22 replies to this topic

[ensign14]

50 years ago he won the Nurburgring 1000km in partnership with Tony Brooks and an Aston Martin.

It's one of the forgotten achievements. He must have been the junior partner in that pairing, but I understand that in his laps he increased the Aston's lead.

And then - nothing...he just seemed to walk away from the sport.

Anyone have any news/stories/reminiscences?

[Richard Jenkins]

Well, I was in touch with him a few (I think about 2003 or 2004) years back - very nice chap. He lives near Newmarket in Cambridgeshire, and still follows the sport.

I seem to recollect he left the sport for both personal safety & business reasons.

[917]

Four years ago I wrote (and I hope it is not impolite to quote myself)

"The November 2003 issue of Classic & Sports Car contains a portrait of Noel Cunningham-Reid (written by Chris Nixon) who started racing in 1955 as a 25-year old. Aston Martin offered him a works drive for the 1957 season. For the Nürburgring 1000km race he was paired with Tony Brooks and they won in their DBR1. In the Silverstone Daily Express meeting in September Cunningham-Reid finished third in the 3.7-litre DBR2 just ahead of Brooks in the 3-litre DBR1:

I passed Tony on the last lap and I have to say that he was not expecting me, his teammate, to do any such thing. However, I knew that this was probably going to be my last motor race and I thought that as he wasn't going to win and nor was I it would be very nice to be able to tell my grandchildren that I had once passed Tony Brooks! It wasn't genuine at all and I regret it slightly because it painted a false picture - there was no way I could ever pass him in similar cars. So it's on the record, but we all know that the records can lie!

Though Aston wanted him to stay for the next season he decided to retire because of his many other interests and

...because during that three-year period something like 15 or 16 people I knew or knew of had been killed racing.

Also, you have to know your limitations and I knew in my heart of hearts just from following the great drivers - on the rare occasions I was able to - that I was not a potential World Champion.

(...)

The three greatest drivers of my time were Fangio, Moss and Brooks and Tony is the most under-rated driver of anyone I know. He was simply brilliant. There were others who were brilliant on their day, but for day-in, day-out consistency those three were outstanding.

Unfortunately the article doesn't mention what Cunningham-Reid did do during the last 45 years, only that he has a manor near Newmarket. Does anyone know more?"

The only answer came from - you guess it - Richie Jenkins who wrote

Originally posted by Richie Jenkins
I came across NC-R a few years back when someone in Australia was looking for his autograph & I kind of acted as the link between the two for varying reasons. Noel is probably the nicest & most accomodating ex-racer I know. Currently retired & enjoys spoiling his grandchildren
I didn't really delve too far back, such was the purpose of contact, but he assured me any letters re. his motor racing past are always welcome - "its nice & somewhat astounding to be remembered!"
I have his postal address if anyone would like to contact him

[RS2000]

Originally posted by 917
In the Silverstone Daily Express meeting in September Cunningham-Reid finished third in the 3.7-litre DBR2 just ahead of Brooks in the 3-litre DBR1

Roy Salvadori won in the DBR2 from the Archie Scott-Brown Lister? I don't recall Brooks being there (no Vanwalls) or N C-R - but then I was too young to see much over the token earth bank and chestnut paling!

[mikeC]

I have nothing to add regarding NC-R himself, but I recall back in the 1950s when I was a little sprog, that my Uncle, Max Cremer, was running an "ex Cunningham Reid" Jaguar. It was a fixed-head coupe, I think a 140; painted mid-blue and silver, it was in this car that I first experienced 100mph on a visit to Snetterton.
Max, himself, raced occasionally at Snetterton, and on one occasion won the Alec Dick Cup, driving his TR2 (reg MC 6).
Does anyone recall that car? Max died a couple of years ago, so I cannot now ask him about the NC-R car.

[simon drabble]

His estate in Cambridgeshire has what is generally accepted as one of the best partridge shoots in the country.

[RTH]

I met his nephew at Mallory ( another Cunningham-Reid ) about 7 years ago who himself was racing a production saloon

[D-Type]

Originally posted by RS2000

Roy Salvadori won in the DBR2 from the Archie Scott-Brown Lister? I don't recall Brooks being there (no Vanwalls) or N C-R - but then I was too young to see much over the token earth bank and chestnut paling!

Once again Martin Krejki comes to the rescue. the full results are here

[RS2000]

Just shows, even in those days, the saloon car race had already attracted my primary interest!

[Udo K.]

A proud moment....

[Sharman]

An intresting entry which I don't recall ever having seen, (although I was possibly overseas at the time serving Her Majesty) Brian Naylor with a Lotus 11/Maserati, presumably a 1500 although it did finish fairly well up if it was, so possibly something larger. Any light to shine on this?

[Graham Gauld]

Yes, it was a 1500S engine as he bought a 1500S new and ran it at Charterhall - first time out I think - but later felt that it was too heavy and so put the 1500S engine into a Lotus Eleven.

[David McKinney]

...or 150S as Maserati called it

[Roger Clark]

Originally posted by Udo K.
A proud moment....

With an upside down flag?

[D-Type]

Originally posted by Roger Clark

With an upside down flag?

I think the flagpole is on our right as the left side appears to be flapping. If so then it has got "The broad white band at the top near the flagpole". If there's no flagpole then there's no right way up.

Graham, David,
Are you sure it was a 1500cc Maserati engine. The Lotus-Maserati was runnimg in the over 1500cc race. Or could that be that the 1500cc race was fully subscribed and Naylor was allowed to run in the 2.7 litre class?

[David McKinney]

We're right and wrong
In 1956 Naylor raced a Maserati 150S, then put the engine in an S1 Lotus XI
In 1957 he raced an S2 Lotus XI with 200S engine
(And in 1958 he raced the 2-litre sports JBW-Maserati with the same engine)

[bradbury west]

Off thread a bit perhaps, but looking through the Agostini book on Castellotti last week I saw a photo of the 1956 Rome GP at Castelfusano, a series of 7 x 1hour races for various classes, with Naylor in the Lotus Maserati on the front row of a very full grid of 1100 and 1500 sports racers. He ended up 4th overall and 2nd in his class. It seems there was an array of Lotus 11s at that race, Piper, McKay Fraser, Allison, Flockhart.
Roger Lund.

[D-Type]

To try and get back on topic
Did Noel C-R ever race a Lotus?

[David McKinney]

Not AFAIK

[Graham Gauld]

D type . Absolutely sure it was the 150S engine from his original Maserati. I first got to know Brian when he had the ex-Horace Gould Cooper-MG and obviously we talked when he arrived at Charterhall with the new Maserati ( Chassis 1666) . He also brought the Lotus-Maserati back up to Scotland and confirmed that he had sold the 150S and bought another 150S engine (1676) to put into his Lotus 11. I do not know where his original Maserati 150S ended up but presumably he sold it back to the factory when he bought the other engine.

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Graham Gauld
D type . Absolutely sure it was the 150S engine from his original Maserati.

Not in 1957, which is the race D-Type referred to ;)

[Graham Gauld]

David et al.

Referring to my cuttings book from my days as Sports Editor of Motor World magazine, a Scottish weekly, I see that Brian Naylor raced his Maserati at Charterhall on April 27 1956. I have taken the liberty of copying my report of the meeting and hope you can read the start of the second paragraph which reads " As mentioned earlier the entry was of a high standard and among the interesting cars present was Brian Naylor's "Nurburgring" type 150S Maserati sports car, the first privately owned model in Britain and, incidentally, the tenth car of this model produced. It was beautifully finished in Italian red with blue upholstery and though a definite(ly) a sports-racing car it had adequate room for a passenger and was fully fitted as such " The photo is one I took at the meeting of Brian with the car. It was at this meeting Johnny Bain was killed with his Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica, the first Scot to be killed in a motor racing meeting in Scotland. ( There had been one previous death at Bo'ness hill climb when Ian Struthers rolled a Bentley.)
Note that the sports editor of Motor World always ran with the pseudonym "Pilot" back in those days.
I see also by something I wrote in March 1957 that Brian Naylor now had the Lotus-Maserat but, and here I quote,
" This is a Team Lotus car fitted with the latest 2 litre engine ....." As I have said before we sometimes got it wrong back then but Naylor certainly bought a 150S engine to put in his Lotus, did he have it enlarged to 2 litres for the 2 litre class at the British Empire Trophy where he was entered that year ? I do not know.

[David McKinney]

I can add little more to what I said in Post 16, except that I believe both his Lotus XIs were brand new