50 replies to this topic

[Gary C]

Does anyone have any information on Rodney Nuckey. I've just returned from having dinner with a friend of mine whose father used to work with him at British Road Services. My friend Steve reckons Rodney owned one of the very early Lotus-es, maybe a mark 2. Steve also recalls that Rodney bought new an F2 Cooper Bristol followed by an F2 Connaught, also brand new--not cheap in the mid-50's. Steve's father seems to think that Rodney emigrated to Australia by around 1956 as he never heard from him after that. Does anyone have any infomation?

[Sharman]

Cooper-Bristol I theeeeenk!

[Tomas Karlsson]

Nuckey was also a successful F3-driver. At least in Scandinavia. He came over here, both with his F3 car and his F2 car, and won about every race he started in.
Where did he get his money from? A wealthy family?

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by Tomas Karlsson

Where did he get his money from? A wealthy family?

Possibly. Nuckey's a very unusual name - in 1950 a toolmaking company called Nuckey, Scott & Co of Ponders End was merged with with two others called Lehmann, Archer & Lane and British Tap & Die Holdings Ltd to form the excitingly named Tap & Die Corporation Ltd. A Mr P Nuckey was one of the senior directors of the new company.

Timing would seem to fit, but purely circumstantial so far.

Source: The Times Online Archive 1949-60 passim

[Bjorn Kjer]

Did you try the Search button ? There are more than one thread here with cars and results of Rodney Nuckey! Try it! And lets have atransporter picture! !

[grimeheel]

Sheldon's Record of GP & Voiturette Racing show Rodney racing a Cooper-Bristol in 1954. It was a Cooper 23, chassis #CB-3-53. His first start appears to be at the Crystal Palace Trophy, June 19. First in heat 2, Fifth in the final. He retired from the Cornwall MRC race, August 2. He was fifth at the Oulton Park Gold Cup on August 7. Fifth again at the Snetterton Redex Trophy, August 14. He was entered in about 5 or 6 other races but did not show.

[Richard Jenkins]

Originally posted by Gary C
Does anyone have any information on Rodney Nuckey. Steve's father seems to think that Rodney emigrated to Australia by around 1956 as he never heard from him after that. Does anyone have any infomation?

Yes, he did.
He also died abroad, in the Philippines, in 2000.

[Richard Jenkins]

In case anyone is interested, his widow Letitia, has kindly sent me a mass of photographs of Rodney to use on WATN/ORC.com. A lot of him in his days in the Phillippines but a few racing ones.
I will have a chat with Allen & see if we can get these onto a page linking to his entry - I must admit I hadn't seen many pictures of Rodney as a person (ie normally it is just in the car, and they're rare as well), so it's very interesting to see how he looked older. Bear with me & I'll get the photos across for anyone who would be interested.

[Dick Willis]

I used to own a car formerly owned by Rodney Nuckey, it was called the Warrior Bristol and was built after he crashed the Cooper Bristol mentioned above. It was a very attractive sports car and used many of the components from the Cooper Bristol wreck, it was said to have taken its name from his family company, the Warrior Tool and DieCompany. I sold it about ten years ago having owned it for a decade or so, I will brush up my knowledge onits history and post a pic of it in the morning.

[Eric Dunsdon]

Rodney York Nuckey was born in Muswell Hill, North London on June 26th 1929. In the early 1950's he was living at Wash Lane, South Mimms, near St Albans, Herts. I was oncew told that he was a publican at South Mimms for a while.

[Paul Taylor]

I would definitely be interested in seeing the pictures Richie...

[Allen Brown]

In case anyone is interested, his widow Letitia, has kindly sent me a mass of photographs of Rodney to use on WATN/ORC.com. A lot of him in his days in the Phillippines but a few racing ones.
I will have a chat with Allen & see if we can get these onto a page linking to his entry - I must admit I hadn't seen many pictures of Rodney as a person (ie normally it is just in the car, and they're rare as well), so it's very interesting to see how he looked older. Bear with me & I'll get the photos across for anyone who would be interested.

Unfortunately, Allen is on holiday at the moment - in a place even a mobile phone rarely works. Normal service will be resumed next week.

[ensign14]

Unfortunately, Allen is on holiday at the moment - in a place even a mobile phone rarely works.

Wolverhampton?

[Dick Willis]

More on Rodney Nuckey's Warrior Bristol ; as mentioned above it was built using the major components of his Cooper Bristol which he crashed at Snetterton in October 1953. Bernard Rodger was the constructor and it was said to have been built "regardless of cost" and it was a very attractive little sports car. Nuckey raced it at the 1954 British GP sports car support race at Silverstone coming third in the under 2 litre class and ninth outright which was quite a good effort in a classy field. It seems that he didn't race it much more before selling it, eventually it found its way to Australia via Singapore and I bought it 1992 selling it in 1999, in retrospect I wish I hadn't as it was a great car. It is now in the West Coast of the US and one of my spies recently saw it in action there.

The Cooper Bristol was soon rebuilt after its accident and it too found its way to Australia "slightly used ! " the first in a long line of Coopers to be owned by Alec Mildren.

[Tomas Karlsson]

Nuckey raced at least two Cooper F2 cars. In May 1954 he won the main race at Djurgårdsloppet in Helsinki with an "Aston-Cooper" ("Bristol-Cooper" in one paper). I haven't found any picture of it yet. In '53 he won the race in the 23-3-53.
Nuckey was frequently visiting Scandinavia for some years in the early Fifties, until he suddenly disappeared. What happened?
His Nordic races (note that the big races for Nordic Specials in 52-52 was labelled as F1, just to be able to attract foreign drivers):

1952
July 20 Västkustloppet S F3 1st
Sep 14 Skarpnäck S F3 1st

1953
May 10 Djurgårdsloppet FIN F1 1st
May 10 Djurgårdsloppet FIN F3 Ret
May 13 Tampere FIN FL 1st
Jul 19 Västkustloppet S F3 1st
Sep 13 Skarpnäck S F1 Crasch
Sep 13 Skarpnäck S F3 1st

1954
May 9 Djurgårdsloppet FIN FL 1st
May 9 Djurgårdsloppet FIN F3 2nd
May 12 Villmanstrand FIN F3 DNQ (Ret in q-heat)
May 16 Smålandsloppet S F3 1st
May 23 Hedemora S F3 Ret
Jul 11 Västkustloppet S F3 1st

[Wilyman]

Possibly the same Warrior Bristol that was owned by a local [Perth WA] auctioneer.?

In the '80's it was entered in the York "Round the Town" races. I was hanging around the pits as you do, when the Warrior Bristol came in after a practice run. It sounded very sick. The driver was giving things a push and a shake when I noticed that the Solex carbs still had their chokes on. I pointed this out and as I walked away I saw the driver and mechanic in animated conversation.!!

[john medley]

I seem to recall the emigration-to-Australia story, but cant recall the source of my info

[Dick Willis]

The ownership trail of the Warrior Bristol went something like this ;

1954, R.Nuckey, UK
1955, R. Biss, UK
1956, B. Arnold, Malaysia
1965 ?, B.Stock, Malaysia
1970, T.Robertson, Malaysia then to Australia
197 ?, D Young, Qld
1978, Ian Boughton, WA
1984, Ivan Glasby, NSW
1986, M.Jiminez, Vic
1991, M.Richards, Vic
1992, Dick Willis, NSW
1999, Jack Perkins, California

It was obviously in Ian Boughton's ownership when Wilyman saw it at York.Ian was responsible for its restoration to its original format as it had been changed somewhat during its stay in Malaysia including the fitment of a Jaguar engine and different nose and tail treatment.

[Richard Jenkins]

Tomas (and everyone else) - my internet at home has completely buggered up until they can fix it on the 6th September

However via work & another PC, I should be able to do something, but the photos might need to wait a week.

Letitia emailed back this morning, and for you in particular Tomas, something of interest.... (This is not the full reply but for bits & pieces)


He died in the Philippines. Lived in Australia for 17 years on & off. Worked as a builder in Australia, but had a stroke & moved to the Phillippines, where Letitia is from, so if his health declined, her family were nearby. He had two kids, Samantha is 22 years old & a pilot & Elizabeth 20 years old is doing aerospace engineering.. (RJ Notes: So obviously the family genes went through - pilot & engineering! Rodney would've been a dad at 60 in that case...)

Rod has got more pictures here but some are in the frame. I will send you one of his pictures in FALKENBERG,SWEDEN. I hope this will help you also. Im happy that my kids will be proud to their father.




Letitia, is, obviously, Rodney's second wife, just to clarify. Once my PC is sorted, I'll try & sort the photos out for Tomas & indeed you all.

[Terry Walker]

The Warrior Bristol in York, WA, date unknown, presumably late 70s

[Tomas Karlsson]

Västkustloppet (=the West Coast race) is a yearly fixture on the Swedish racing calendar, run on a track north-east from the city of Falkenberg.
In Nuckey's days it was run on a road-track at Skrea, south of town. Racing there ended after a nasty practice-crash in 1964.

[Eric Dunsdon]

The ownership trail of the Warrior Bristol went something like this ;

1954, R.Nuckey, UK
1955, R. Biss, UK
1956, B. Arnold, Malaysia
1965 ?, B.Stock, Malaysia
1970, T.Robertson, Malaysia then to Australia
197 ?, D Young, Qld
1978, Ian Boughton, WA
1984, Ivan Glasby, NSW
1986, M.Jiminez, Vic
1991, M.Richards, Vic
1992, Dick Willis, NSW
1999, Jack Perkins, California

It was obviously in Ian Boughton's ownership when Wilyman saw it at York.Ian was responsible for its restoration to its original format as it had been changed somewhat during its stay in Malaysia including the fitment of a Jaguar engine and different nose and tail treatment.

It was good to see the picture of the Warrior-Bristol, though it was finished in a nice shade of pale green when i saw Rodney Nuckey race it at Silverstone in 1954. I seem to remember that the tail fin was added at a later date. Apart from Roger Biss I believe that the car was also owned and raced by a J.D Lomas who won a minor race at Aintree in August 1955. Would this have been the Warrior's only UK race win I wonder?.

[Richard Jenkins]

For Tomas:
Nuckey in Falkenberg;


and for Paul:



More to come on the website once I fix the computer....
Both used by kind permission of Letitia Nuckey.

Edited by Richie Jenkins, 28 August 2009 - 16:50.

[ReWind]

Letitia, is, obviously, Rodney's second wife, just to clarify.

According to this source his first wife was Valda Simmonds. Obviously with her he also had two kids, Hunter York and Sara Jane.

[Tomas Karlsson]

Thanks Richie! Nice picture, but it can't be Falkenberg, since they never raced that kind of cars there. He had number seven in Helsinki '53, but I don't recognice the background. The advertising looks more British to me.

[Dick Willis]

Oops, sorry Eric,I missed J.D. Lomas from the list of owners of the Warrior Bristol.
Interesting that both the Warrior and Rodney Nuckey both spent a lot of time in the East.
Here's a pic of the Warrior at the 1956 Macau GP driven by Bernard Arnold.

[Vitesse2]

Thanks Richie! Nice picture, but it can't be Falkenberg, since they never raced that kind of cars there. He had number seven in Helsinki '53, but I don't recognice the background. The advertising looks more British to me.

Indeed, Tomas. That's half an Autocar banner in the background. Oulton Park?

[NanningF1fan]

If memory serves me right "Specialist British Sports Racing Cars of the 1950s" by Anthony Pritchard had a chapter on the Warrior Bristol which included quite a bit of additional information about the car and Rodney Nuckey.

[Eric Dunsdon]

Indeed, Tomas. That's half an Autocar banner in the background. Oulton Park?

I think that it could well be Crystal Palace 19th June 1954 where Rodney won heat 2 of the Crystal Palace Trophy race and finished 5th in the final behind Reg Parnell's Ferrari 500 and the Connaughts of Peter Collins, Don Beauman and Bill Whitehouse. The Autosport of the following week had a front cover picture of Nuckey leading the field into Ramp Bend just after the start.

[Richard Jenkins]

Sorry Tomas, I had to take Letty's word for it. Still, it might still be useful? I'll get the remaining pics done when my computer is working!

[Richard Jenkins]

After a bit of a wait (to put it mildly) for a number of good reasons - there is at least a page devoted to Rod Nuckey, with a number of photographs - http://www.oldracing...phy/rod_nuckey/

It might yet get tweaked, but it's something to show the family & overall it doesn't look too bad, I hope.

[Doug Nye]

I would agree with Eric - the photograph in question does look as if it was taken at Crystal Palace - typical safety bank colouration for CP.

DCN

[ReWind]

@Richie:

That isn't the Nürburgring and it isn't the Eifelrennen. I think the picture was taken at the Avusrennen 1953.
For comparison:

[Richard Jenkins]

Reinhard,
That was what was on the information I was given, but you are most certainly right. Another contributor believes it to be Swaters and Nuckey, not Stewart and Nuckey.
I'll try and rename the photo and upload it separately soon.

[Nick Wa]

Surprised nobody has mentioned the "topless" drive at Snetterton in a long hot race or produced a picture of it. The R.A.C. issued an edict after that forbidding bare chested driving!
In completely contrasting conditions aqua planing of the Norwich straight and rolling the Cooper Bristol at the end of season meeting. In this he was not alone as an Ecurie Richmond C-B and another all end up in the plough about 30 yards apart.

[arttidesco]

The ownership trail of the Warrior Bristol went something like this ;

1954, R.Nuckey, UK
1955, R. Biss, UK
1956, B. Arnold, Malaysia
1965 ?, B.Stock, Malaysia
1970, T.Robertson, Malaysia then to Australia
197 ?, D Young, Qld
1978, Ian Boughton, WA
1984, Ivan Glasby, NSW
1986, M.Jiminez, Vic
1991, M.Richards, Vic
1992, Dick Willis, NSW
1999, Jack Perkins, California

It was obviously in Ian Boughton's ownership when Wilyman saw it at York.Ian was responsible for its restoration to its original format as it had been changed somewhat during its stay in Malaysia including the fitment of a Jaguar engine and different nose and tail treatment.

 

 

Warrior Bristol Sonoma Classic 2014 Courtesy Geoffrey Horton

 

Looking for info on the Warrior I found this thread   

 

Also noticed that RD Biss is shown as being the first driver of the Warrior at 22nd May 1954 on this link can anyone confirm that combination to be the first known appearance of the Warrior  ?

[Eric Dunsdon]

 

Warrior Bristol Sonoma Classic 2014 Courtesy Geoffrey Horton

 

Looking for info on the Warrior I found this thread 

 

Also noticed that RD Biss is shown as being the first driver of the Warrior at 22nd May 1954 on this link can anyone confirm that combination to be the first known appearance of the Warrior  ?

A little differerent from the car that I saw Rodney drive in 1954, but still very nice. Thank you for posting.

[arttidesco]

A little differerent from the car that I saw Rodney drive in 1954, but still very nice. Thank you for posting.

Your welcome Eric, but all credit is to Geoffrey Horton for taking and sharing, I'm just the messenger boy  

[Repco22]

Regarding the Warrior Bristol; the late Ian Boughton was an inveterate and talented amateur restorer. The Warrior's wheels, which were Cooper-Bristol, were tired when Ian 

acquired the car so he made wooden patterns and had some new ones cast.

[Dick Willis]

While I owned the warrior Bristol I got those castings off Ian but they were as heavy as lead. I passed them on to the new owner when I sold the car but I don't know if he ended up using them.

[arttidesco]

While I owned the warrior Bristol I got those castings off Ian but they were as heavy as lead. I passed them on to the new owner when I sold the car but I don't know if he ended up using them.

 

 

Unfortunately this is as close as Geoffrey got to a side view of the Warrior Dick.

[Dick Willis]

Nice pic, the Warrior really looks magnificent these days, a credit to the current owner. While I have regrets about parting with it at least I know it has a caring owner now.

[Rob G]

While I owned the warrior Bristol I got those castings off Ian but they were as heavy as lead. I passed them on to the new owner when I sold the car but I don't know if he ended up using them.

Perhaps this will help. I took these at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca this year.

 

 

[Dick Willis]

While I owned the Warrior Bristol I believed that  its eventual home should be back in the UK so when the time came to sell it I advertised it in a UK mag, had lots of enquiries, but as it turned out, all sceptics, tyre kickers, bargain hunters etc so I was glad to find someone in USA who appreciated it. Only a few years after I had sold it there was a race at Goodwood for Bristol engined cars and the Warrior would have fitted in there nicely so all the UK sceptics missed a great opportunity.

[cooper997]

Here's what could be the earliest press reference to what became the Warrior.

 

uploadimage

 

12/53 Motor Racing

 

Stephen

[arttidesco]

Thanks for sharing Stephen   

 

I wonder what became of the Formula One car it's not even listed on the Grand Prix cars that never raced site

[cooper997]

By pure accident I've just stumbled upon this June 1991 Christies Auction (Melbourne) catalogue listing. I assume Murray Richards would have consigned it from his Racing Car Brokers stock.

 

I'm also assuming Dick Willis didn't purchase the car via this auction and that ithe photo shows pretty much how he would have acquired it?

 

 

Stephen

Edited by cooper997, 01 May 2017 - 02:04.

[Dick Willis]

Nice the see the Warrior Bristol emerge again on this forum, I still have pleasant memories of my time with it. Stephen, I didn't buy it at auction but in a deal with Murray Richards, an MGTC went as part payment. I enjoyed re-reading the posts on this thread and am happy that it has an appreciating owner in the US and it really does look nice these days..

[cooper997]

Dick, thanks for clarifying the purchase. Looking a little more at the catalogue and it appears Murray had something to do with Christies setup in Australia

 

Had you been able to hang on to the Warrior, value would have increased somewhat more than the TC

 

Stephen

[Dick Willis]

Yes, the TC is still worth about the same as it was when I sold it. In a way its a pity the Warrior didn't go back to the UK, although I had plenty of enquiry they were too sceptical to go any further but I am sure it would have proved to be a good investment in the UK these days.