mentioning it.

Entschuldigung Michael.

 

In case anyone who never met David is offended, he was a good bloke who usually had a sense of humour. He certainly wouldn't have been offended by a wonky plaque, or even a "bloody Kraut" mentioning it.

He's probably up there now wondering why there's no chassis number on the plate and trying to identify it by counting the number of rivets.

He could've used a level... just saying!

I would have enjoyed drawing David's attention to that, a very rare opportunity to get one back over him! Upon his departure, I estimate the score stood at something like 138 - 0!

I think it even irritated David that I both liked and respected him! Next time I visit Goodwood, I shall endeavour to take rest on said bench with something suitable in my hip-flask...  .RIP

Don't we all have a "chassis number", on our TNF badge? Would've been nice to stamp David's on the plaque, maybe that's still possible? (That way, there'd be reason to remove the plaque, stamp it, and re-attach it... properly! Sorry, Roger, it just looks... well, wonky!)

Entschuldigung, Michael.

That's all right, Rob, I deserve it!

signed,

Bloody Kraut

Don't we all have a "chassis number", on our TNF badge? Would've been nice to stamp David's on the plaque, maybe that's still possible? (That way, there'd be reason to remove the plaque, stamp it, and re-attach it... properly! Sorry, Roger, it just looks... well, wonky!)

 

 

 

 

That's all right, Rob, I deserve it!

 

signed,

Bloody Kraut

Vorsprung durch Technik (click of heels....  )

If you lift the seat up about 4mm on the left then it would line up better with the brickwork.

I would have enjoyed drawing David's attention to that, a very rare opportunity to get one back over him! Upon his departure, I estimate the score stood at something like 138 - 0!
I think it even irritated David that I both liked and respected him! Next time I visit Goodwood, I shall endeavour to take rest on said bench with something suitable in my hip-flask...  .RIP

A bottle of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc would suffice, Tony, and the 2013 is a good 'un. A step up from the antifreeze exported from the Rheingau too, JohnP

The spirit of the arch-pedant McKinney lives on, if these exchanges over the straightness or otherwise of the brass plaque are any indication.

Over the last few years I had exchanged a great many emails with David, mainly on NZ motor racing matters, and the minute questioning of information was often the rule, not the exception. Perhaps his very subtle sense of humour?

However, returning to the matter of the plaque, are we being a tad unfair here? If we look at post #171, and in particular the 7th and 8th photos, we see that the top rail of the seat-back is a convex curve, and perhaps the bottom edge as well. If this seat was hand-crafted by a traditional craftsman using a spokeshave or similar implement these may not be symmetrical curves, thus making it all but impossible for a rectangular plate to be placed neatly.

Stu Buchanan    

While searching through some old scans, I came across this one from Goodwood 20 years ago, showing a relaxed David, in his element amongst friends from the world of motor racing.

Happy days

L-R David, Peter Hannen, Dudley Mason-Styrron, John Harper, Valentine Lindsay and Paul Stewart

While searching through some old scans, I came across this one from Goodwood 20 years ago, showing a relaxed David, in his element amongst friends from the world of motor racing.

Happy day

Brilliant Alan. Didn't realise that hat was 20 years old! Or have later ones been fakes?

I don't think any of the replicas lived up to the original, David

It might sound a bit daft, but I really missed David blanking me at this year's Festival of Speed. Goodwood will never be quite the same again......

It might sound a bit daft, but I really missed David blanking me at this year's Festival of Speed. Goodwood will never be quite the same again......

Indeed it won't. My memory of David at the FoS is him engaging me in earnest conversation at one of our Paddock Bar get togethers, mostly on the subject of the respective state benefit systems of the UK and his native New Zealand. Apparently the NZ system is so parsimonious compared to ours, that he just couldn't afford to go back to live there, much as he would have liked to, or so he claimed. Tony and I had arranged to meet, and caught each others eye once or twice, but each time I sidled in the Giraffe direction, David moved to stay between us. We never managed a proper chat that year, but I know an awful lot about housing benefit in the Antipodes.

It might sound a bit daft, but I really missed David blanking me at this year's Festival of Speed. Goodwood will never be quite the same again......

I only met David once, at Stoneleigh a couple of years ago, and apart from a brief hello when I arrived with Messrs Cox, Clark and Rainford, he basically ignored me. I bumped into him just before we left when he was outside having cigarette. He apologised for not saying much to me as he "knew very little about Formula Fords". That made me laugh and after a brief conversation I think he realised I'm not stuck in the 70's and 80's but have respect and interest for earlier years.

David was an amazing chap..

We argued for  months over the colour of Mildren's Cooper  Maserati and also over when Stan Jones put "works" stripes on his T51

Was he a smoker?

David was an amazing chap..

 

 

We argued for  months over the colour of Mildren's Cooper  Maserati and also over when Stan Jones put "works" stripes on his T51

 

Was he a smoker?

Sadly, yes.  He gave up for a few months last year but took it up again in the autumn. 

Ahh,,

Thank you Roger

Last Christmas, I sent David a picture of  Bib Stillwell waving from his 2,5 Tasman Brabham, after he had won  the Horden  Trophy Race. in late 1965...it was  a Christmas gesture.

Instead of the usual querulous, interesting reply, all i got back was "a different era "

I miss him

Alec

Today is the third anniversary of David's death.  The years seem to have flown by, but i think it's worth pausing for a few minutes to remember a good friend and a valuable contributor.

RIP

Three years!  I would not have guessed that.

Adam and I were talking about him at Stoneleigh yesterday.  He's greatly missed.

Today is the third anniversary of David's death.  The years seem to have flown by, but i think it's worth pausing for a few minutes to remember a good friend and a valuable contributor.
 
RIP

Today is the third anniversary of David's death.  The years seem to have flown by, but i think it's worth pausing for a few minutes to remember a good friend and a valuable contributor.

 

RIP

Yes and I fear that we are increasingly short of contributors with David's willingness to impart real knowledge here. That's mainly because not many of us that still contribute have that real knowledge. Even with the Historical Research section that carries David's name as a suitably earnest place, I feel more than David himself is missing these days.