11 replies to this topic

[Alan Cox]

It seems to have escaped the notice of the Nostalgia Forum but I am sorry to have to report the passing of David Ham on the 7th March, noted historic racer in Lister Jaguar BHL 111 which he had owned and raced for 47 years.
He began racing in 1960 with a Singer Le Mans Special and later moved on to Aston Martins with a DB3S and the 1959 Le Mans-winning DBR1. He is undoubtedly best-known for his exploits with the ex-Ecurie Ecosse Lister, in 1978 winning his class in the FIA Coupe d’Europe for Historic Cars.

Edited by Alan Cox, 30 March 2016 - 14:45.

[Tim Murray]

Oh dear, more very sad news. I watched David race for many years and remember him especially in the Aston and the Lister. Sincere condolences to 'hamsterace' and all the rest of his family and friends.

[bradbury west]

Alan, thank you for posting this sad news. I am so sorry to hear it, apart from for the obvious reasons of the loss to his family and close friends, to whom I offer condolences, but also because he was one of those "names"  whom I encountered in race reports in my youth at a time when I had  started to follow our sport closely, and who seemed to embody the real spirit of the true enthusiast, racing the same big car for years, seemingly a reducing breed these days, I fear.

I also offer my sympathies to his son,  a TNF contributor of this parish.

Roger Lund

[Paul Parker]

It seems to have escaped the notice of the Nostalgia Forum but I am sorry to have to report the passing of David Ham on the 7th March, noted historic racer in Lister Jaguar BHL 111 which he had owned and raced for 47 years.
He began racing in 1960 with a Singer Le Mans Special and later moved on to Aston Martins with a DB3S and the 1959 Le Mans-winning DBR1. He is undoubtedly best-known for his exploits with the ex-Ecurie Ecosse Lister, in 1978 winning his class in the FIA Coupe d’Europe for Historic Cars.

 

I knew David quite well and also recall him racing the Lister back in the Lloyds & Scottish series of the late 1970s, another sad day and my condolence to family and friends.

[Alan Cox]

Indeed, gentlemen, could I also add my condolences to son Simon (hamsterace) and family

[David Birchall]

Sorry to hear this. He is one of the drivers who inspired me into historic racing in the seventies.  My condolences to family and friends.

[hamsterace]

Thank you all for your kind comments and thoughts. My mother and I have been hugely touched by the many cards, letters, emails and flowers which we have received since my father's passing. It is gratifying to know that he was so highly regarded both as a person and a driver, and the fact that almost 200 people attended his funeral last Tuesday in Blunham Village Church is, I think, testament to this.

 

I hope he would have approved that we dispensed with conventional mourning cars and instead the hearse was followed to the church by the Lister (driven by myself), our E type Series 1 FHC (driven by my mother, passengered by my wife), and my late grandfather's Jaguar Mark 2 (driven by his cousin).

 

As Alan has said, his career started with his fondly remembered  - if somewhat Heath-Robinson - Singer Le Mans Special, and encompassed all manner of machinery over the next 60 or so years. The DB3S, DBR1 and Lister were firm favourites, but his interest went way beyond "Big" 50s Sports Cars. Lesser known cars mounts included a Turner Sports, Lotus Elan 26R (taken in part exchange for the DBR1 together with £1,000 cash...), ex-Equipe Endeavour Aston DB4GT, ex-works demonstrator Aston DB5 Vantage, ex-Tom Pryce Shadow DN3, Hesketh 308E (one complete, one rolling chassis) and Lotus 23B. It is perhaps telling that his most recent purchase, a 1967 Austin Healey Sprite bought as a present for our two year old son, gave him as much pleasure as any of the other cars.  A true enthusiast indeed, and never one for "motoring snobbery".

 

It will, I hope, come as no surprise that my mother and I are keen to continue "messing about" with the cars as this would have been very much what he would have wanted. Much to the disappointment of certain sectors of the motor trade, the Lister is assuredly not for sale!

 

Finally - and I hope this is not too self-indulgent - but if anyone has any photographs of my father racing (especially in the earlier pre-Lister part of his career), then I would be interested to hear from them. As he occasionally remarked, one of the few regrets he had was that he was not more of a photographer during the early years and our records of his racing during this time are relatively sparse - certainly compared to the hundreds of photos we have of him in the Lister at least.

[Alan Cox]

Thank you for your fascinating précis of your father's motor racing history, Simon. I am delighted to hear that so many people attended his funeral - I'm sure he would have been delighted by the eclectic assembly of mourning cars; most fitting. As you say, never a man with an interest in 'motoring snobbery' and the type of enthusiast that is, sadly, dwindling in number as the years rush by.

[Graham Gauld]

Very sorry to hear of David's passing. He was a charming man and owned an interesting Lister.  It was not officially an Ecurie Ecosse car but a car ordered in kit form by Ronnie Miller who was head of Motherwell Bridge Engineering works and Pat Melville who was head of Melville Dundas and Whitson who were big contractors - they built some of the Mulberry Harbours for the Invasion. Both of them were, shall we say, "mature" but great enthusiasts and friends of David Murray of Ecurie Ecosse. The bits were sent to Merchiston Mews where Wilkie Wilkinson and the mechanics built it up into the Lister-Jaguar we know today. 

 

I am glad to see the car is staying in the family as it is unique. We will miss David's cheery face at historic meetings.

. 

[Giraffe]

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Pictured at the launch of the Lister book at Race Retro in 2010, l to r Tony Dron, Ted Walker, Brian Lister and David Ham.

[bradbury west]

Tony, that looks like Jack Sears behind David Ham

Roger Lund

[Giraffe]

Indeed it was, Roger.

 

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