21 replies to this topic

[dmj]

Today is the 100^th birthday of Ken McAlpine, oldest surviving F1 driver and, I believe, only second one ever to reach that age, after late Paul Pietsch. Personally, I wrote an article about him for a Croatian site (I hope that online translators became good enough so that you can at least get an idea about what I actually wrote).

 

https://telesport.te...OBLPaJOE-OgF6oo

 

In research for that I used Connaught topics from TNF extensively but decided that I’ll, once it is published, also start a thread about him. It is about a time for that, I believe - it’s a shame that such an influential person doesn’t have a dedicated discussion place at the best motorsport history forum.

[Vitesse2]

Other centenarian racing drivers of note, all of whom raced during the 1930s but never took part in a WDC race: Ciro Bassadonna (101), Louis Gérard (103) and Manoel de Oliveira (106).

 

Bassadonna is the only centenarian winner of both the Monte Carlo Rally (with Louis Chiron in 1954) and the Acropolis Rally (with Luigi Villoresi in 1958).

[dmj]

I believe there is also:

Ernst Jakob Henne (1904. - 2005.), best known for motorcycle racing but also driver of Mercedes-Benz in 1934. and later successful with BMW 328 in sportscar racing.

 

If we go beyond drivers we should also add:

Yutaka Katayama (1909. - 2015.), legendary father of Datsun Z

Eiji Toyoda (1913. - 2013.), probably the most influential Toyota chairman

Elly Beinhorn  (1907. - 2007.) - never drove a race, AFAIK, but she twice got opportunity to drive Auto Unions at racing circuits, for demonstration or just for fun...

[dmj]

Discussion about racing centenarians is interesting, but my intention here was to hear something more on McAlpine.

As I am writing about motorsport history in Croatian, I mostly rely on English language sources available online. Thus, I was quite surprised when during research for this article I couldn’t find a single in-depth article on McAlpine. Also, there is nothing dedicated to him on YouTube.

Only places I found with more details are old Atlas articles with Connaught story, a few interesting comments in diverse TNF threads and a great YT video of Graham Rabagliati’s presentation of “From Send to Syracuse” book. So, I was a bit confused why there is so little available on Mr. McAlpine, apart of hundreds of sites listing the same data about his F1 starts. I would expect a bit more, especially as he is now for some time the senior of surviving F1 drivers…

Obviously, in racing terms he was a bit of journeyman. Surely, he had some degree of talent but the good results he scored were mostly due to competitivity of Connaughts. But still I was a bit surprised to find that he was mentioned so scarcely at TNF discussions over the years. Is he “punished” due to his utter lack of interest in motorsport after he stopped doing it in 1955? Is there some animosity to him, due to the fact that he let Connaught fade away as soon as he stopped being interested in it, like it was an old, used toy?

[Sterzo]

Is there some animosity to him, due to the fact that he let Connaught fade away as soon as he stopped being interested in it, like it was an old, used toy?

That seems highly unlikely. A wealthy businessman pours his (or his company's) money into a racing project, and eventually reaches a point where he has to say "no more." Inevitable, really. Rather should we thank him for the years he funded Connaught.

Edited by Sterzo, 21 September 2020 - 16:31.

[ensign14]

But still I was a bit surprised to find that he was mentioned so scarcely at TNF discussions over the years.

 

Maybe it is because there is not that much to say? There's little about many of his racing contemporaries - Bill Aston, John James. Even Leslie Marr, who is still with us, does not get much of a mention, despite him being unusual amongst GP drivers in being an exhibited artist.

 

Incidentally...Marr, Brooks, McAlpine, Ecclestone...did Connaught accidentally discover the elixir of youth?

[Gabrci]

Incidentally...Marr, Brooks, McAlpine, Ecclestone...did Connaught accidentally discover the elixir of youth?

 

Indeed, I noticed that as well, also worth mentioning are Moss, Thompson, Mike Oliver, who all reached a remarkably old age. 

[RobertE]

When you consider all the exceptional drivers who either cut their teeth or honed their craft with Connaught, his contribution was equally exceptional and at huge financial cost. But without a competitive engine, the excellent chassis and a gifted staff were never going to be enough...

 

A hell of a shame...

[Roger Clark]

What if....

 

Tony Brooks had driven a Connaught in 1956?

[Richard Jenkins]

Kenneth McAlpine died last week, aged 102.

http://announcements...263523/mcalpine

[sstiel]

Kenneth McAlpine died last week, aged 102.

http://announcements...263523/mcalpine

Thanks for that Richard. A great innings indeed.

[GMiranda]

Is it confirmed? I can't see anything, sadly. As far as I know he was the oldest F1 driver alive.

[Allan Lupton]

Yes, that link does not show him, but if you use the search system you can see a bit of the announcement:

"McALPINE

Kenneth OBE DL. Died peacefully during the night, on 8th April 2023, aged 102. Much loved husband of Patricia, father to Richard and James, and...

• Added 12 hours ago"

[Alan Lewis]

So, Paul Goldsmith (b. October 1925) is now the oldest living World Championship driver (and point-scorer) but Nano da Silva Ramos (b. December 1925) is the oldest Grand Prix driver.

[dgs]

So, Paul Goldsmith (b. October 1925) is now the oldest living World Championship driver (and point-scorer) but Nano da Silva Ramos (b. December 1925) is the oldest Grand Prix driver.

Nano da Silva Ramos finished 5th in 1956 Monaco Grand Prix, scoring 2 World Championship points

[Collombin]

Nano da Silva Ramos finished 5th in 1956 Monaco Grand Prix, scoring 2 World Championship points

Paul Goldsmith is older though!

[Alan Lewis]

Paul Goldsmith is older though!

Indeed. In addition, of his total of six points, the four he scored in 1960 make him the oldest living podium finisher, but I left that off the original post since "the podium" was a far more nebulous concept back then than it is today - especially at the Brickyard.

For completeness, I believe Hans Herrman remains the oldest living fastest lap setter whilst, following the passing of Tony Brooks, all the other categories belong to Jackie Stewart; oldest living pole position taker, race winner and World Champion.

[Lemnpiper]

Hans Herrman also started in the 1953 German Grand Prix . At this time he has become the only surviving starter from the 1953  Grand Prix season. For 1954  since Moss' death he has been the only surviving starter

 

 

 

  Ramos   started Dutch grand Prix of 1955  & Milhoux  started the German Grand Prix of 1956.

 

 

   Geez cant be many others left from the 1950's   Foyt & Goldsmith are 1958, 1959 Indy 500 surviving starters .

 

 

   Paul

[nca]

I suggest that the McAlpine Family / Name has continued to be involved in motorsport following on from the late Ken's retirement.

 

A McAlpine was a regular entrant in the Rallye Monte Carlo Historique, using a Lancia Fulvia, and latterly a Mini-Cooper S.

This was in the period from 2011 onward.

I suspect that the Lancia was initially a hire-car, as it was running on Dutch plates.

I have a photo showing the Fulvia carrying a sticker for "Sir Robert McAlpine"

He was navigated by British co-drivers, Ali Procter in 2011 & 2012, then  Fred Gallagher, of this parish.

 

The McAlpine / Gallagher combination also ran in the Rally of the Tests, by which time the car was still a Fulvia, but one running on UK plates.

The media of the day noted that the McAlpine was from the civil engineering company of that name

 

Very recently, a few weeks ago, two McAlpine siblings competed in the Generations Rally, in a Mini Cooper.

Fred Gallagher was again involved as he was the Rally director, but while I think these lads were from the McAlpine family, I cannot be certain.

 

nca 

Edited by nca, 15 April 2023 - 16:14.

[Derwent Motorsport]

Andrew has a number of cars and is married to former racer Heather Baillie. In the Generations Rally he had one of his kids. 

[Lemnpiper]

Hans Herrman also started in the 1953 German Grand Prix . At this time he has become the only surviving starter from the 1953 Grand Prix season. For 1954 since Moss' death he has been the only surviving starter



Ramos started Dutch grand Prix of 1955 & Milhoux started the German Grand Prix of 1956.


Geez cant be many others left from the 1950's Foyt & Goldsmith are 1958, 1959 Indy 500 surviving starters .


Paul

After doin some research these are that surviving Grand Prix starters from the 1950's

Han Hermann has 13 starts in that time frame
Nando da Silva Ramos has 7 starts
Andres Milhoux has 1 start
David Piper has 1 start
Peter Ashdown has 1 start
A J Foyt has 2 starts
Paul Goldsmith has 2 starts

For non starters you have Bernie Ecclestone with 2 entries but no starts
And Bruce Kessler with 1 entry


Odd statistical quirk 3 starters of the `1959 British Grand Prix survive : Hermann , Ashdown, and Piper.

[Doug Nye]

From the BRDC:

 

It is our sad duty to inform Members that the BRDC’s oldest and longest-serving Member, Kenneth McAlpine, passed away on 8 April at the age of 102. He was also the oldest living Grand Prix driver.

 

Kenneth was originally elected to Full Membership in 1948, the same year as Sir Stirling Moss. His racing career as a driver began shortly after World War 2 with the ex- Earl Howe Maserati 8CM #3013 with which he enjoyed some success in the mixture of sprints, hillclimbs and occasional race meetings which were the staple diet of motor racing in mainland Britain at the time. Kenneth became involved with Mike Oliver and Rodney Clarke in a flourishing motor business in Surrey, Continental Cars, which specialised in Bugattis and Maseratis. When the Siamese Princes ‘B Bira’ and Chula decided to dispose of their 2.9 litre 8CM Maserati Kenneth acquired the car shortly before Easter 1948. For the next two years or so Kenneth campaigned the big Maserati resplendent in black and chrome just as it had been when originally owned by Whitney Straight in the 1930s. Kenneth won a five-lap handicap at Goodwood in September and was often well-placed in other events.

Kenneth invested generously in Continental Cars, joining Mike Oliver and Rodney Clarke as a director of the company in 1948. Named Connaught by combining the first three letters of Continental and ‘Automobiles, the first project was a Lea Francis-based sports car with which Kenneth notched up wins at Blandford in Dorset and at Goodwood together with several other good placings in races and hillclimbs from 1949 to 1951.

 

He also dabbled in the popular 500 cc Formula 3 with a JBS-Norton, achieving third place in a race at Boreham and in a heat of the 500 International Trophy at Goodwood in 1951. Another competitor in that Goodwood race was a certain Bernie Ecclestone who finished second in the heat behind Alan Brown, both of whom would have involvements with Connaught several years later. Kenneth and Bernie retired early in the final at Goodwood which was won by Stirling Moss ahead of Alan Brown.

The first Connaught single seater, the A type, appeared at Castle Combe in October 1950 with Kenneth as the driver. It was an encouraging debut for the beautifully conceived and engineered Formula 2 car, Kenneth finishing second to Stirling Moss’s HWM in the 1500 to 2500 cc Racing Car event. Further second places followed, and the first race victory came at Ibsley in August 1951 with more to follow at Snetterton which proved to be a happy hunting ground for Kenneth and his Connaught. However, it was the East Anglian circuit which was to prove the undoing of Connaught A1 when in October 1953 Kenneth sustained a hefty accident which wrecked the car but happily Kenneth was unscathed. The car had served Kenneth well, enabling him to enjoy competitive races in numerous non-championship F1/F2 races and to start the British and Italian Grands Prix in both 1952 and 1953 in addition to the Dutch and German GPs in the later year. His best result was 13th in West Germany.

The demise of A1 came at an opportune time in that a new Formula 1 was introduced for 1954 for which Connaught created the B type using an Alta engine and a spectacular, streamlined body for the faster circuits. The new car was not ready to race until the 1955 Easter Goodwood meeting when Tony Rolt gave it its debut. The second B-type appeared in Kenneth’s hands at the BRDC International Trophy at Silverstone a month later, only to retire, as it did in the British Grand Prix at Aintree which proved to be Kenneth’s last single-seater race. By now Kenneth was concentrating on an aerodynamic sports-racing car, also fitted with all-enveloping bodywork. First raced in 1954, this potent 1.5 litre sports-racing car brought Kenneth some very good results including a strong second place in the 1955 British Empire Trophy at Oulton Park to Archie Scott-Brown’s 2-litre Lister-Bristol. At Le Mans, where Kenneth shared with Eric Thompson, the car was running third to two Porsches in the 1500 cc class when forced to retire with piston failure just after midnight.

Tragically the streamliner was written off later in 1955 in a multi-car accident at Dundrod during the RAC Tourist Trophy which cost the life of its talented young driver Bill Smith. A fortnight earlier it had been driven to a strong second place at Aintree by Tony Brooks, a performance which impressed the Connaught directors so much that the dental student was invited to the Connaught hierarchy so much that Tony was invited to drive a B-type in the Gran Premio di Siracusa a month later.

 

Never having driven a Formula 1 car previously, Tony won the race, defeating a full-strength Maserati works team amongst others in the process. It was a historic milestone in the progression of Great Britain towards a dominant position in Formula 1 thanks in no small part to the generosity of Kenneth McAlpine in providing the financial backing to enable Mike Oliver and Rodney Clarke to pursue their dreams. It would be two more years before Vanwall, with drivers Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks at Aintree, defeated the Italian teams in a World Championship Grand Prix by which time Connaught had had to shut up shop for lack of support. Kenneth’s last race was in the little sports-racing car in the Goodwood 9 Hours; with Eric Thompson as co-driver they finished fifth in class.

After his motor racing days, Kenneth raced yachts and developed various business interests including McAlpine Helicopters and a vineyard on the Kent Downs. He was High Sheriff of Kent in 1973/74 and was awarded the OBE for services to the building industry. To Kenneth’s wife Patricia, sons Richard and James and to his wider family and friends the BRDC extends its deepest condolences. 

 

DCN