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John Duff, Le Mans winner

Started by Magee , Jun 07 2003 04:31

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21 replies to this topic

#1 Magee

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Posted 07 June 2003 - 04:31

Looking for information or source of information about John Duff's career which involved two runs at LeMans. Here's the info I have now, but I need more to put together a profile of his life.

In 1923, Bentley sent one car to the first LeMans. Drivers were John
Duff and Frank Clement. They came in 5th as a result of no front
brakes. In 1924 the Duff/Clement Bentley was equipped with front
brakes and won.
John Duff was born in Canada.
Thanks.

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#2 Milan Fistonic

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Posted 07 June 2003 - 05:19

Duff's name has come up a few times.

Put Duff in the Search BB and you will find them.

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#3 Magee

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Posted 07 June 2003 - 18:53

Thanks for the hints on Duff. I searched some of the archives on the BB and found references to Capt. John Duff from Australia. Canadian historians list him as Canadian.
I wonder if there are any Aussies on TNF with details of this man's origin.

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#4 m.tanney

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Posted 07 June 2003 - 19:57

John Duff was born in China, the son of Canadian parents. While much about Duff's background is unclear, that is certain. He seems to have had no connection with Australia.
A number of past posts on this forum have referred to a Motor Sport article about Duff. I've read pieces on the 24 Heures of 1924, and some of Duff's record-breaking exploits at Brooklands and Montlhery, but never an article on the man himself. Was there ever such an article? If so, could someone tell me the issue in which it was published?
In Brooklands Giants, William Boddy refers to an interview he did with Duff shortly before his death. Was that interview ever published in Motor Sport ? Did it print an obituary for Duff? It might narrow things down if we knew his exact date of death. Anyone?

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#5 David McKinney

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Posted 07 June 2003 - 19:58

Don't know about any Aussies, but this New Zealander got most of his Duff gen from an article in, I think, Classic & Sportscar, about ten years ago. I'll try and find which issue for you. And I'm sure he was Canadian.
(Guess this answers your PM?)

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#6 Vitesse2

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Posted 07 June 2003 - 21:02

Originally posted by m.tanney
In Brooklands Giants, William Boddy refers to an interview he did with Duff shortly before his death. Was that interview ever published in Motor Sport ? Did it print an obituary for Duff? It might narrow things down if we knew his exact date of death. Anyone?

According to the brief biography of Duff in Georgano, credited to TASO Mathieson, he died in 1958. I've just quickly trawled Motor Sport for that year, with no luck on either an obit or interview. I'll try 1957 and 1959 ....

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#7 m.tanney

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Posted 07 June 2003 - 21:10

Originally posted by Vitesse2
According to the brief biography of Duff in Georgano, credited to TASO Mathieson, he died in 1958.

Vitesse,

For some reason, I thought it was 1956. Damned if I can remember my source, though. Of course, I could just be the victim of a faulty memory... :blush:

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#8 Vitesse2

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Posted 07 June 2003 - 21:30

1958 looks favourite, in a riding accident in the New Forest:

http://www.classicli...00.asp?id=10950

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#9 Jimmy Piget

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Posted 07 June 2003 - 22:15

John Duff actually went to the USA and began to participate at the 1926 AAA championship trail with Al Cotey's Miller.

30 May, Indianapolis 500 : finished 9th
12 June, Altoona 250 : finished 3rd
5 July, Salem Rockingham Park : crashed (I don't know how he escaped, hurt or unhurt)
17 July, Atlantic City : did not appear, car not repaired
further races : not entered

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#10 Brian Lear

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Posted 08 June 2003 - 13:33

A three page story by Andrew Whyte on the life and career of John Duff appeared in the
July 1984 issue of Thoroughbred and Classic Cars. The author acknowledges the help of
Duff's son and daughter in compiling the article.
PM me if you would like a copy.

Brian Lear
Australia

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#11 m.tanney

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Posted 08 June 2003 - 15:20

Originally posted by Vitesse2
1958 looks favourite, in a riding accident in the New Forest:
http://www.classicli...00.asp?id=10950

Thanks for the link, Vitesse. I've read that Duff worked as a stuntman in Hollywood, though (again) I can't remember the source. The U.S. Census for 1930 had him living in Santa Monica, near Los Angeles, and working as a fencing instructor. He may have worked as a double in some Hollywood swashbucklers.

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#12 Ray Bell

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Posted 10 June 2003 - 15:14

I'm sure that someone* posted something on this subject... anyone wanting to find more in old threads should use search with Duff as keyword.

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#13 Vitesse2

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Posted 18 May 2004 - 00:13

Duff almost surfaced in the Antipodeans at Indy thread. Coincidentally there's an article about him in the June issue of The Automobile, which confirms much of what we'd found out in this thread (although he apparently died in a riding accident in Epping Forest, not the New Forest). I've sent a copy of it to Mike Tanney - anyone else who'd like it as a .zip file (or three JPEGs - please specify!) please PM me with your email address.

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#14 m.tanney

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Posted 05 July 2005 - 23:22

Has anyone managed to come up with the exact date of John Duff's death? I think we're all agreed on January, 1958. The Times (January 14, 1958; p.5) mentioned a coroner's inquest but it did not give the date of death.

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#15 eldridge

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Posted 07 July 2005 - 17:01

The only small piece of information I can add, is that John Duff owned "Mephistopheles" before Ernest Eldridge.

The car (as Duff drove it ) was the original FIAT GP car from circa 1907, with slightly modified bodywork. The car was quite successfull in this guise until Duff blew the engine up in a major way - it was unrepairable.

Eldride then bought the chassis, modified it and fitted a FIAT 21.7 litre engine to go record breaking.

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#16 Richard Jenkins

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Posted 30 March 2006 - 17:38

Originally posted by m.tanney
Has anyone managed to come up with the exact date of John Duff's death? I think we're all agreed on January, 1958. The Times (January 14, 1958; p.5) mentioned a coroner's inquest but it did not give the date of death.

Yep, 8 Jan 1958.

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#17 Vitesse2

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Posted 30 March 2006 - 20:38

Close but no cigar, Richie.

Jan 9th.

Source: death notice in The Times, Jan 14th 1958, page 1 column A.

His home address was given as 20 Beechcroft Avenue, Golders Green and he was "late of French Hall, Moulton, Newmarket".

He was cremated at Golders Green on Jan 15th.

Strangely, the address in the report quoted by Mike (in the same issue of The Times) is Beechcroft Avenue, Arkley. Multimap can only find a Beechcroft Avenue in Golders Green.

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#18 Richard Jenkins

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Posted 30 March 2006 - 21:09

Originally posted by Vitesse2
Close but no cigar, Richie.

Jan 9th.

Source: death notice in The Times, Jan 14th 1958, page 1 column A.

Maybe it was one of these midnight deaths, a la Jack Wild.

Thanks, anyway, Richard. :up:

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#19 m.tanney

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Posted 30 March 2006 - 22:54

I got the January 8th date from Duff's eldest son, Paul, who has an exceptional memory for a man his age. It is confirmed by a letter from his sister. I think it's reliable.
John Duff went out for a ride in Epping Forest that day. A little while later, his horse returned to its stable without him. According to his daughter, they "found him lying on the ground looking so comfortable, as if he was asleep", guarded by his black Labrador. His neck was broken. Paul Duff believes that something spooked his horse, or upset the dog which then spooked the horse, causing it to throw its rider.

Mike

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#20 m.tanney

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Posted 16 April 2006 - 23:00

Does anyone have a copy of T.R. Nicolson's Sprint: speed hillclimbs and speed trials in Britain, 1899-1925? If so, are there any references to John Duff? It's been years since I've seen the book, but I think there was at least one. I'm trying to track down the details of Duff's appearances at places other than Brooklands and Le Mans.

Mike

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#21 Tim Murray

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Posted 17 April 2006 - 07:38

(Assuming that the book's index is correct) he is mentioned twice.

At the Essex MC's Westcliff speed trials on 7 July 1921:

As usual, the greatest excitement of the day was occasioned by the contest for cars unrestricted in any direction. J. F. Duff's 35.2s in his enormous 90 hp FIAT was fastest time of day; too much for Kensington-Moir's dazzle-painted racing Straker-Squire and Frazer-Nash's 'Kim II', which pair recorded 36.8s and 39s. Duff went on to beat Bert le Vack's Indian in the fastest-car-versus-fastest-motor-cycle race which, by tradition, closed the day.

and at the Essex MC's event at Kop on 24 March 1923: