25 replies to this topic

[Barry Boor]

Imagine only taking part in two World Championship Grands Prix - and both of those at the Nurburgring.

How about entering a Formula 1 race that included Works B.R.Ms, Moss and Trintignant in Walker Coopers as well as a trio of 250F Maseratis and taking third place on the grid.

Those are two facts from the career of Dick Gibson. Dick was born in April 1918, so is now 90 years old - I am assuming he is still ticking along as there is no mention of his passing on any of the driver's lists websites.

But beyong that, I know absolutely nothing. So do we have people around who can pad out this gentleman's story at all?

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Barry Boor
[BHow about entering a Formula 1 race that included Works B.R.Ms, Moss and Trintignant in Walker Coopers as well as a trio of 250F Maseratis and taking third place on the grid. [/B]

At Dunedin (NZ) earlier in 1958 he started from pole position after an official lap-time of 1m 06.8s, compared with a best of 1m 15.8s by Ross Jensen (Maserati 250F), who led the race virtually from start to finish. Gibson's time was more than suspect - I wonder if there were similar question marks over his Caen time?
Or perhaps it was just that he'd got in more practice at Caen, as everyone else was racing in the British GP the day before

[raceannouncer2003]

Originally posted by Barry Boor
So do we have people around who can pad out this gentleman's story at all?

Some info here:

http://www.historicr...&orderType=name

and some results here:

http://www.oldracing...s...Gibson (GB)

Vince H.

[Barry Boor]

Thanks for that, Vince. Mr. Gibson seems to have had a real affinity for South Africa.

David, shades of Harry Schell, perhaps?

[David McKinney]

Yes, I wondered about that

[Richard Jenkins]

I asked about Dick Gibson when Tony Rolt died because Doug Nye said Rolt was the oldest living BRDC member at the time.

So what about Dick? Does that mean he's not part of the BRDC (If not, why not?), or he's not with us any more? I got no reply then, so I am hoping this might help a bit more.

To the best of my knowledge, he emigrated to America in the early 1970's & is still alive, having lived in Mesa, Arizona since the 1980's - I am not aware of him passing away, as he is high up on my "checklist" as it were.

[ReWind]

@Richie: I assume you ruled out "R Gibson" who according to the SSDI was born on 16 April 1918 and died in December 1980 (with last residence at Pioneer, Campbell, Tennessee). Tennessee is a long way from Lincolnshire as well as from Arizona...

[Barry Boor]

Surely that must be the same man; the birth date matches.

Have we unearthed something we never knew?

[raceannouncer2003]

I found a listing for a Richard Gibson in Mesa, Arizona, so I tried phoning, but a message said the phone had been temporarily disconnected at the request of the customer.

The 2004 BRDC list of members included Mr R Gibson, life member starting in 1954, with an address in San Roque, Cádiz, Spain. San Roque is right next to Gibraltar.

Vince H.

[Barry Boor]

Henceforth, Vince, you shall be known as Sherlock Clouseau!

[ry6]

I corresponded with Dick Gibson about 10 years ago.

He was then in his early 80's and in good health so he is not the man who passed away in 1980.

He was living in Arizona I recall.

He was a competent semi-amateur driver and (I think) took cars to South Africa and New Zealand to race their end of year seasons (and then sell them.)

He sold his ex Claes Connaught to Sam Tingle and sold a few Cooper Mk. II's and III's in South Africa and Rhodesia.

For the chassis number freaks - as regards the 'chassis numbers' of the said Coopers - well who knows? I have seen a number of different chassis numbers attributed to the cars.

He entered cars for Derrick Edwards, Keith Ballisat and George Phaff from time to time.

As for being a BRDC member I am sure he had that distictive badge on the side of his cars.

[Doug Nye]

Just checked with the BRDC and Dick Gibson IS still understood to be living in San Roque Cadiz, Spain.

DCN

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by ry6
For the chassis number freaks - as regards the 'chassis numbers' of the said Coopers - well who knows?

According to the Cooper book by the previous poster, Gibson's first T43 was F2-20-57, supplied in May 1957, and he also acquired F2-29-57 later in the year. I believe the newer car raced for the first time, with 1700cc engine, in NZ at the beginning of 1958. I further believe these were the two cars he ran in Europe in 1958, with Keith Ballisat as his principal No.2, and probably the cars he took to South Africa in early 1959.
After that it gets more complicated, as he was running cars in Europe and South Africa into 1961, and its unlikely he relied solely on his two original T43s for all that time

[Hieronymus]

Rob

Is it correct to say that Don Philp bought one of Gibson's cars?

[Richard Jenkins]

Thanks for the more recent leads. Yes Reinhard I had ruled him out because THE Dick Gibson was definitely alive in 1998 - I have seen a letter from the great man himself & had he been dead 18 years he wrote very well!

Good to see he is still alive & hopefully the BRDC will report any passing, but why did they not give him credit as being the oldest member? Very strange...

But living in Spain makes it more difficult than the US to keep up to date on his whereabouts... :

[Doug Nye]

Originally posted by Richie Jenkins
Good to see he is still alive & hopefully the BRDC will report any passing, but why did they not give him credit as being the oldest member? Very strange...

Indeed...

DCN

[Gabrci]

I'm happy to tell you that Dick Gibson is still alive, living in Spain and is as sharp as ever.

[ry6]

Yes Hieronymous, Don Philp bought a 1660 cc Climax engined Cooper from Gibson in mid to late 1959. It was what they call today a T43 (a 1957 Mk II) but seemed to have had a bit of a body makeover at the 'waist' with perhaps some more modern panels (perhaps Mk II)?

[taylov]

Here's a nice signed photo of Dick Gibson on one of his trips to the Southern hemisphere. But can anyone tell me where and when?

Thanks, Tony

[Hieronymus]

Unable to "open" the previous photo in order to get a closer look...but I think it is the South African GP at the East London GP Circuit on 1 January 1960.

[David McKinney]

Most be one of his ZA sorties. The car's the wrong colour for his 1958 New Zealand trip - and the background doesn't tie in either

[Doug Nye]

The location certainly looks like East London.

DCN

[Hieronymus]

I just had a look at the race programme. Gibson had #4 on his car at the 1960 SAGP, so no doubt it is this race. Pits and background are very much EL on the minute photo.

[taylov]

Originally posted by Hieronymus
Unable to "open" the previous photo in order to get a closer look...but I think it is the South African GP at the East London GP Circuit on 1 January 1960.

Sorry about the problem with the photo. Many thanks to all for the information.

Tony

[Hieronymus]

No fault with your thumbnail pic. It is my server and our local telcom provider that's useless.

[David McKinney]

I haven't had any trouble opening it, since it was first posted