21 replies to this topic

[raoul leDuke]

Sir Jackie Stewart's older brother Jimmy has died at the age of 76.

After cutting his teeth on hill-climbs and scratch races in 1951-52 with a Healey Silverstone, Jimmy became an integral part of the Ecurie Ecosse team the following year, racing both the Jaguar C-Type and XK120 with great success. His father, Bob Stewart, had quietly paid for the C-Type Jaguar (XKC 041) registration number KSF 181, and it was added to the Ecurie Ecosse stable.

He was then given the chance to race the team's F2 Connaught and Cooper-Bristol which were bought for the team by Major Edward Thomson of the Ben Line shipping company.

In the British GP of 1953 he ran in sixth place and was going very quickly indeed, before spinning into retirement after 79 of the 90 laps.

Back with the Ecosse C-Type in 1954, Stewart continued to build a reputation as a very fast and fearless driver. He won three races in one meeting at Goodwood, but his season was soon cut short by injury when he was involved in a collision at Le Mans and thrown from his aerodynamically suspect works DB3S coupé, suffering a fractured elbow.

He was back in 1955 with Ecurie Ecosse but during the Nurburgring 1000 he crashed the D Type and was trapped under the car for 10 minutes before help arrived. Then another crash in practice for a major sports car race at Silverstone left him badly injured. This time he retired but though he'd been retired for several years, Jimmy played a part in getting his younger brother onto the first rung of his professional career. When Ken Tyrrell was looking for a new driver for his F3 team, and had Jackie Stewart recommended to him, he phoned Jimmy to ask if his brother was serious about racing!

[RTH]

Sad news indeed, that is no great age nowadays. Do we know if Paul and Helen are recovered and well these days ? Thoughts with the family.

[Ian Stewart]

Shock.

I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago and he was in fine fettle. A genuinely nice person who was always cheerful and friendly.

R.I.P.

[AAA-Eagle]

Very sad news Time is unstoppable...

R.I.P.

[jonpollak]

sad indeed
Jp

[JacnGille]

aaawwwwwwwwwwww

[Graham Gauld]

As Ian Stewart has said Jimmy was one of the world's nicest people. He had a number of set backs in his life but always greeted you with a grin and a laugh. In recent years he truly blossomed and was great company. My colleague Hugh McCaig told me about it yesterday just before I flew back to France from Scotland and one of the things I had planned to do on my return was give Jimmy a ring and pull his leg about something.
It really is sad just when things were going so well for him.

[Doug Nye]

Very sad news...indeed. The times I met Jimmy he was round and bouncy and jolly, really good fun. Condolences to the family.

DCN

[Coral]

Very sad news. R.I.P. Jimmy.

[Richard Jenkins]

Had this happened a while back, when he was having a number of problems, maybe I wouldn't have been too surprised. But in recent years, as Graham said, he really came out of the shell he was in & was a true credit to his local area & a welcome visitor to festivals, so this is somewhat of a shock.

We mustn't forget what a superb driver he was - and had it not been for injury, bad luck etc, he could've made about a big a impact on the sport as JYS did.

A great shame & a horrid start to the year so soon after losing Don. Poor JYS, he still idolised his brother these days as much as he did in his youth. RIP Jim.

[HDonaldCapps]

Originally posted by Richie Jenkins
A great shame & a horrid start to the year so soon after losing Don. Poor JYS, he still idolised his brother these days as much as he did in his youth.

First and foremost, my sincere condolences to the Stewart family. I had heard much about Jimmy's "emergence" and was delighted to hear about it. For reasons long since forgotten, Jimmy Stewart struck a nerve with several of the schoolboys -- me among them -- at my school, who were all "crushed" when Jimmy retired from racing. It was, therefore, nice to hear about how he was finally both getting his due and enjoying life.

Second, Richie expresses a thought that also crossed my mind....

[David Holland]

Very sad news, I was shocked when I saw his obituary in today's Telegraph.

I met Jimmy a few times at events, the last time at Goodwood this September just before the Roy Salvadori parade. He was always very friendly and full of laughs and had time for anybody. He mentioned at the time how good it was to meet up with other drivers from his era and he wished more of them could attend such events.

That to me is the joy of Goodwood, the cars may be fantastic, but it's the people that really matter.

[Graham Gauld]

Purely for the record Jimmy Stewart's funeral is on Tuesday next but it a private affair for the family. However, a memorial service will be arranged probably for the end of February in Glasgow as Jackie wants as many of Jim's old friends to join together to remember him. When the date is confirmed I will advise.

[Alan Cox]

Sad news indeed, and condolences to all of the Stewart family. Here is the obituary from today's Daily Telegraph, referred to by David Holland in his post above:

http://www.telegraph...1/05/db0501.xml

[Hieronymus]

La Derniere Ballade de Jimmy...


http://memoiresdesta...e-de-jimmy.html

[Alan Lewis]

Permission to ask a stupid (and rather late) question?

All the obituaries and commentaries I've seen about Jimmy Stewart have him crashing at Le Mans in 1954 whilst sharing with Graham Whitehead, and then again, to end his career, at the 'Ring (allegedly in the 1000 kms) in '54 or (as in the first post of this thread) '55. But...

Whitehead's co-driver at Le Mans in '54 was TNF's very own Ian Stewart, wasn't it? And as far as I'm aware there was no 'Ring 1000 kms in either that year or the next. Wimpffen mentions him only in the '53 'Ring 1000 kms, where he was sixth with John Lawrence.

So, where (and when) did he end his career - and if it was at the 'Ring, in what event?

Or am I, not for the first nor last time, missing the bleedin' obvious?

APL

[Graham Gauld]

Alan:

Jimmy Stewart crashed at the Nurburgring in practice for the 1955 race ! He was due to share the factory D type at Le Mans with Mike Hawthorn but due to his accident he was replaced by Ivor Bueb.

Ian Stewart did not compete in the 1954 Le Mans with Graham Whitehead as Ian had retired from motor racing in January that year.

Jimmy Stewart raced Aston Martin DB3S Coupe with Graham Whitehead in the 1954 Le Mans race and crashed out after seven hours.

Where the confusion might have arisen is that Ian Stewart and PETER Whitehead finished 4th overall at Le Mans in 1953.

It is quite easy to get your Stewarts and Whiteheads mixed up.

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Alan Lewis
as far as I'm aware there was no 'Ring 1000 kms in either that year or the next.

The race in question was the Eifelrennen, over a mere 228km

[Alan Lewis]

Thanks guys, that makes more sense. (Yes, Graham, it is confusing - almost as bad as the Formula 1 Taylors in the early sixties!)

APL

[Vitesse2]

There is to be a memorial service for Jimmy Stewart in Glasgow on March 3rd:

http://www.autosport...ne.php/id/65130

[Graham Gauld]

Last Monday the memorial service to Jimmy Stewart took place at the impressive Glasgow Cathedral and, as expected, Jackie Stewart organised an event that was not only very moving but amusing and embracing all of the elements of Jimmy's life.
The entire Stewart family were there but the thought that had gone into the planning had Jackie Stewart's name written all over it. Not only were there people from Jimmy's racing career but members of his favourite golf club and representatives from the Priory where Jimmy finally conquered his alcoholism which Jackie did not suppress and there was a touching moment when Jackie remarked ".....after twenty five years I found my brother again."
When he was a young boy Jimmy Stewart was a very talented boy soprano who sang on the BBC on a number of occasions so there was a great emphasis on music. Jackie had arranged for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra to be there along with the Glasgow Cathedral Choir, the National Youth Choir of Scotland and the Edinburgh Choir Vocal Ensemble to sing as well as one of Britain's leading opera singers Karen Cargill to sing. To crown it all Jackie had invited another recovered alcoholic and friend of the Stewart family, guitarist Eric Clapton, accompanied by Paul Stewart also on guitar, who sang.
From the motor racing side there were plenty of well known names including John Coombs, former British Hill Climb Champion Mike McDowell, David Coulthard and his fiance Carol,and Ian Stewart who gave his own moving address on Jimmy's Stewarts early years with Ecurie Ecosse. Needless to say the Scottish motor racing establishment were well represented with Billy Skelly,Bill Dryden,Jock Russell,Andrew Cowan, Douglas Niven, Logan and Sandy Morrison,Andrew Fletcher,Eric and Robin Liddell,Nigel and Ronnie Morrison and Graham Birrell.
Outside the Cathedral stood the Cooper-Bristol that Jimmy had raced at the 1954 British Grand Prix and one of the Ecurie Ecosse C-type Jaguars that he had raced - thanks to the generosity of their owners Barry Wood and Dick Skipworth and to cap it all the pipe band of the Royal Highland Fusiliers played outside to welcome everyone.
It was a truly memorable experience and a fitting tribute to a great racing driver and a nice guy.

[Eric Dunsdon]

It would have been nice to have attended the Memorial Service for Jimmy Stewart but I only have to stand at Silverstone's Copse Corner to remember him and his drive in the 1953 British Grand Prix. Left arm outstretched, hand at twelve o'clock on the steering wheel. Colourful shirt flowing back over the tail of the Ecurie Ecosse Cooper-Bristol. Engine revving, tyres screeching. Thats how it was for lap after lap as Jimmy, the youngest driver in the race worked his way up to sixth place behind Ascari, Fangio,Farina,Gonzalez and Hawthorn on works Ferrari's and Maserati's. Sadly, with just a few laps remaining, a spin on the wet road sent the Cooper-Bristol off and into the safety bank just in front of us. Thankfully unhurt, Jimmy received a huge ovation from the appreciative crowd. Thanks for that memory Jimmy. R.I.P