6 replies to this topic

[Barry Boor]

At the Naples Grand Prix in 1957 there was one H.W.M. entered.  It was driven by someone named Alan Mann.

 

Now the obvious question.....  is this the same Mann who became very familiar to race fans in the 1960s, but as an entrant, not a driver?  And if it was, how did he come to be driving at Naples and yet his name doesn't appear at any other F.1 or F.2 races at any point during 1957.

 

This seems odd.

[Tim Murray]

The only previous mention here seems to have been in the Alan Mann book thread where, in response to a question about whether the book had any photos of the team transporters, Proviz posted this:

Just three, but one of them is of a transporter loaded with HWM-Alta about to set off to 1957 Naples GP and another a spledid colour shot of the ex-Reventlow transporter loaded with Cobra Daytona Coupes.
Bjorn, I think you should get this one anyway!

So it would appear it was the Alan Mann. Perhaps someone with access to the book can provide more details.

As well as the 1957 Naples GP, the relevant Black Book has him racing in the first BRSCC Formula 1 Race at Brands Hatch on 14-Oct-56, also in an HWM. He didn’t have much luck in either race, retiring at Brands after 2 laps, cause unspecified, and at Naples with magneto trouble after 3 laps.

[68targa]

DSJ wrote this in the March 1968 issue of Motor Sport.

 

[Tim Murray]

A second search throws up this thread which I missed first time, where Doug noted that Alan’s HWM was the ex-Ted Whiteaway car:

Alan Mann

[Rupertlt1]

Firle Hill Climb:

FTD: A.G. Mann, H.W.M.-Jaguar, 27.36 sec, Bentley D.C., 4 September 1960

Car was HWM 1, ex-John Bekaert

 

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 26 November 2020 - 12:15.

[MartLgn]

It was THE Alan Mann in the H.W.M Alta in the 1957 Naples GP, he retired after 3 laps with engine failure. He covers his early racing career in his excellent autobioghraphy 'A Life of Chance' which was published by MRP after his death. 

[Rupertlt1]

I am not sure how this is relevant to the original question.

The Alan Mann Firle car was a different HWM - a sports car.

 

Backgrounder.

 

RGDS RLT