34 replies to this topic

[David Birchall]

I was always a fan of Henry Manney. I loved his take on life; he didn't take anything, except perhaps fools, too seriously and loved motor sport with a consuming passion. His contributions to Road & Track were always memorable and inventive: The road tests of the skate board, the 4-6-2 Gresley Locomotive etc, etc, etc. The last words I heard him speak were: (Road & Track)..."is a know nothing magazine with a know nothing staff and a know nothing editor?". Afew months after this he suffered his stroke and we lost one of the greatest American motoring writers.
Does anyone else have any memories of Yr Faithfl Srvnt they would like to share?

[Frank S]

From my TNF introduction:

Quote

Speaking of which, another (of my peak racing experiences) was at my next GP experience, Long Beach, 1976: after spending most of a morning near the apex of Turn 12, rubbing elbows and swapping cryptic evaluations of the goings-on ("I think Fangio's smile [as he comes into the pits after making a few laps in the 1954? Championship-winning Mercedes] is the only one wider than mine"), Henry N. Manney III offered me some of his shredded tobacco product. I declined, but felt honored and accepted.

End Quote

Your OBedient Servant
Frank S

[dbw]

ah yes...what a wonderful man...he slept in my driveway in his RV for a week...he did a road test of "the willis flyer";a folly of mine...also an april fools road test of the upside roller coaster i worked on..and yet another article on the ingalls special i vintage raced....he was a very special person to my wife and i..in all the time we spent with henry and anne we were regaled with stories of love,life,food,dance[and more dance] and the penis size of famous euro royalty..the funny thing is we rarely if ever talked cars..the subject just never came up.great man,great times..we miss him very much.

some day i'll reveal the details of the infamous japanese dinner with us in monterey..our sides ached for days from the laughter... [and i'll never look at sushi the same way again.]

[bkalb]

Manney, more than anyone, was my introduction to big-time motor racing. I used to live for his reports in Road & Track. I never met him, but was always delighted with the way he wove humor into all aspects of his highly informative reports. I remember one report on the German Grand Prix with the by-line "Heinrich Manne III." And a caption for one of his photographs, this one during practice for some GP around 1964 when (the bald) Stirling Moss was out of the hospital after his career-ending crash and was hanging around the circuit. It showed a huddle among Jim Clark, Colin Chapman and Moss, who was sporting a beard at the time, and the caption read something like, "A pre-race discussion of strategy with Jim Clark (dark hair), Colin Chapman (dark glasses), and Stirling Moss (dark chin)." Henry was always a treat to read.

Barry Kalb

[Jack-the-Lad]

As much as I admired Manney and enjoyed his writing, I only wish I had some memories of him. Unfortunately, I never met him. I recall that he was in a coma for a very long time, and I was sorry for his and his family's suffering.

David,what prompted his comments about R&T? Wasn't Tony Hogg the editor then?

Jack

[David Birchall]

Jack, that probably is the ulterior motive for my starting this thread: I didn't understand his comment at the time but its interesting; at about that time R&T started to go down hill, imho, the number of classified ads dropped to virtually zero and the magazine became just another "Motor Trend". Henry knew it was on the wrong track (npi), but he was REMARKABLY bitter when he made that comment. David B

[David Birchall]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by dbw
[B]ah yes...what a wonderful man...he slept in my driveway in his RV for a week...he did a road test of "the willis flyer";a folly of mine...also an april fools road test of the upside roller coaster i worked on..and yet another article on the ingalls special i vintage raced....


The Ingalls Special? Would you be from Westwood California by any chance?

[Don Capps]

I actually ran into HNM III in Europe in about 1959 or 1960 when he was first getting his name known on the Western side of the Atlantic. He was quite a fascinating person, a complete hoot. We kept moreorless in contact and usually tried to communicate a few times a year. Then suddenly he was back in the States. I did visit him a time or two in California before the stroke. As I got older, his material was funnier than I first realized. However, he was not a completely happy man the last time I spoke with him. He was not happy with R&T and some other things that apparently had not panned out well. But, he did not dwell on them and was the usual hoot. This was some time in the 70's and I had come out for a race or two on the West Coast.

To have actually met and then read his material was pretty neat for a teenager. We were scarcely friends, but good acquaintances I suppose. His loss was one that I always have regretted. He certainly put fun and zip into racing. Until Dean Batchelor wrote about the agony that HNM III went through to produce an article, I never had a clue how hard the task was for him. From reading his work you would never have guessed it.

He did get up during a meal once and dance around the resturant.....

[Dennis Hockenbury]

As a teenager growing up in deepest Richmond, Virginia (NASCAR country), HNMIII was the author of the first Grand Prix reports in Road & Track which formed much, if not all of my earliest appreciation of the sport. His style, wit, and observations on European life formed an indelible impression in this readers mind.

I never had the opportunity to meet HNM as he had left the scene before my inital forays to Europe, but he lives on with me, and I would suspect, many others through the vivid impressions created by his work.

As a lifelong fan of Yr Faithfl Srvnt, I highly recommend "Henry Manney, At Large and Abroad" as this was a most enjoyable collection of his work.

I can't imagine any GP correspondent today writing an article on their visit to a nudist island in the Med, and having it published. I roared with laughter.

He remains my standard for coverage of an era now long past.

Henry Manney was an original, and sorely missed.

[WGD706]

Were there ever any meetings/collaborations/disputes, etc between Henry Manney and Denis Jenkinson?

[David Beard]

I'm sure I recall HM3 writing for the British "Small Car" magazine which I used to buy as a lad. It turned into "Car" at some stage.

[Doug Nye]

Yes there certainly were meetings - and many of them - between HNM III and DSJ - each liked and respected the other very much indeed.

My (now retired) old photographer colleague and pal Geoffrey Goddard became 'R&T's retained European motor racing photographer upon HNM III's recommendation, and upon Geoff's recommendation to Tony Hogg - one of 'R&T's great editors - I began writing for them through the 1970s.

I would be VERY surprised and disappointed if HNM III's dismissive remarks about the magazine and its Editor were uttered during Tony Hogg's reign. Not at all surprised if they were uttered during the reign of Tony's immediate successor - a dipstick who seemed to believe that 'Special inside - 30 page shock absorber feature' was worthy of the magazine's stature.

Henry and Geoff once shared a Saab to drive transContinent from New York city to LA. In the 'R&T' office both had a reputation for being grouchy old farts, and the boys there had difficulty picturing how they would get along cramped together for 10 days or more in a Saab. They didn't have the measure of HNM III and GG.

Henry was in his element in the former plantation lands of his Virginian gentleman forebears, while Geoff was like a pig in the proverbial touring the Civil War sites he'd spent so much of his life reading about. Both were even more in their element in the jazz clubs of New Orleans and then amongst the buttes of Monument Valley, 'cos both were considerable movie buffs.

Every complex township name through the south to New Orleans was explained by Henry with the phrase "Old Indian name - means stinkin' water..." while Geoff was kept busy carolling "Schoolbus!" warnings 'cos it had been drummed into him that in those parts if you even accidentally overtook a school bus the local perlice dept. would shoot you on sight and ask questions afterwards.

Henry was indeed a remarkable man - a former trained ballet dancer - he died a death more awful, one imagines, for his loved ones than for him. But in life he brilliantly entertained - and enthused - a motoring generation. His son is still - occasionally - in touch.

A good egg.

DCN

[Don Capps]

DCN, It WAS the dipstick after Tony Hogg that HNM III was referring to.....

[Mike Argetsinger]

Doug has answered the question with a great deal more insight than I can muster. But I knew both Jenks and Henry too and they always had time for a visit. Because I associate seeing them both in various race paddocks and because they were somewhat godlike figures to me (although approachable and kind gods!) they are closely tied in my mind. But I can't speak directly (as Doug has) as to their relationship, one to the other. On the other hand they were both members of IRPA and would have had numerous reasons to know one another. I'm glad to hear Doug confirm that they liked each other.

To bring this full circle I have a Dave Friedman book called "The Legends of Motorsport" that has a wonderful photo of Henry Manney in animated conversation with John Surtees and the caption identifies Henry as Jenks!

(In fairness to Dave Friedman - this error notwithstanding - this is a really beautiful book.)

[WGD706]

On the Society of Automotive Historians website,a poll was taken among the memebrs as to""who was the most influential automotive writer of the 20th century?" They tried to make the question broad enough to cover most types of media including TV and radio. The answers came back and they were quite varied.
Forty-three names were voted on within the first day. Of the more than 400 people surveyed, 46 voted within 24 hours.
Top on the SAH survey was Ken Purdy, by a wide margin. The margin was so wide that they wondered if they shouldn't have stated the question "who's the SECOND most influential."
The reasons were "for setting a high standard and an incredibly prolific, if tragically shortened career," "as he summarized veteran classic and sports cars and provided a first look or basis for so many to get influenced with the automotive industry in all its aspects," and "because he was the person who elevated auto writing from rather poor - for the most part - journalism to literature." One person stated "Kings Of The Road is still a favourite bed-side book."

Here's how the voting went:

1. Ken W. Purdy
2. Tom McCahill
3. Griffith Borgeson
4. Floyd Clymer
5. Beverly Rae Kimes
6. David E. Davis, Jr.
7. Denis Jenkinson, Karl Ludvigsen
9. G.N. Georgano
10. John Bond, Chris Economaki, Peter Egan, Henry Manney, Michael Sedgewick, Ralph Stein
All of the other votes had true merit for being great influences in automotive writing in the 20th century. Notables not making the top-10 were Dean Bachelor, Elaine Bond, Henry Austin Clark, Jr., Jeff Godshall, Michael Lamm, Richard Langworth, David L. Lewis, Laurence Pomeroy, and LJK Setright.
To sum up, as one voter said, "I believe as automotive writers go, I was most influenced by reading things these people wrote because I could truly feel the infectious quality of their zeal, their passion; they made me want to drive a great car and to feel an excitement about all things automotive...even when I did not agree with all they said."

With that last statement in mind, I truly feel that Mr DCN should have been among the listed.
Warren

[Mike Argetsinger]

From a strictly American perspective this is not an unreasonable or particularly surprising list. I don't know the composition of the SAH but I am guessing it is largely North American.

I think a similar poll from the U.K or the continent would produce vastly different results.

[WGD706]

Mike
There are 6 chapters of the SAH, ony one being in the U.K., the rest in the U.S. They've been around for 33 years.
Membership is open to anyone with an interest in automotive history and $40 per year dues.
http://www.autohistory.org/
Warren

[Dennis Hockenbury]

While I am not remotely close to being an historian of any subject, I am an American, and I am an enthusiast of motor racing history.

My list would look very, very different than that of the SAH.

Tom McCahill as Number 2?

[WGD706]

The SAH's criteria was broad enough to cover most types of media including TV and radio.
"Members of the Society encourage research, preservation, recording, compilation, and publication of historical material of every type. We monitor the worldwide development of the automobile and related items, for their inception to the present. " So I guess an automotive critic for Mechanix Illustrated fits their criteria. Would be interesting to see a poll concerning racing writers, though.

[David Birchall]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by WGD706
[B]On the Society of Automotive Historians website,a poll was taken among the memebrs as to""who was the most influential automotive writer of the 20th century?"

Yes, but when? I too find it incredible that McCahill is at #2, but then I would find it incredible if he was at #20....

Those who said Tony Hogg was no longer Editor of R&T are right. Tony Hogg was an enthusiast and a fan of motorsport history. I forget who the editor was-creative mind block? I agree with DCN he was a "dipstick" I stopped taking R&T at about that time.

I really think we should lobby dbw to tell his story of the Japanese dinner at Monterey. I think I know who dbw is-we were pitted next to each other at a couple of Monterey Historics in the seventies.

[Jack-the-Lad]

Warren, another notable not on the list is Pete Lyons.
Jack

[dbw]

david; it was probably me....

do you remember what i was driving?...could have been most anything.

[BorsariG]

Talking about Henry Manney III.

I grew up in OHIO and had almost no contact with F/1 other than Car and Driver and Road & Track. I loved to read Henry Manney's columns, great stuff.

I moved to Southern California in 1967 and the first 'CELBRITY' I saw in this star-studded land was none other than HMIII. I was living in Newport Beach as was he and I saw him in the local grocery store. I was so shocked that I was unable to even approach him with a "hello".

Several years later, I spent about 15 minutes with him at the Long Beach Grand Prix. What a delightfull character! Sooooo sad that his passing was such a tragedy.

[David Birchall]

Originally posted by dbw
david; it was probably me....

do you remember what i was driving?...could have been most anything.

dbw, if you are the same person:
A Lotus Eleven that you were very unhappy with, then an American special from the fifties.
I was racing the "Climax Special", number 69 if that jogs your memory. I towed down behind an Austin A55 pickup and Henry Manney was standing in the middle of the paddock directing traffic--what joy!

[dbw]

a typical hnm III story...over dinner w/lots of spirits on board....[i can't do justice to the style in which it was told,just the basic story line..indulge me if you will]....in the far far past henry and anne were dancing together for a promement euro company...while she was headed for principal status, henry had been relagated to the corps de ballet..he stayed just to be with her,be around dance, and see the world....one off-season they decided to sneak away to the sunny south and do a bicycle holiday..knowing there was always an injury risk they did it anyway on the sly....upon a safe return they figured they had pulled it off...the first day back at the barre anne was warming up as the maitre de ballet[a notoriously strict and old school russian gent]entered the room and went right to anne..he stared at her legs for a brief moment ,turned on his heels ,walked up to henry and on tiptoes screamed in his face "don't ever let this woman touch a bicycle ever again!"[you had to be there to hear henry's impersonation] he then stormed out and refused to have anything to do with anne till her musculature had returned to "normal"....needless to say no more bike trips were undertaken..."another day at the ballet" henry would say...taking another rather large sip of the drink at hand...
and while he did have a rather revolting fondness for"smokeless tobacco" few knew that he always traveled with a supply of some obscure swiss cookie..[i can't remember the name now ]but he taught my wife how to make them in our kitchen..they required large quantities of kirschwasser and had to be left to age till they reached the consistancy of granite...whenever we knew we would see him my wife would always make a batch...only later did she discover she was only one of an international syndicate he had formed [all women that never knew the others existed]to keep henry in a constant supply of these rock hard tidbits....as i said before, evenings and days would pass and automobiles,races and drivers were never mentioned....some times i think we were fortunate to see the side of henry we did.

[dretceterini]

Some other guys that should be on the list areJim Sitz, the "historian" for Vintage Motorsport and Len Frank, the ultimate curmudgeon (even more so than me)! Jim is not really a writer, but has helped many people with his research and knowledge. He is also one of the nicest guys you would ever want to meet. Len was a lot like many of us (or at least my perception of many of us); a group of loveable old farts that are a bit crusty on the outside but warm and gooey on the inside..

[Jack-the-Lad]

I envy those of you who knew Manney personally. What a character he must have been. To know that there was much more to his life than what we saw in R&T is fascinating.

Jack

[mbharris]

I met Henry Manney twice; first in 1966 at the Nurburgring on the Monday following the German Grand Prix and the second time at a Morgan Plus Four Club concours in the early 1970s. I had been a fan of his for years, and submit he was the most profound and entertaining of any motorsports journalist I have ever read, Ken Purdy included. He wrote in a manner that would put you there. No one ever wrote better articles on F-1. The preparation, the teams and mechanics, qualifying, everything. I recently reread his test drive with one of the Porsche Team drivers with the then new Porsche 906. He describes how members of the motoring press got stuffed into this small race car with the flimsy door-and go out and do several laps in the rain. He describes how one such journalist preceded him in the car. "A rather corpulent E------ journalist was stuffed into the passenger's seat, and the door shut around him . . . . The r.. c.. E..j.. then . . . ." etc. No one could use letters to signify an idea as he could, and his word pictures were so clear and amusing. Our first meeting was behind the garages at the 'ring. I had paid my 5 Deutsche marks and done a tour of the course-all 22.5 kilometers worth, and had parked my Porsche 356 to cool off. There was no limit on who or what could drive the 'ring, so you could meet a 500cc racing motorcycle, a huge tour bus, a mid size saloon, and a tricked out sports coupe, all in the same blind corner. While doing the lap, you would see cars smoking from burst radiators where they had come to rest against a tree, huge black tire skid marks leading off course to where cars would be at rest against a fence, and other equally idiotic results of overexuberant and underqualified drivers. Henry had obviously taken his Lusso Berlinetta around the Nurburgring at one time or another, as he was very familiar with how people drove the 'ring. He was dressed in his trademark tweed hat, tie, sports coat and pipe. He always seemed to have a notebook in hand. I introduced myself as an Air Force officer stationed in Germany and told him how much I enjoyed his articles. He was self-effacing and thanked me for the praise. We talked about the "crazies" running around the ring and about Porsche motorcars in general. The second time I met him was when he was covering a Morgan Plus 4 Club event in Southern California. He was still wearing similar dress, and still had his notebook and camera. There were a number of nice Morgans, and he mentioned that he had always liked the cars and commented about their wood subframes. Again, gracious as always. I had a good friend working at Road & Track then, and now, and heard about Henry's stroke. I was not aware of any unhappiness with the magazine. I know that successful products are often marketed to other companies, and often the transition is difficult and many times the subsequent product is not as good. Henry Manney was truly unique and one of a kind. As I also recall, his college major was something esoteric like medieval English literature, from a small Eastern liberal arts college.

[Ray Bell]

In my youth, DSJ and HNMIII were the sources of GP information for me... one the exacting and informative, the other the colour and interest interwoven with enough information to say one was informed.

Another fan of his writing in those years was Peter Brock (well known star of Mobil 1 ads on television), who absorbed his attitudes and nuances and spoke openly in a manner that belied the fact that he'd had his nose in R & T while stuck in the barracks.

[Lotus23]

I thoroughly enjoyed everything I ever read that HNMIII had penned. Thought he was about as good as they came, and I regret that I never had the pleasure of meeting him.

But I must confess that Ken Purdy also holds a special place in my enthusiast's heart. As a youngster, I read and re-read "Kings of the Road" until I'd committed big chunks of it to memory. Ken, like Henry, had a wonderful way with words.

They are both missed.

[Mark Godfrey]

In addition to his skill with words, Henry N. Manney III was a great photographer.
See January '62, Road & Track cover shot off Phil Hill at Nürburgring.
Mark Godfrey

[Jack-the-Lad]

Mark.

Was that a Manney photo? I still remember it...Hill in the sharknose at the Karrussel. Very dramatic and (obviously) memorable.
Jack

[Mark Godfrey]

The credit describes the image as shot by Henry with a Mamiyaflex using Ektachrome film.
In 1996 I was looking for this image to use in the revised "Phil Hill: Yankee Champion," but could not find it. R&T did not seem to have it, nor Henry's son. HNMIII did a lot of great color work.
Mark

[Ray Bell]

I guess it's not out of place to drag this pic out again...



Zandvoort... Guy Ligier tries to make peace with our hero...

[Lotus23]

I remember that terrific cover photo of "Feel Heel" (as the French used to call him). And you say it was over 41 years ago?? Seems more like 6 months ago!