Willy Cave RIP

Long time Navigating legend Willy Cave has passed away.

Willy started navigating in the 1950s for the then BMC team and continued until very recently on historic rallies.

He was also a former WW2 Spitfire pilot.

RIP Willy   

Long time Navigating legend Willy Cave has passed away.

Willy started navigating in the 1950s for the then BMC team and continued until very recently on historic rallies.

He was also a former WW2 Spitfire pilot.

RIP Willy   

 

 

Sorry to hear this. Was he any relation to Mick Cave who raced an  A40 in club racing in the 60's?

Four or five years ago Willy came with us to one of the Hertfordshire talks/film shows when we had a rally theme. One of many who have helped make those events interesting.

Willy Cave I first recall as being mentioned by Raymond Baxter on one of his "wizard prang", "ten-tenths through the snow drifts" radio bulletins direct from "the Monte" - "Hyar we are in gay Paree" - "This is Roland Thaxter reporting now from Chambéry" - "Good evening from the balmy warmth of Monte Carlo in January" - etc etc.

DCN

Another sad loss, I have fond memories of competing against Willy in historic rallying in the 1990s; he was always willing to share his knowledge and experience with aa relative novice.

 

Not a very good pic, but here's a young Willy climbing back into the Works TR4 of John Sprinzel in the 1962 RAC Rally:

 

Here's Willy in his later rallying career.

 

 

There is a book on Willy by Pablo Raybould (however I don't have a copy)

 

My condolences to the Cave family and friends.

 

 

Stephen

It is called “A biography of a rally navigator” and is just that, and in brilliant detail, taken from Willy’s own records etc., over 200 pages of A4  softback.  Broad and meticulous in their detail, they make a fascinating tale, with some  excellent photographs,  covering many decades,  and very informative in terms of those people and cars  and events with which he was involved. 
If you can locate a copy I recommend it strongly, if that is your interest. As a pure historical record  of a period in time it is worth buying.

Pablo Raybould is on Facebook  and especially via the BMC  Competition  Cars page.  I have Pablo’s e mail address. 

Pablo also published books in conjunction with Christabel Carlisle, and  the diaries and memoirs of  celebrated period navigator Tony Ambrose, both of which I find most enjoyable.

Usual disclaimers

Roger Lund

Very sad to hear this. I had the privilege of meeting Willy several times on the Three Castles Rally. Lovely, lovely man.

RIP.

The Telegraph website has a long obit for Willy today, although in Grauniad style they have managed to get his date of death wrong. By two years!

 

https://www.telegrap...aster-obituary/