43 replies to this topic

[Kilted Wanderer]

Sadly, I have to inform you that Ian M M Stewart (Dad) passed away peacefully yesterday after a short illness. He was surrounded by his family and will be missed greatly.

 

He made many friends here, and although he didn't post much recently he greatly enjoyed the camaraderie and shared love of a sport that he adored.

 

I'll post more in time, when things are a little less raw, but I hope he's somewhere up above with Mum, who he missed terribly over the past seven years.

 

If there are sheep sales in heaven, and for some reason he is forced to attend, I'd like to think he's currently somewhere on the old Oban road, flat out in a Ferrari Daytona, scaring the hell out of a fellow farmer. The sheep sale itself will of course matter little.

 

Or perhaps he's picking out a Grand Prix car more suited to his talents than the one he drove, or knowing him squeezing into the latest Mercedes to find out what all the fuss is about.

 

He was everything a son would want in a Father, loving, caring, indulgent, conspiratorial, stern and forgiving. God rest his soul.

 

Christian

 

Edited by Kilted Wanderer, 12 February 2021 - 13:17.

[Tim Murray]

Christian, I'm so very sorry to hear your news. Your Dad's posts here were always fascinating and informative. Sincere condolences to you and all the rest of his family and friends.

[Ray Bell]

My condolences, Christian...

Such losses are indeed hard to deal with. For your dad, the loss of your mum would have been a terrible burden, trust me in this.

Becoming the vanguard generation of your family is something none of us want to do, but inevitably it creeps up on us. We look forward to your further contributions about your father.

[Doug Nye]

Most sincere condolences Christian - your father was true gentleman of the sport and one of those rare racing drivers for whom nobody in the motor sporting world ever seemed to have a bad word. And, by the way, what a wonderfully evocative family photo...thank you for sharing it. Remember the good times.

 

DCN

[Graham Gauld]

The passing of Ian Stewart is for me a truly sad moment. As Doug has mentioned he was a true gentleman. I had just started out as a trainee journalist back in 1952 when I first met up with him at a small club rally run by Lothian Car Club and from then on he was a trusted friend and we had many amusing adventures, particularly when I first joined Motor World magazine in Scotland as sports editor and later Editor. Whenever I had an interesting car to test I always drove to Ian's farmhouse where we would get into a discussion about the handling of the car and he gave me a much better insight. A good example was when Mercedes sent a 300SL for test. Ian had just bought one and so I drove it up to his farmhouse and I explained that I did not like it at high speed on corners and felt that it was perhaps too dangerous to  be let loose for sale to a public that might not be able to handle it. Needless to say Ian had the answer. We then went out in his Mercedes and on the Crieff road he was speeding along and as we approached a bend he said that it could be taken at 70 mph - which appeared impossible - bvut Ian arrived at 75 mph and right enough the tail broke away quite violently which Ian smothered smootly then turned and said, you see, it handles perfectly !!!!  

Christian is quite correct in that the Ecurie Ecosse Connaught, chassis A6, was a bit overweight and underpowered for his talents.

He was a factory driver for Jaguar at Le Mans in 1952 sharing one of the ultra streamlined Jaguar C types with Peter Whitehead but they all overheated and retired. Stirling Moss had already noted his talent in a Jaguar XK120 and had tipped off Lofty England. The following year, 1953 he finished 4th at Le Mans in a factory C type Jaguar.

He retired early from motor racing due to pressure from his father just when everything was opening up for him and there is little doubt he would have been driving for Jaguar in D types in 1954 had he not retired earlier that year.

Even then he was still involved and had many rollicking weekends at the farm and shooting with Innes Ireland. He was one of the first people in Scotland to truly get into slot car racing and had an entire room in his house given over to the ultimate slot car track. He build all his own slot cars and was adept at tuning them. As a result all his racing driver pals who came to visit him were roped in for mammoth Grands Prix round the slot car track with wives and mistresses posted round the room to immediatly put cars  back on the track when someone like Ireland would go off the road. 

Many happy memories that will never be forgotten 

[Richard Jenkins]

Christian, Thank you and deepest condolences to you, your family and all Ian's friends.
It was always a pleasure to read Ian's posts and I enjoyed the correspondence that we had a while back about numerous memories.
He was a gentleman, an enthusiast and although you mentioned that he enjoyed it here, TNF, without doubt, was enriched by his presence here and that's not something you can say about everyone.

[condor]

Very sad to hear your news Christian.
 

Edited by condor, 20 March 2017 - 20:53.

[LittleChris]

Very sorry to hear this. My condolences Christian.

[JacnGille]

Sad news

[Catalina Park]

My deepest condolences Christian.
I really enjoyed your fathers posts here. He was a great gentleman.

[dmj]

My condolences. It was real honor to read his memories and opinions here.

[Dennis Hockenbury]

My sincere condolences to you and your family Christian.

 

Ian was a treasure. I enjoyed his contributions to TNF and our correspondence immensely. 

[Gabrci]

Oh, I'm very sad to read this. I was corresponding with him a few years ago and he came across as an amazingly nice, charming, interesting, intelligent and funny person. He wrote long emails which were fascinating to the very last letter. Once he told me that he had never seen a good photo from the British GP so when I found one I sent it to him and he was so happy, and so was I that I could do something nice for him. 

 

It's a great privilege to have been in contact with him and please accept my deepest condolences. 

[Dennis Hockenbury]

A very well written tribute to Ian by Graham Gauld.

 

http://www.ecurieeco...29-1932017.html

[Kilted Wanderer]

Arrangements for Dad's funeral have been finalised. A Thanksgiving Service will take place at Crieff Parish Church, Strathearn Terrace, Crieff, on Friday 31st March at 12:00pm. Donations, if desired, to The Lady Haig Poppy Factory.

 

All of course welcome.

 

A heartfelt thank you for the kind thoughts and messages. 

[Kilted Wanderer]

The Herald have published a lovely Obituary to Dad today.

 

http://www.heraldsco...ie_Ecosse_team/

Edited by Kilted Wanderer, 07 April 2017 - 12:32.

[Kilted Wanderer]

A few small discoveries going through Dad's things.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Kilted Wanderer, 11 June 2018 - 10:45.

[Eric Dunsdon]

Christian, thank you for posting those fascinating items. Your Dad became one of my schoolboy hero's after I saw him in his XK120 at the 1952 International Trophy meeting at Silverstone and I followed his career closely. His posts and memories in recent years were wonderful to read and he replied very kindly to  a couple of my e-mails.

Ian Stewart will always be a hero of mine.

[Cirrus]

Fascinating! The £250 retainer is worth well under £5000 in today's money and the £75 start money about £1400 according to the inflation calculator I used.

[condor]

Hope you'll post more of your Dad's memorabilia 

[David Birchall]

Very sorry to hear this,  my condolences to you and the rest of the family and friends.

 

Am I right in believing that Ian Stewart is responsible for Ecurie Ecosse Blue?  My favourite car colour.

[Tim Murray]

He was indeed. Here’s what he posted about it back in 2003:

The Ecurie Ecosse colour was sheer chance. The first EE Jaguar started its pre-EE life in silver, and then darkish red after being driven into a Jensen furniture van. Thoroughly into - not just a bump. It turned blue after a sleep-induced inversion in an old schoolmate's field. Good-hearted bloke. He sent me the repair bill for the fence a couple of months later.

When the time came to paint the replacement bodywork the coachbuilder's foreman handed me a colour card, and I pointed my grubby finger at the blue because it looked nice. That's all there was to it. Perhaps David Murray liked the blue because he was an ex- Merchiston rugby player.

[Kilted Wanderer]

Amongst various things hidden in my father's attic was a scrapbook. Sadly it only has five pages which appears to be his 1951 exploits with the XK120 pre Ecurie Ecosse forming. There are also numerous loose photographs, which are clearly copyright as marked as such (Dunn, Griffiths, Phillips etc). There are a few that have no attribution that I presume are OK to post. Anyway, here is the first page. 

 

[Eric Dunsdon]

Amongst various things hidden in my father's attic was a scrapbook. Sadly it only has five pages which appears to be his 1951 exploits with the XK120 pre Ecurie Ecosse forming. There are also numerous loose photographs, which are clearly copyright as marked as such (Dunn, Griffiths, Phillips etc). There are a few that have no attribution that I presume are OK to post. Anyway, here is the first page. 

 

Thats lovely, thank you for posting.

[Kilted Wanderer]

Crimond in June 1951.

 

[Kilted Wanderer]

Winfield in July 1951

 

[Kilted Wanderer]

Turnberry in September 1951

 

[Kilted Wanderer]

And finally October 1951 at Winfield 

 

[Tim Murray]

Thank you Christian for these fascinating items. Much appreciated.

[Ray Bell]

Agreed, they are a nice snapshot of one man's enthusiasm...

 

Is there any way we can see the loose pics? Upload and just post links, is that okay, Tim?

[Doug Nye]

I have always adored the original Ault & Wyborg (A&W) Flag Metallic Blue paint used by Ecosse at Ian's suggestion. It's one of those deceptive finishes that appears to change in different light conditions. On a really clear day in bright sunshine it absolutely sparkles.

Here it is on my fake old pozerwagen, parked outside one of Mike Hawthorn's favourite places of refreshment - The Barley Mow on Tilford Green, 2 1/2-miles from home. Such days seem like a distant memory now, don't they?



Photo: GPL

DCN

[68targa]

Certainly very nice to see and cheer us up a bit in these cold depressive days  - sunny warm day - eclectic bunch of cars - and a pub.

Edited by 68targa, 13 February 2021 - 12:27.

[Richard Jenkins]

Doug,

 

Is that THE Barley Mow? As in Eoin Young's office and the Tyrrell team's pub of choice? 

 

If so, if walls could talk and all that...

 

If not, nice to see two pubs with a rich racing heritage near each other.

Edited by Richard Jenkins, 13 February 2021 - 20:32.

[Doug Nye]

No, it's not Oyn's version of The Barley Mow.

 

His was the establishment in West Horsley, the opposite side of Guildford - some 20 miles to the east of this one.

 

DCN

[Kilted Wanderer]

What a lovely machine Doug. Add a country pub and summer sun, heaven.

[Kilted Wanderer]

Three more letters, which suggest that Bill Lyons was a very decent man.

 

[ReWind]

Success at Nuremburg?

Slight problems regarding geography, it seems.

Edited by ReWind, 14 February 2021 - 14:01.

[Kilted Wanderer]

Success at Nuremburg?

Slight problems regarding geography, it seems.

One would imagine something lost in dictation.

[Roger Clark]

Ian Stewart and Roy Salvadori were second in the Nurburgring 1,000kms  on 31st August. A good performance in an unsuitable car and a co-driver who (allegedly) was only good on airfield circuits. 

[Doug Nye]

Roy Salvadori always did go well on the Nurburgring, but at Dundrod for example - with its cambered country road surface - he was said by some of his better competitors to "go pink around the gills".  The same was true of him on most Continental road circuits with the possible exception of Pescara.

 

On smooth(ish) aerodrome circuits he was always a formidable - and by many a feared - competitor.  Curiously enough he also went rather well at Crystal Palace, which in British event terms was about as un-aerodrome as one could get...

 

DCN

[Kilted Wanderer]

Is there a thread on driver's favourite tracks and their bête noires? It would be fascinating to understand which circuits suited certain drivers and why. 

 

My father always claimed to have much preferred layouts that were proper roads, rather than airfields. He disliked Silverstone (too flat and featureless), and although he did well on the Scottish airfield circuits, it was more a case of knowledge rather than enjoying them. I think he far preferred contour and character. He was frustrated at the Nurburgring, as its similarity to Scottish highland roads out to have been perfect for him. I don't think however, that he gave himself enough time to learn it, if that was even possible on a maiden visit. Roy did know it, which was vital to their success.

 

He loved Jersey, and street circuits in general. His relatively short career left him at a disadvantage to others when further afield. As a perfectionist by nature, this was simply something that he felt sure would have improved over time. He found Le Mans unsatisfying too - perhaps through unreliability, team orders and the endurance nature of the event. He also spoke wistfully of Tom Cole and having had breakfast with him the day before, I think felt his loss in a particularly personal way.

[Doug Nye]

I can understand that.  Tom Cole seems to have been very well regarded by all who knew him.  He had survived polio as a child and motor racing was one of the few sports in which he had the recovering physical ability to compete on level terms.  His sisters told me he was known to his family as 'Boy'.  

 

DCN

[Eric Dunsdon]

I saw Tom Cole in his big Ferrari sports car at Silverstone in 1953 as well as his Cooper Bristol and remember feeling very sad when I heard of  his fatal crash. A sadly under rated driver and a good man by all accounts.

[cooper997]

A relevant page (given the significant Lyons letters Christian posted) from the Scannell/MRP Jaguar focussed 'Le Mans 1953' booklet

 

 

 

Stephen