16 replies to this topic

[FLB]

Upon discussing the release of Didier Calmels on a sportscar board, someone posted another story about a racing-related murder. I tried to look in the Forum archives and couldn't find it.

The last woman to be hanged in Great-Britain, Ruth Ellis, paid her life for the murder of David Blakely, a young promissing sportscar driver in the early 1950's.

Does anybody know the rest of the story? Who was David Blakely? How good was he? What was his relationship with Ms. Ellis? Who was she?

http://www.race-cars...80/hrgw80ss.htm

[Vitesse2]

The story of Ruth Ellis can be found here:

http://www.crimelibr...classics2/ellis

See especially the page "The Sponger and the Ponce", which tells the story of her relationship with Blakely and also mentions quite a number of well-known racing names of the fifties (several of them mis-spelled:rolleyes: ) who were also "involved" via the Steering Wheel Club.

[FLB]

Thanks!

[Criceto]

Not sure I want to trust the veracity of an account which refers to "Sterling Moss" and a "Vauxhall Vanguard" car. And just how often did Ascari make an appearance at the Steering Wheel Club?

But I've seen Cliff Davis' summing up of Blakely in print before, so I'm inclined to trust that.

[Vitesse2]

Criceto
I wondered exactly the same about Ascari, so I started this thread:

http://www.atlasf1.c...&threadid=27980

I'm not sure we should be too worried about someone getting Stirling's name wrong - it's a pretty common mistake, even here! There was an E added to Hawthorn's name too ...

[William Hunt]

Originally posted by Vitesse2
The story of Ruth Ellis can be found here:

http://www.crimelibr...classics2/ellis

See especially the page "The Sponger and the Ponce", which tells the story of her relationship with Blakely and also mentions quite a number of well-known racing names of the fifties (several of them mis-spelled:rolleyes: ) who were also "involved" via the Steering Wheel Club.

A very fascinating story. But I do not seem to be able to find stats about David Blakeley's racing carreer. The story claims that Blackeley also drove in Le Mans , but I can't find any proof of that.

[Vitesse2]

According to The Independent today, Ellis' conviction may be quashed and downgraded to manslaughter:

http://news.independ...sp?story=119055

http://news.independ...sp?story=119107

[Ray Bell]

A shame the process of the justice system take longer to act than did the hangman... just a month from court to noose, half a century to reduce the sentence...

The use of the word 'unsafe' was never more appropriate!

[Gerr]

To William Hunt.........http://user.tninet.s...1955.htm........

[Rob29]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
A shame the process of the justice system take longer to act than did the hangman... just a month from court to noose, half a century to reduce the sentence...

The use of the word 'unsafe' was never more appropriate!

Yes,I wondered about that and how slow justice is now.The other day I saw a report about an American who was given the lethal injection 22 YEARS after the trial....

[Jeremy Jackson]

The story claims that Blackeley also drove in Le Mans , but I can't find any proof of that.

Blakely 'drove' the no. 55 Bristol 450C in practice at Le Mans in 1955, but didn't actually 'race'.

His only other World Championship appearance was in Lionel Leonard's MG-engined device at the Nürburgring 1000kms in 1953.

[William Hunt]

Originally posted by Gerr
To William Hunt.........http://user.tninet.s...1955.htm........

Thanks for your effort Gerr, but when I try to open the url-link it says : file not found.

[Jeremy Jackson]

William, Gerr's link is OK if you remove the trailing .......

It shows what I mentioned, except I got my race number incorrect - Car was the no. 33 Bristol, not no. 55.

Incidentally I don't think the other 2 'DNS' drivers in that link (Mayers & Wilson) actually drove the car at all.

[Geza Sury]

Originally posted by FLB
Upon discussing the release of Didier Calmels on a sportscar board, someone posted another story about a racing-related murder.

Can someone tell me exactly what happened to Mr Calmels?

[Udo K.]

A very fascinating story. But I do not seem to be able to find stats about David Blakeley's racing carreer. The story claims that Blackeley also drove in Le Mans , but I can't find any proof of that.

Goodwood 9 Hours Aug. 16th 1952

12th Blakeley/Findfast H.R.G.


London Trophy Meeting - Crystal Palace Sep. 19th 1953

Sports Cars 1500 cc

3rd Blakeley H.R.G.

[HistoryFan]

Can someone tell me exactly what happened to Mr Calmels?

That is the question. I want to know it, too. What happened to him after he was arrested because I heard that he is now involved in racing again (at Saulnier Racing, now Oak Racing)? Is that right?

[HistoryFan]

And what is known about Calmels before he was etablishing Larrousse-Calmels-Racing in 1987? Was he also involved in motorsport before? Where?