16 replies to this topic

[UAtkins]

Just wanted to share that Harry Pearce passed away on Friday July 14, 2017.  Harry was my Dad's (C.T. "Tommy" Atkins/High Efficiency Motors) mechanic from 1940 through 1965, when he went to work for Bruce McLaren and he remained with McLaren until Ron Dennis took over.

 

Harry was a huge part of our family's life and will be sorely missed.  Please share with anyone who might have known him.

 

Ursula Atkins

[klemcoll]

If you will send me an email (klemcoll@aol.com), I will send you a photo of your father's 300SL, recently restored.

[UAtkins]

Email on it's way, thank you so much

Ursula

[Doug Nye]

Sincere sympathy Ursula...

 

DCN

[UAtkins]

Thanks Doug, I will share with Vinnie and his family.

[Ray Bell]

Undoubtedly a long life well-lived, Ursula...

Which in reality will never soften the blow. My condolences to all who knew him.

Near-equally sad is the rarity of your posts, you are definitely missed around here.




.

Edited by Ray Bell, 18 July 2017 - 03:01.

[UAtkins]

Thank you Ray, life has made it hard to find time to post lately.

[Michael Ferner]

My condolences

[JacnGille]

sad news

[E1pix]

Sorry to hear, RIP.

[Nigel Beresford]

Dear Ursula

 

please could you review the PM I sent you. 

 

Thanks, Nigel Beresford

[cooper997]

Thank you to Ursula for this wonderful photo of Harry with Wally Willmott & Bruce McLaren.

I'm assuming Harry must have been about 90 years old?.


My condolences to Harry's family and friends.

Stephen

Edited so correct photo could be added

Edited by cooper997, 25 July 2017 - 10:41.

[UAtkins]

Harry was 94 years old and I have to say thank you for posting this; however, it's not Harry on the right. I've send a PM and will send a better photo if you will contact me. Thank you for thinking of this.

 

I have also answered your PM Nigel, thank you so much for contacting me.

 

Ursula

[ErinKondratieff]

Condolences and heartfelt wishes to the family and friends of Harry Pearce.

 

Here is some more information on Harry's early career from Howden Ganley's book "The Road to Monaco" :

 

   "Harry Pearce was a motorcycle racing star in his younger days. He began racing at the age of 16,

at about the same time he became apprenticed as a toolmaker in Tommy Atkins’ engineering

company. His successes in scrambling and then road racing almost deserve a book of their

own. In 1949 Harry set a series of 250cc lap records at Brands Hatch on what was then a grass

track. He holds those records in perpetuity. The following year, in April 1950, Harry competed

in the very first road race at Brands Hatch. By now the circuit had been given a tarmac surface,

although it still ran counter-clockwise, and he emerged the winner against strong opposition,

including a teenager named John Surtees.

   Harry continued to gain considerable success, aided and encouraged by his employer Tommy

Atkins, himself a former competitor at Brooklands. Harry rode a variety of machines, Velocette,

Matchless G45, AJS 7R and Norton, at many of motorcycling’s premier events, including the

Ulster GP, and numerous times in the Isle of Man TT. In the 1953 Ulster GP Senior he was first

Matchless to finish, against three works AJS bikes.

   During the war Atkins had taken on a young lady toolmaker, and in 1945 Lavinia (Vinnie)

and Harry were married. In 1955 Harry decided that with a family to support he should retire

from riding; he then immersed himself in the running of Tommy Atkins’ racing cars. The drivers

included Graham Hill, Roy Salvadori, and Bruce McLaren, and it was the association with Bruce

that led to Harry’s joining McLaren Racing, having worked at Atkins for 24 years. When the

McLaren and Trojan collaboration began, Harry acted as liaison between the two firms, and he

took over the buying-in of all the major components for McLaren under his title of production

manager.

   In 1980 Harry was appointed general manager, a position he held until he and Vinnie moved

to Dorset, where they retired. I will always be extremely grateful to Harry for all the help he gave

me, first when I worked with him, then when I was struggling to make it in Formula 3, and later

when Bruce had organised the F5000 drive for me. Harry is one of the world’s really nice people,

and for me he was a wonderful ally."

[UAtkins]

Thanks so much for sharing that.

[Gary Knutson]

When I started at McLaren (BMMR) in 1965, it didn't take long to discover that Harry was the "go to" guy for whatever part or outside source was needed. He apparently knew basically everyone connected with motor racing at the time. I'm sure we gave him lots of grief at times over how long it might have taken to get something or how long an outside job took, but he always came through.

 

It appeared that Lucas fuel injection might be what we needed for a performance increase with the Chevy engined sports cars (which were using Weber carburetors at that time). Going through the front door at Lucas proved to be impossible as the Lucas people either didn't think their injection system would work in our application or the weren't too enamored with this type of engine for racing. It turned out that one of Harry's mates at Lucas was able to get a "kit" of Lucas items out the back door for us. The rest, as they say, is history!

 

RIP Harry Pearce, one of the truly "good guys"!

[layabout]

Here's a press release photo for the ‘New Cooper’ taken at the main Cooper factory in Surbiton with (L-R) Tommy Atkins, Bruce, Harry Pearce & Wally Willmott. The car was originally built to be 1500cc BRM powered but that didn't happen & the car was eventually converted  to 2.7 Climax for the Tasman Series.