57 replies to this topic

[RacingCrusaderUK]

I am unashamedly Scottish, coming from a village called Thornhill in Dumfries And Galloway, however, I now live in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England, there are a many attractions to this urban metropolis, it is home of a very nice hat museum, an ailing second division football team, the scene of "Britains Forgotten Air Disaster", Hyde the home of Doctor Death Shipman is a suburb, the longest viaduct in Europe, a bloody great glass pyramid and many more "wonderful" things. However, I thought, nothing, nothing at all to do with motorsport. Thats until flicking through my Guiness Motor Racing Almanac Appendix I came across Brian Naylor, from Stockport!

Who was this man? Does anyone know about him, what he did, if he still lives, what he drove, what he won etc. Any information would be most welcome.

Incidentally, if any of you have been inspired to visit Stockport, I suggest visiting nearby Manchester for something to do.

[ensign14]

Others will chime in with more info shortly, but with a designer called Fred Wilkinson Brian built a GP car, the JBW, which I think was based on his private Cooper-Climax. There was also a sports car version.

Brian was the first Brit in the Daytona 500, believe it or not, back in about 1961. But it was almost his last race as he had a heart condition which forced him to retire.

Brian's biggest F1 moment was the boycotted Italian GP 1960, in which he ran 6th for a while but retired. I believe he died a few years ago.

[Geza Sury]

There's an interesting article about Naylor and the JBW Grand Prix Car on 8W. You'll find it here.

Steve Small's Grand Prix Who's Who also contains some info about Naylor.

A motor-dealer from Stockport and a former merchant navy radio officer, who won awards for gallantry in the war, Naylor began racing in 1954 with a Cooper MG, but soon switched to a Lotus chassis, regularly clocking up victories the length and breatdth of Britain. In 1957 he bought a Formula 2 Cooper, which he was to race in selected events, including Grand Prix over the next three years.

Naylor was never content to drive standard fare and experimented with a Maserati-engined Lotus before developing his own Cooper-based Maserati, which he ran with great success in Libre events but was outclassed in Formula 1 and Inter-Continental racing. Ill-health brought about his retirement at the end of the 1961 season.

[Geza Sury]

Originally posted by ensign14
I believe he died a few years ago.

He died in 8th August 1989 on the island of Marbella in Spain.

[RacingCrusaderUK]

A bit of a trail blazer then, first Brit at Daytona indeed? I would never have credited him with that. Does anyone have any pictures or more infor about this historic outing? How did it go? JBW hey? Thats strange, there is an old garage/lock up in Stockport, in the old part of the town with a faded JBW sign above the door frame.

[Doug Nye]

When Brian Naylor competed in the Naples Grand Prix meting with his JBW-Maserati sports-racing car the small English contingent there were greatly amused by the Neapolitan commentator on the PA system. Every time the British car hove into sight he became immensely animated, roaring into his microphone the driver's name and his Italianate rendition of the car's initials...which came across, evidently with deafening volume...as:

"Ecco! NayLORRRRRRR! Eeeeee-Be-VOOOOOOO!!!!!".

DCN

[ensign14]

The gen on Brian Naylor at Daytona (courtesy of David Cole's letter to Autosport, 31 August 1989):

Apparently Bill France had been at Monza in 1960 and was quite taken with Brian's handling of the banking (the boycot of Monza that year was of course because the British teams felt the combined road course-banking layout used that year would be lethal). France invited Naylor to try to break 180moh at Daytona in France's Cooper Monaco-Ferrari (not heard of this!). And as a result of his handling of the sports car France got him a Smokey Yunick-prepped Pontiac (owned by one Fred Lovette) for the Daytona 500.

In August 1961 he tried Arfons' Green Monster at the Big D and was due to return for the 500 in 1962 but his health problems forced him into retirement in January that year.

Incidentally, looking at Greg Fielden's statistics on Daytona 1961, Naylor qualified 7th for the qualifying race, which is one heck of a performance, 1 place above a certain David Pearson. But for some unknown reason he retired on lap 2.

He moved into another car for the race, a Ford owned by the Warner Brothers (I don't suppose it's those Warner Bros, but you never know), which Frank Secrist drove in qualifying. Secrist retired in his qualifying race on lap 4 - I wonder whether the 2 are connected? But presumably Bill France exerted some pressure on someone to let Naylopr have a drive in the 500 itself, in which he started 58th (and dead last) and retired on lap 85, to be classed 42nd.

And from the record books you'd think Naylor was just a bit part player on the motor racing stage. Maybe, but who else can boast of having built and raced a Grand Prix car and sportscar, raced in the Daytona 500 and tried out a Land Speed Record car on a racetrack?

[Felix Muelas]

Originally posted by Geza Sury
...on the island of Marbella in Spain...

Although the Major wanted to build one half a mile from the beach, Marbella is not an island, Geza. An extremelly attractive place to be in days like today -because it is not cold- cosmopolitan as few, English is the language spoken and overall a very nice place to visit whilst on holidays on this part of the world. But definitely not an island...

[Barry Boor]

Brian's JBW Maserati F1 car was, shall we say, one of the less attractive cars running at that time....

[Geza Sury]

Originally posted by Felix Muelas
Although the Major wanted to build one half a mile from the beach, Marbella is not an island, Geza. An extremelly attractive place to be in days like today -because it is not cold- cosmopolitan as few, English is the language spoken and overall a very nice place to visit whilst on holidays on this part of the world. But definitely not an island...

Ooooops, I got that one wrong, thanks for the Geography lesson Felix! (I think I confused it with Mallorca, which I visited a couple of years ago.)

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by Barry Boor
Brian's JBW Maserati F1 car was, shall we say, one of the less attractive cars running at that time....

A page of pics on http://www.maserati-.../alfieri85a.htm

pete

[Doug Nye]

There were at least two JBW Formula 1 chassis - one 2 1/2-litre - one 1 1/2-litre.

DCN

[Barry Boor]

The nice pictures from Pete's link are not the car I was thinking about.

This



is the car I was referring to.

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by Barry Boor
The nice pictures from Pete's link are not the car I was thinking about.

This



is the car I was referring to.

Yes, that's the one I'd seen photos of before (Mike Lawrence's 45-65 book, IIRC) - I guess the one in the link must've been the 1.5l car. Certainly looked a bit less messy.

pete

[Geza Sury]

Originally posted by ensign14
Brian's biggest F1 moment was the boycotted Italian GP 1960, in which he ran 6th for a while but retired.

I've just read the report of the race and it says Naylor was up to as high as fourth at one point. If he had finished he would have been classified sixth or probably fifth.

[mickj]

Does anyone know if the JBW-Maserati pictured on the Maserati-Indy site was rebuilt in Chirnside, Scotland at the old Border Reivers Racing Team site.?

[baggybird]

there is a JBW for sale on Ebay, anyone know anything about this one

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...item=4578899562

[David Beard]

Originally posted by baggybird
there is a JBW for sale on Ebay, anyone know anything about this one

http://cgi.ebay.co.u...item=4578899562

A bit late to ask, Baggybird? You seem to have bought it!

[baggybird]

uncertain as to what it is I've bought hence question, fairly certain it isn't one of the JBW's raced by Brian Naylor and has no F1 history, but don't know if once Naylor retired Wilkinson went on to build other chassis's/cars. If its not JBW any suggestions as to which direction to look ie FJ etc.

[bradbury west]

Going back to the original Stockport/Manchester element of this thread, can anyone throw any light on an outfit called Raceways Engineering there in the early 1960s?

Roger Lund

[Sharman]

Here comes a spanner, there was also a JBW Ferrari (3 litre 4 pot???) I theeeenk that after Brian Naylor died his premises were taken over by George Pitt who raced (among other things) a Monte Carlo

[baggybird]

posted a few new pictures of the mysterious car I purchased in the Netherlands.

They are under a new thread "JBW? does anyone recognise this car"

if any of you can help identify this car then it would be a great help.

[ian senior]

Originally posted by baggybird
posted a few new pictures of the mysterious car I purchased in the Netherlands.

They are under a new thread "JBW? does anyone recognise this car"

if any of you can help identify this car then it would be a great help.

Nothing like saturation coverage to help meet your research objectives (said with absolutely no malice and "the ironic thread" in mind)!

[baggybird]

get your point, didn't want to look cheaky but thought by doing it that way it would alert some of the contributers to my latest tread and join the two seperate ones together!

[bradbury west]

Seeing the superb COLOUR photo of the 1958 JBW Maserati sportscar via Andrew Kitson's thread,
reminds me that there is a new model out of this car, produced by Echos at £35.25 for the kit. C&SC June 2006 refers. p52 for info

usual disclaimers

RL.

[Paul Parker]

Whilst researching Michael Cooper's archive some years ago with Michael we came across a pic of Jim Clark having to be restrained from assaulting Naylor who had apparently caused him to crash during the 1960 Oulton Park Gold Cup.

Presumably those involved in this thread are familiar with the JBW-Maser that is owned and raced by Marshal Bailey these last few years, including the Monaco Historique this year.

[Sharman]

;) Jimmy could have taken out a contract with any number of aggrieved husbands and fathers

[Bjorn Kjer]

I believe Naylors cars was BRG up to 59 and there after green (Lotus61?) and red ?
Will someone please confirm or correct me?
Regards Bjørn

[bradbury west]

There is a good shot of Naylor in the JBW in green with red inserts in the Wainwright book, Motor racing in colour, see Book thread or BB name as there were several shots put up on TNF.

Roger Lund.

[cstlhn]

I owned the JBW Maserati when it was in bits. I sold it to Peter Giddings in 1990. Sid Hoole was working on the chassis at the time. It looks great finished.

David

[Andy Donovan]

Originally posted by RacingCrusaderUK
...there are a many attractions to this urban metropolis, it is home of a very nice hat museum, an ailing second division football team, the scene of "Britains Forgotten Air Disaster", Hyde the home of Doctor Death Shipman is a suburb, the longest viaduct in Europe, a bloody great glass pyramid and many more "wonderful" things.

Hyde is in Tameside, not Stockport. The viaduct is also the 2nd largest brick structure in Europe (this castle in Poland beats it). Although I now live in Sheffield, I grew up in Stockport and return often.

Incidentally, if any of you have been inspired to visit Stockport, I suggest visiting nearby Manchester for something to do.

Very good advice.

[Barry Boor]

Funnily enough, no-one seems to have been able to say exactly WHY Naylor's cars were called J.B.Ws. I guess the W was from Fred Wilkinson who built the cars; maybe the B from Brian; but the J?

[raceannouncer2003]

Funnily enough, no-one seems to have been able to say exactly WHY Naylor's cars were called J.B.Ws. I guess the W was from Fred Wilkinson who built the cars; maybe the B from Brian; but the J?

Found it! Here is a link to a Forix page on the JBW:

http://www.forix.com/8w/jbw.html

and it says:

"...'JB' were Naylor's initials and 'W' stood for Wilkinson..."

Vince H.

[Jerry Entin]

Brian Naylor in the Cooper Ferrari at Nassau in 1960

Here Brian Naylor is behind Art Huttintger's Lister/Chevy at Nassau in 1960.


photo Art Huttinger collection

[Graham Gauld]

In Scotland at the moment but will add a photo or two when I get back to France.

I first met Brian Naylor at the Ulster TT in either 1954 or 1955 when he still had the ex- Horace Gould Cooper-MG and he drove his new Maserati 150S for the first time at Charterhall. He then put the Maserati engine into a Lotus Eleven before Ted Wilkinson built the JBW. The Ferrari engine he bought from the factory was put in a later JBW sports car and then was sold to George Pitt who put it into the ex John Coombs Cooper Monaco.
Many years ago I was with the late great Bill France in his office in Daytona when the phone rang. He was having an animated conversation with someone and I gestured to him who the person was and on a note pad he scribbled Brian Naylor. He handed over the phone and Brian was the same as usual full of fun. At the time he was working on a boat in Ford Lauderdale but he was to die not long afterwards in a freak accident. He was working on a boat and did not realise there were petrol fumes below deck and he was killed in the explosion as far as I am aware.

[elansprint72]

Dosn't Howard Heerey, who raced the factory GTM (built in the Cox "factory" in Stockport) count as a Stockport racing driver? I'm sure that there are more.

And actually there are two brick viaducts built next to each other but several years apart. Not many people know that.

Edited by elansprint72, 29 July 2009 - 11:15.

[Giraffe]

Rodney Bloor and Sports Motors were on the doorstep in Hazel Grove (which is in Stockport).........

Edited by Giraffe, 29 July 2009 - 11:20.

[HiRich]

An earlier post states Naylor began racing in 1954. A look in the books shows he began racing in Formula III in late 1953 with a Cooper. A full season in '54 was tailed off with just the one appearance in 1955 (George Pitt coincidentally driving the car as well).

[bradbury west]

I am sure if you BB Search JBW or Brian Naylor you will find we have covered lots of stuff about him, incl that he took his Eleven to Rome for the Castle something or other races in '55, a multi-heat race IIRC. You may find answers to questions about BN and JBW which you may not have realised you needed to know.
Roger Lund

[elansprint72]

Rodney Bloor and Sports Motors were on the doorstep in Hazel Grove (which is in Stockport).........

I didn't know that- I remember them being on Oxford Rd/Wilmslow Rd near All-Saints and was a customer at Plymouth Grove (both Manchester), then they moved to the Bleeding Wolf in Hale. Norman Bloor was the Press Officer at Oulton when I started snapping, I think he was Rodney's dad.

[Alan Cox]

I didn't know that- I remember them being on Oxford Rd/Wilmslow Rd near All-Saints and was a customer at Plymouth Grove (both Manchester), then they moved to the Bleeding Wolf in Hale. Norman Bloor was the Press Officer at Oulton when I started snapping, I think he was Rodney's dad.

OT but I remember them being on Oxford Road, and later at Plymouth Grove, when I worked in Manchester in the '60s and '70s. I got to know Rodney years later after meeting him on a trip to Angouleme, and it was a tragedy that he had just made his return to racing in historic Formula Ford when his health went into decline. A lovely bloke.

[David McKinney]

An earlier post states Naylor began racing in 1954. A look in the books shows he began racing in Formula III in late 1953 with a Cooper. A full season in '54 was tailed off with just the one appearance in 1955 (George Pitt coincidentally driving the car as well).

I take it you're talking F3 only here?
He'd raced an F2 Alta-Bristol in 1953 before moving on to a busy club career in sportscars with Cooper-MG, Lotus-MG and Lotus-Connaught before the end of 1955, then the Maserati, Lotus-Maserati, F2 Cooper-Climax, JBW-Ferrari and JBW-Maseratis...

[bradbury west]

Whilst the various Naylor JBW devices had varying degrees of success over the years in various levels of competition, including holding the outright record at Oliver's Mount for several years in the early/mid '60s with Jack Cordingley, it may not be widely known that the JBW Maserati was highly regarded by Stirling Moss, in whose hands the car set the outright lap record at Roskilde twice on August 15 1958, at 47.2 secs and 46.7secs in 2 of the 6 heats for the Copenhagen Grand Prix. These times were quicker than those set by SCM in his own Maserati 300S, whose speed was greater, but whose handling was less well suited to the tight 7-corner circuit.

qv My Cars, My Career; SCM and DCN. Times taken from the excellent History of Roskilde Circuit 50 page commemorative booklet kindly made available to me.

SCM speaks in generous terms about the car, and most kindly about Naylor's selflessness in the loan of the car, as SCM's car needed an engine change after the first heat, and using the JBW enabled SCM not only to win the 2nd and 3rd heats by 11.8secs and 19secs in the JBW on the Saturday, but ensured he completed all 6 heats and won overall.
Roger Lund

[Gary C]

'I got to know Rodney years later after meeting him on a trip to Angouleme, and it was a tragedy that he had just made his return to racing in historic Formula Ford when his health went into decline. A lovely bloke.'
Yes indeed. I did a race at Silverstone only a couple of years ago in my historic FFord. Behind me on the grid was Rodney Bloor making his 'comeback'. Apparently he was very suprised at just how competitive it was!!

[Danny Skehan]

Pic from another site copyright - Neil McDougald ( ace photographer and all round nice bloke) taken when he was a kid. The shot was taken on a Brownie 127 fixed focus camera. Brian Naylor , in his J.B.W. Maserati at the Phoenix Park in 1960

[RobMk2a]

I'm researching TVR racing history and have a number of questions re Brian Naylor's early races.

1. Aintree BARC 13th August 1955 Event 1a 7 lap scratch race sports cars up to 1,500cc.

1st - Brian Naylor Lotus VIII (I think this is the Ex John Coombs Connaught engine Lotus VIII).
2nd JP Hacking TVR-MK1
3rd Blumer MG TC
Colin Escott retired in a Lester MG (which he advertised for sale later in Sept 1955).
Does anyone have more details / programme or hopefully photographs of this race, or can anyone point me towards a good archive for Aintree. I'm trying to identify the TVR, this race is only 5 months after the Microplast Mistral body shell was announced (April 1955) and I wonder if it could be TVR's first 'open sports racer' or an earlier RGS body.
I believe JP Hacking raced a Cooper 500, MG TF and Elva Courier. He also competed in the Aston Martin OC David Brown Trophy meeting 17th May 1958 at Silverstone in a relay with Tommy Entwistle in a MGA. Does anyone recall JP Hacking.

2. Charterhall 29th April 1956
10 lap race for Sports cars
1st Brian Naylor Maserati 150s

Autosport reported - Ian S Munn showing his latest concoction TVR-MG which showed promise.

Ian Munn appeared again at Charterhall 26 August 1956 and came 3rd to J Mackay Lotus Ford and Louis Bramley Lotus IX.

Again I'm trying to identify the TVR, is this JP Hacking's car. does anyone have photos of Brian Naylor's Maserati 150s or is there a good archive / photographs for Charterhall (I've not tried Henderson Design yet).

Thanks Rob

Edited by RobMk2a, 29 November 2015 - 18:26.

[Graham Gauld]

Reference the TVR's here is a shot of Stan Hart spinning this very early TVR at Charterhall. Is this the car you are talking about ?

 

Also Brian Naylor's JBW-Maserati at the British Empire Trophy, Oulton Park  1958

 

 

 

Télécharger des photos

 

url=http://postimage.org/][/url]

[Graham Gauld]

Sorry about that:   will get back with the photos later. Having difficulty downloading

 

GG

[elansprint72]

Tony Brooks was brought up in Dukinfield which, from the middle-ages until 1974, was in the parish of Stockport, although parts of it seem to have migrated to Stalybridge in Victorian times.

[RobMk2a]

Graham,

Thank you for posting the photos - I think the Hart's TVR may be the same one as entered by Ian Munn at Charterhall when Brian Naylor entered his Maserati 150s in April 1956. Do you have any details of this event.

JP Hacking may have entered the same car or an earlier one at Aintree August 1955 where Brian Naylor raced the Ex Coombs Connaught engined Lotus VIII.

I've mentioned the JBW Maserati on a separate thread (this appears to be under Listers Imported into America) where I'm trying to found out about Robin Smith and his trip to Austria in October 1959. I assume that the JBW Maserati is Lotus XI based.

Elansprint72 - Later on Tony Brooks sold TVR Grantura's from his garage in Weybridge - (probably not related to question).

Rob

Edited by RobMk2a, 01 December 2015 - 12:31.