46 replies to this topic

[David M. Kane]

In looking at an old Formula magazine yesterday, I notice a photo of Ronnie
Peterson at the Long Beach Grand Prix in a March 761 in Theodore colors, white with red chinese on the nose cone. I had forgot that particular involvement, but I remember he eventually did his own team with Patrick
Tambay, I believe.

Do we know how he got into motorsports? How he made his money? Was he involved in starting the Macau F3 race?

[maxie]

I remember the 8W page has got the answer.

[fines]

Teddy Yip is one of the most colourful characters ever to grace motor sports! I have several articles about him burried somewhere in my magazines, must try to dig'em up.

For starters, I believe he wasn't involved with the Macau GP, that was Bob Harper's project, and this rankled quite a bit with him, since Harper was his arch rival in the Far East (racing and businesswise), but managed to organise the biggest event in the area. Could be vice versa, though...

[Leif Snellman]

Thre is an earlier tread:
http://www.atlasf1.c...=&threadid=1382

How he made his money? Well in a late 1970s the Swedish Motor Magazine "Teknikens Värld" clamed several times that Yips REAL business was that he owned a chain of brothels in the Far East. Can someone comment on that?

[lukywill]

i supose he was on the buissess of casinos with stanley ho in hong kong and macau

[masterhit]

Originally posted by Leif Snellman
Thre is an earlier tread:
http://www.atlasf1.c...=&threadid=1382

How he made his money? Well in a late 1970s the Swedish Motor Magazine "Teknikens Värld" clamed several times that Yips REAL business was that he owned a chain of brothels in the Far East. Can someone comment on that?

I would not be at all surprised. The videogame company Nintendo did the same thing, with its "Love Hotels". Even to this day they are still the richest company in videogames.

Also they invented the mechanical grabber that you see at funfairs - the ones where you reach for a toy and the grabber moves it towards you, then the prize accidentally slips out of the claws...

[Frank S]

masterhit:

I would not be at all surprised. The videogame company Nintendo did the same thing, with its "Love Hotels". Even to this day they are still the richest company in videogames.

Also they invented the mechanical grabber that you see at funfairs - the ones where you reach for a toy and the grabber moves it towards you, then the prize accidentally slips out of the claws...

Nintendo? They were in business so they could shame and disillusion a four-year-old more than sixty years ago?

Evil is ageless, I guess.

Frank S

[uechtel]

nice page:

http://medlem.spray.se/lpearl/

[eldougo]

TEDDY YIP --------------------- he sure loved his motoracing nice bloke an very funny
especially when he was with Sidney (bejesus) Taylor.and Julian and Dave his two irish
mechanics fun fun all the time.

Edited by eldougo, 16 March 2011 - 08:19.

[maxie]

Coined "playboy" by the local media, Teddy Yip got the rights to run casinos in Macau with three others, including Stanley Ho, in 1962. Like Ho, Yip expanded his fortune mostly from the casino business.

[rdrcr]

Born in Medan, Indonesia, Theodore "Teddy" Yip was a Dutch national who built himself a vast business empire in the Far East, including shipping companies, car dealerships, rice, corn and sugar companies and even the restaurant trade. Through his Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de Macao, which was involved in hotels, casinos and even the hydrofoil service between Macau and Hong Kong, he was largely responsible for turning Macau into a tourist resort.

He drove racing cars himself but enjoyed more success as a benefactor and first became involved in international racing as a backer of Brian Redman in Formula 5000 racing in 1974, a relationship which led to Yip getting to know team boss Sid Taylor. There followed further involvement in America with Vern Schuppan and as a result with Dan Gurney's Eagle team. Yip supported Schuppan's drives in Formula 1 with the Ensign team in 1974 and continued to support the Australian in America. He then backed Alan Jones who won two Formula 5000 races for the team in 1976.

In 1977 he got to know Patrick Tambay and funded Patrick's half-season with the Ensign team, during which he collected five points. For the 1978 season Yip commissioned Ron Tauranac to build him a Formula 1 and the result was the TR1. Eddie Cheever ran the car but failed to qualify in both Argentina and Brazil but then Keke Rosberg took over. He won the International Trophy at Silverstone but qualified for only one GP - in South Africa. The car was abandoned in the mid-season.

In 1979 Yip helped to fund Ensign but the car was not a success. It was driven by Derek Daly, Patrick Gaillard and Marc Surer but there were no points scored. At the end of the year Teddy also funded a British F1 program with a Wolf WR6 for David Kennedy and helped Divina Galica to become the first woman to win a Formula 1 race - albeit a British F1 event.

Kennedy moved to Shadow in 1980 but the team was by then on its last legs and in the mid-summer he bought the team from Don Nichols. He retained Tony Southgate as the designer and he set to work on the TY01 for 1981, while the old Shadow DN12 was reworked as the TR2 for the pre-season non-championship races.

For the 1981 season Yip hired Patrick Tambay to drive and he scored a point in the first Grand Prix that year at Long Beach. In the mid-season he was lured away by Ligier and Yip gave the drive to Marc Surer. The same car was used again at the start of 1982 but then driver Derek Daly was hired by Williams and the TY02 was handed over to Jan Lammers, Geoff Lees and Tommy Byrne. They were not very competitive and the team scored no points.

For the 1983 season Yip decided that the best step was to merge Theodore and Ensign and used the Nigel Bennett-designed Ensign N183 design as a Theodore. The team employed Johnny Cecotto and Roberto Guerrero but for the non-championship Race of Champions at Brands Hatch one of the cars was entrusted to Brian Henton. He finished fourth although the field was weak.

At Long Beach Cecotto finished sixth to score a point but as the season progressed it became more and more difficult for the cars to qualify. The team shut down at the end of the year with Mo Nunn planning to build an Indycar. In the end he went to America where he enjoyed great success as a race engineer through the 1980s and into the 1990s.

[theunions]

Does anyone have:

1. a color photo of Bruno Giacomelli's Nordica-sponsored CART Theodore from early 1984
2. any photo of the (1983???) Theodore Chico Serra raced in his sole CART appearance at Portland 1985?

[maxie]

Originally posted by rdrcr
For the 1983 season Yip decided that the best step was to merge Theodore and Ensign and used the Nigel Bennett-designed Ensign N183 design as a Theodore. The team employed Johnny Cecotto and Roberto Guerrero but for the non-championship Race of Champions at Brands Hatch one of the cars was entrusted to Brian Henton. He finished fourth although the field was weak.

I often got confusing information as to the name of the Ensign and Theodore cars. For example, IIRC, I can see the Chinese names of "HK Theodore Racing" on an Ensign car. When did the two teams actually merge? Did the Chinese words "HK Theodore Racing" also appear on the Ensign cars before the merger as well?

[ghinzani]

Originally posted by maxie


I often got confusing information as to the name of the Ensign and Theodore cars. For example, IIRC, I can see the Chinese names of "HK Theodore Racing" on an Ensign car. When did the two teams actually merge? Did the Chinese words "HK Theodore Racing" also appear on the Ensign cars before the merger as well?

Yip sponsored Vern Schuppan inF5000 etc in 74 and this led to him putting Vern in the Ensign F1 car - I think thats the first contact with Ensign.

[bill moffat]

Would like to redress the balance here as various postings put a shady perspective on his character.

Teddy Yip's daughter Dr Vicky Clement-Jones sadly died of cancer in 1987 , but not before setting up the "BACUP" cancer charity. This charity has helped thousands of cancer sufferers and their families over the years and flourishes to this day. Inherent in this success has been the support (financial and otherwise) given by Teddy Yip. Thought you should know.

[hhh]

I got to know Teddy Yip when he was a F1 entrant and came to Zandvoort. I was introduced to teddy my my father and was very surprised when he spoke Dutch with us! Then of course I learned about his Indonesian background.
When I raced at Macau in the '80's I met him again and he was a most charming man.

There was a story at the time, having his Macau house on the side of the Town-circuit (true, I know were it is) he had the guardrail taken away in front of his garage-door and in one of the practices used another car from his garage making a quick car-change to get a better practice time!
Never checked the story, but maybe one of the TNF members can confirm this.

Even if it's bull...., it still is a story that fits well with Teddy!

[fines]

Originally posted by bill moffat
Would like to redress the balance here as various postings put a shady perspective on his character.

Teddy Yip's daughter Dr Vicky Clement-Jones sadly died of cancer in 1987 , but not before setting up the "BACUP" cancer charity. This charity has helped thousands of cancer sufferers and their families over the years and flourishes to this day. Inherent in this success has been the support (financial and otherwise) given by Teddy Yip. Thought you should know.

Thanks for that post!

But shady perspective? Don't know... Brothels and casinos, even if he did them (and I suppose it's true), there's nothing shady about that.

For me, TY was always THE DYNAMO, a very energetic person with passion and a lust for life to rival. Motorsport couldn't have been luckier to have been graced by his interest!

[Théodore33]

Hy,

Does anyone possess Pictures of Marc Surer driving the Théodore #33 at the end of the 1981 season (France, Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Italy, Canada, Dallas).

Thanks

[Ricardo Perez Pand]

Originally posted by fines
Teddy Yip is one of the most colourful characters ever to grace motor sports! I have several articles about him burried somewhere in my magazines, must try to dig'em up.

For starters, I believe he wasn't involved with the Macau GP, that was Bob Harper's project, and this rankled quite a bit with him, since Harper was his arch rival in the Far East (racing and businesswise), but managed to organise the biggest event in the area. Could be vice versa, though...

Senna-YIP Maybe , Mr. Yip wasn't directly involved with the Macau F3 organization..but if my mind did no betray me..in 1983 was the first F3 on Macau streets track and Ayrton raced in a car backed by Mr. Yip or owned by him and backed by Marlboro, by the way Senna won it..becoming the inaugural F3 Macau winner..and for those who chase the dirty ways of the 6 WDC holder..let me repeat this: Macau 1990 or '91, Hakkinen won first heat and Schumacher crash on him ..now we must say deliberately..stopping the neat and fair finland from winning that still prestigious basic open wheel race for fame..maybe Schumi was practicing the maneuver for a future decisive Adelaide 1994...poor Hill. bye and my best wishes for you all this hot and wonder F1 2004 . Ricardo.

[Rob Ryder]

Originally posted by Théodore33
Does anyone possess Pictures of Marc Surer driving the Théodore #33 at the end of the 1981 season (France, Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Italy, Netherlands, Canada, Dallas).

Théodore33
I have pictures from France, Netherlands and Canada
Drop me an email with your address and I'll email you copies.
Rob

[WCA-27]

I have a transporter that I was advised belonged to Teddy Yip sometime in '78/'79. It was painted red, white and blue with 'Theodore Yip Racing Hong Kong' graphics.

I am trying to document this transporters history and would appreciate any information or especially photos of this vehicle.

Photos of the transporter may be seen at www.upfrontcoolers.com on the last 2 pages. If anyone is interested, I can e-mail photos.

Thanks...Bill Allen wca-27@dslextreme.com

[timc1]

I have a transporter that I was advised belonged to Teddy Yip sometime in '78/'79. It was painted red, white and blue with 'Theodore Yip Racing Hong Kong' graphics.

I am trying to document this transporters history and would appreciate any information or especially photos of this vehicle.

Photos of the transporter may be seen at www.upfrontcoolers.com on the last 2 pages. If anyone is interested, I can e-mail photos.

Thanks...Bill Allen wca-27@dslextreme.com

Hi Bill,
I know it's been 5 years since you posted this but I'd like to see those photos if you still have them.

Thank you,
Tim

[rdmotorsport]

I have a transporter that I was advised belonged to Teddy Yip sometime in '78/'79. It was painted red, white and blue with 'Theodore Yip Racing Hong Kong' graphics.

I am trying to document this transporters history and would appreciate any information or especially photos of this vehicle.

Photos of the transporter may be seen at www.upfrontcoolers.com on the last 2 pages. If anyone is interested, I can e-mail photos.

Thanks...Bill Allen wca-27@dslextreme.com

I have owned 2 ex theodore vehicles a rigid transporter and the former brabham transporter which was converted into theodores motorhome so photos would be appreciated jayemcee42@aol.com

[Gokart Mozart]

I have owned 2 ex theodore vehicles a rigid transporter and the former brabham transporter which was converted into theodores motorhome so photos would be appreciated jayemcee42@aol.com

We recently came into possession of one of the Nigel Bennett-designed 1983 Theodore M183 Indy cars. I did a bit of up-close disecting of the car, and managed to photograph the pieces. Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.co...57622848916683/

Respectfully Yours,

Jacques N. Dresang
UMW
www.uemsimotorwerks.com

Edited by Gokart Mozart, 22 December 2009 - 22:02.

[Jerry Entin]

Teddy Yip on upper left with David Hobbs and Tony Brise

The girl with the jacket and hat on is Kirby Guyer, she was the office manager of Traco engines in the day.
She also was the team manager for Moises Solana in the 1968 USRRC.

Teddy Yip first came to the states in 1974 at Monterey. He sponsored Vern Shuppan in Sid Taylor's Lola T-332.

The above picture is from 1975. Teddy Yip sponsored Graham Hill's Protege, Tony Brise in the west coast F-5000 races.

Parnelli Jones said it best, after watching Tony drive at Long Beach, he came up and said:
"What Planet did you get that kid from?"

All made possible by Teddy Yip.

photo: Kirby Guyer collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 29 January 2013 - 10:16.

[Marc Sproule]

Here's one of Teddy Yip, Graham Hill, Carl Haas and Tony Brise at Long Beach in '75. I know I have more of him in my archives and have added his name to the list of snaps to find and upload.

http://www.flickr.co...@N03/4303041630

http://www.flickr.co...s/46681980@N03/

[Terry Walker]

Well known in Western Australian racing, came here on a number of occasions, mostly for the Six Hour Race: This one 1970 (and I was in that race myself, DNF). He was in a local Lotus 47 because his own car got stuck in Darwin in, quite possibly, a wharfie strike, or a Customs dispute, who know now?


1 2 Lola T70 Mk 2 Don O’Sullivan/Howie Sangster 287 Sports
2 3 Graduate Mk 2 Stan Starcevich/Stuart Kostera 277 Sports
3 5 Lotus 47 Teddy Yip/Henry Lee 272 Sports

I suspect the formatting will vanish -

I was right, it did . . .

Edited by Terry Walker, 16 April 2010 - 14:29.

[ReWind]

I suspect the formatting will vanish -

Put it into a codeBOX ... and do NOT (i.e. NEVER) use tab stops!

1	2	Lola T70 Mk 2          Don O’Sullivan/Howie Sangster	287	Sports 2	3	Graduate Mk 2          Stan Starcevich/Stuart Kostera   277	Sports 3	5	Lotus 47	       Teddy Yip/Henry Lee	        272     Sports

[T54]

Teddy Yip made us remove the claw on the Eagle on the truck because it was bad luck in Chinese...

Before:





After...



T54

Edited by T54, 17 April 2010 - 00:47.

[serendipitylondon]

I have called Teddy Yip uncle Teddy since 1967, I and my mother have been close family friends since then.I remember uncle Herman in the office and his bodyguard Margaret.

I lived in HK from 1959-1973, all my schooling was there.

In those days he used to live in Repulse Bay Mansions, I still have Christmas cards & letters from him 1970s

As a young kid I used to visit him at his office on the 12th floor of Tak Shing House in central all the time.

My brother and I used to have to get in the dumb waiter and hoisted into the restaurant above the casino at the Lisboa as underage.

Anyone know if he was buried in HK ?, I plan to go back to HK this year for the first time in 20 odd years and would love to put some flowers on his grave.

A great man.

My best memory was 1 night while Teddy was over visiting my mother her other boyfriend turned up ( Ivo Rigby the Chief Justice )at the door, both of them hid in the closet ( drinks in hand-ice cubes rattling & giggling )and I said she was out & lied to the most powerful man on the Island.

Edited by serendipitylondon, 15 January 2011 - 14:14.

[Giraffe]

Teddy during his days with Dan Gurney


By giraffe138 at 2011-03-15

Photo courtesy of the Sidney Taylor collection.

[Arjan de Roos]

Now I read that Teddy Yip studied in Holland. This must have been around 1930. Anyone knows where he studied (Leiden?, Amsterdam?) and what did he study?

If anyone has a pic of the Theodore sponsored McLaren of Regazzoni 1977 Indy attempt, I'll be happy as well :-)

[MCS]

Now I read that Teddy Yip studied in Holland. This must have been around 1930. Anyone knows where he studied (Leiden?, Amsterdam?) and what did he study?

Unless I am dreaming, didn't somebody produce a biography of Teddy Yip last year? Would the details be there?

[Arjan de Roos]

Unless I am dreaming, didn't somebody produce a biography of Teddy Yip last year? Would the details be there?

Thank you for mentioning. And found: Dr Philip Newsome's "Teddy Yip: From Macau to the World and Back". Looks good, but have to see it in real if the answer is there.
I also found link to the publisher:
http://www.blueflagpress.com/

[HistoryFan]

1) Yips son Teddy Yip jr. is now shareholder at Status Racing (le Mans, GP3). Did he also drive races? Some details about him?
2) Racing results of Teddy Yip? He was third at 1963 Macau Grand Prix.
3) Al Unser was helping Yip with his F1 team. Has someone details about that?
4) Is Hong Kong race driver Simon Yip (Asian GT Series) related to Teddy Yip?

Edited by HistoryFan, 04 April 2013 - 20:18.

[racinggeek]

Teddy Yip made us remove the claw on the Eagle on the truck because it was bad luck in Chinese...

Before:





After...



T54

From 1978, right? Given the results AAR had that year, maybe you should have asked Mr. Yip to put the claw back on the truck

[raceannouncer2003]

1) Yips son Teddy Yip jr. is now shareholder at Status Racing (le Mans, GP3). Did he also drive races? Some details about him?

Teddy Yip, Jr., left, at a get-together at Steve Clark's place here in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (sorry, can't remember the name of the guy on the right). Yip has a home here. Steve Clark knows Teddy, Jr. and Teddy, Jr's mother.



Walter Wolf, far left, and Steve Clark, far right, sharing Teddy Yip, Sr. stories at the Mission Historic race last year as one of Wolf's sons and Nigel Matthews look on.

Vince H.

[Giraffe]

Teddy Yip Jr. with his dad's old team manager, Sidney Taylor pictured at last year's British GP at Silverstone.

[HistoryFan]

He looks very young. Thought he is older...

[rdmotorsport]

nice page:

http://medlem.spray.se/lpearl/

Sid Taylor is certainly an Irishman born Ratfaren near Dublin but Julian (Randles) is a Solihull man and Dave was from Staffordshire but perhaps they were honarary Irishmen?
For the record Teddy managed to get Sid Taylors team into Grand Prix but always felt (and I worked at Theodore) if Sid had continued going it alone I think he would have had more success.

[Giraffe]

Teddy Yip would have celebrated his 100th birthday yesterday. Philip Newsome's recent book on this unique character is worth reading.

Edited by Giraffe, 06 June 2013 - 10:11.

[gfastr]

Teddy Yip would have celebrated his 100th birthday yesterday. Philip Newsome's recent book on this unique character is worth reading.

Wasn't the translation on Teddy Yip's racing logo something like "You Can Buy Me But You Can Never Own Me"?

I've still got the Yip/Ensign sticker somewhere.

[MoMurray]

Sid Taylor is certainly an Irishman born Ratfaren near Dublin but Julian (Randles) is a Solihull man and Dave was from Staffordshire but perhaps they were honarary Irishmen?
For the record Teddy managed to get Sid Taylors team into Grand Prix but always felt (and I worked at Theodore) if Sid had continued going it alone I think he would have had more success.

correction; Sid was from Rathfarnham.

[MCS]

correction; Sid was from Rathfarnham.

IS hopefully!

[Giraffe]

Wasn't the translation on Teddy Yip's racing logo something like "You Can Buy Me But You Can Never Own Me"?

I've still got the Yip/Ensign sticker somewhere.

IS hopefully!

I hope so too, because he's buying dinner tonight!

[raceannouncer2003]

Teddy Yip, Jr. is a busy guy...Status teams in GP2 and GP3, and now this:

 

http://www.theodorer...super-fj-debut/

 

Vince H.

[ensign14]

Wasn't the translation on Teddy Yip's racing logo something like "You Can Buy Me But You Can Never Own Me"?
 

 

No.  Far more mundane.  The words around the rim are "Deli saichedui" - "Theodore car-contest-team".  Underneath is Xianggang - Hong Kong.