12 replies to this topic

[56Lotus]

Hi All

 

I'm trying to trace the early history of my 1956 Lotus Eleven and have been given the lead to a driver named G.K. Farmer.  There is very little on the web about this gentleman and I'm hoping the collective brains here will be able to offer some more info.  If you can help in any way, even his full name, that would be great.

 

 

Thanks for your help

 

Jon Adams

[john winfield]

Hi Jon.  I expect that you've already found the search results showing a GK Farmer racing a Ford Zephyr at Goodwood in 1959, and rallying a Ford Consul in 1955. I wonder what his first name was.  Might be helpful in tracing any family or team members involved in his Lotus XI days.

[Vitesse2]

Assuming G and K are his only initials then Ancestry throws up one or two possibles - but only in phone book records. There's a GK Farmer recorded as living in the Paddington and Bayswater areas from the mid-1950s to the late 1960s: two more appear later in Thaxted and Brighton. But no obvious birth or death records.

 

However, the London-resident one isn't apparently on the electoral roll. Commonwealth citizen? American?

 

There is also a GK Farmery in the 1945 and 1946 Navy Lists, who rose from Midshipman to the dizzying rank of Temporary Sub-Lieutenant RNVR! But no further trace of him at all. Maybe he's a typo?

[Rupertlt1]

G.K. Farmer was a member of the B.A.R.C. and in 1959 entered:

 

Goodwood Easter Monday, March 30

Aintree International 200, April 18

Goodwood 34th Members, April 25

Goodwood Whit Monday, May 18

Goodwood 36th Members, June 27

Goodwood 37th Members, July 11

 

Source: B.A.R.C. Yearbook 1960.

 

Car(s) unknown, he did not trouble the scorers on any occasion.

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 25 November 2014 - 14:01.

[Rupertlt1]

G.K. Farmer was a member of the B.A.R.C. and in 1957 entered:

 

Goodwood 25th Members, May 11

Crystal Palace Bank Holiday Meeting, Aug 5

 

Source: B.A.R.C. Yearbook 1958.

 

Car(s) unknown, he did not trouble the scorers on any occasion.

 

RGDS RLT 

Edited by Rupertlt1, 25 November 2014 - 14:02.

[56Lotus]

Thanks for the help gents.

 

Will now look at getting some of the old programs to see starters.  57 BARC members meeting looks a good on to start with

 

Jon Adams

[Rupertlt1]

Please post results here. Do you have a registration number or chassis number for the Lotus XI? (You might have got more response with "Lotus" in the thread title.)

[dgs]

Please post results here. Do you have a registration number or chassis number for the Lotus XI? (You might have got more response with "Lotus" in the thread title.)

Some results for GK Farmer can be sourced from the books 'A Record of Motor Racing at Goodwood' and 'A Record of Motor Racing at Crystal Palace', which give informative and accurate records

 

1957

 

25th Member Meeting (Goodwood) 11th May

 

SCRATCH RACE (A) (up to 1250cc non s/c)  5 laps

 

No 8  George Farmer  Lotus 11-Climax (162?)  SG: (20th)  Result:  16th, 5 laps, 10'20.8"

 

SCRATCH RACE (B) (up to 1500cc non s/c)  5 laps

 

No  8  George Farmer  Lotus 11-Climax (162?)  SG: (16th)  Result:  14th, 5 laps, 9'50.4"

 

HANDICAP RACE (D) 5 laps 

 

No  8  George Farmer  Lotus -Climax  SG:  0.00"  Result:  9th, 5 laps, 12'03.0"

 

AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY MEETING (Crystal Palace)  5th August

 

AUGUST TROPHY Heat 2 (Sports Cars up to 1100cc)  10 laps

 

No 30  George Farmer  Lotus-Climax  SG: (11th)  Result:  7th, 10 laps, 12'44.2"

 

All results at Goodwood in 1959 show him racing a Ford Zephyr (Reg no: SYW 489)

[ian senior]

Long shot perhaps, but could it be the George Farmer that was Chairman of the Rover Company in the 60s?  Seem to recall reading somewhere he had done some motor racing at some polint.

[Rupertlt1]

Long shot perhaps, but could it be the George Farmer that was Chairman of the Rover Company in the 60s?  Seem to recall reading somewhere he had done some motor racing at some point.

 

Seems like a non starter: Mr L. G. T. (later Sir George) Farmer was the Rover man.

 

Somewhat OT but do these books cover 1959-1961? I'm looking for another Lotus XI driven by Canadian Murray Shill, at Goodwood and Crystal Palace.

[dgs]

Seems like a non starter: Mr L. G. T. (later Sir George) Farmer was the Rover man.

 

Somewhat OT but do these books cover 1959-1961? I'm looking for another Lotus XI driven by Canadian Murray Shill, at Goodwood and Crystal Palace.

The Goodwood book covers years 1948-1966. Crystal Palace book (cars 1937 to 1972) motocycles raced before this and are covered. Both 2 volumes in slip case.

 

Murray Schill Races.

 

Goodwood.

 

34th Members Meeting 25-04-1959

Scratch Race (A) (Sports cars up to 1100cc)  10 laps

 

No 15  Lotus 11-Climax (296) Reg no: 5 BPH.  SG:  n/a  Result: 9 laps

 

Scratch Race (B) (Sports cars up to 1500cc non s/c)  5 laps

 

No 15  Lotus 11-Climax (296) Reg no: 5 BPH.  SG: (3rd)  Result: 4th, 5 laps, 10'12.4"

 

35th Members Meeting  06-06-1959

Scratch Race (A) (Sports cars up to 1100cc)  10 laps

 

No 12  Lotus 11-Climax (296) Reg no: 5 BPH.  SG: n/a  Result:  disqualified, reason ?

 

37th Members Meeting  11-07-1959

Scratch Race (A) ( up to 1100cc non s/c)  10 laps

 

No 14  Lotus 11-Climax (296) Reg no: 5 BPH.  SG:  n/a  Result: 7th, 10 laps, 18'01.2"

 

38th Members Meeting  26-09-1959

Scratch Race  (up to 1100cc)  10 laps

 

No 5  Lotus 1-Climax  SG:  n/a  Result:  did not start

 

46th Members Meeting  10-06-1961

Scratch Race (A) (Sports Cars up to 100cc non s/c)  5 laps

 

No  9  Lotus 11-Climax ("96)  Reg no: 5 BPH.  SG: (2nd)  Result:  retired, 2 laps, resaon ?

 

Scratch Race (D) (Unlimited Sports Cars)  10 laps

 

No  9  Lotus 11-Climax (296)  Reg no: 5 BPH.  SG: (2nd)  Result: retired 0 lap, reason ?

 

48th Members Meeting  16-09-1961

Scratch Race (A) (Sports Cars up to 1100cc non s/c)  5 laps

 

No 53  Lotus-Climax  SG:  n/a  Result:  did not start

 

Scratch Race (D) (Unlimited Sports Cars)  10 laps

 

No 53  Lotus-Climax  SG:  n/a  Result:  did not start

 

Crystal Palace

 

National Meeting 

Sports Cars up to 1100cc (Event 3)  10 laps

 

No 45  Lotus 11-Climax  SG: (10th)  Result: 7th, 10 laps, 11'48.8"

 

Invitation Handicap (First 7 cars in Events 3 and 4)  10 laps

 

No 45  Lotus 11-Climax (296)  SG:  60"  Result:  retired, 2 laps, reason ?

[Lotus11Register]

Regarding what the poster (dgs) has been kind enough to reveal, where did the books 'A Record of Motor Racing at Goodwood' and 'A Record of Motor Racing at Crystal Palace' get chassis numbers from? Was this information collected on entry forms?

 

Edit: hours later I learned that my HLR co-registrar Victor Thomas has supplied some chassis numbers for the Goodwood book.   We will confer  . . . .

Edited by Lotus11Register, 30 November 2014 - 20:25.

[dgs]

Regarding what the poster (dgs) has been kind enough to reveal, where did the books 'A Record of Motor Racing at Goodwood' and 'A Record of Motor Racing at Crystal Palace' get chassis numbers from? Was this information collected on entry forms?

 

Edit: hours later I learned that my HLR co-registrar Victor Thomas has supplied some chassis numbers for the Goodwood book.   We will confer  . . . .

The information in the two volume histories of Goodwood & Crystal Palace were obtained from a number of sources - Race Programmes, Official Bulletin, etc. Also a great number of marque registrars, including Historic Lotus Register and known experts on particular makes. 

 

In the preface of the Crystal Palace book it states 'chassis numbers have been obtained from club registrars'. It also notes the fact that an identity is quoted in this book should not be taken as indepentant verification and no one should rely upon it as authenticating a car's history.

 

Both books are the most comprehensive available on the circuits and should be available from the Formula One Register, who have a webpage.