12 replies to this topic

[Zipp]

Hi guys, Newbie here after some info, if you please?

My parents have just departed after a short visit, and they are currently putting together our family tree. Now most of this i have little interest in, but this one person does sound rather interesting:
Thomas Vivian Gott Selby. 1907-1967
TVG Selby.
This guy was my Great Grandfather on my mothers side apparently.
He has been described as a man of means, and had links to motor racing.
Brooklands was one of his haunts, and his collection of cars, apparently included a Bugatti, Aston Martin and MG, to name a few??.
I think he also had strong links with a Bristol Motor Racing Club.
He died of a heart attack aged 60 in 1967.

Now i have done the basic Google searches, and come up with only 3 hits, with info regarding races in 1931 and 1934 in which he competed.
I am hoping you guys may be able to point me in the right direction, to uncovering some more of my Great grandfather's history, as i believe his racing spanned a few more years than this??
Is it unreasonable to expect to find someone that actually knew him??

I would be most grateful for any knowledge, information and especially pictures of this person or his cars, that anyone may be able to provide.

Thank you.

It is quite cool finding out that there was a racing driver in the recent family.
That must be where i get my heavy right foot from, and the need for speed?

[Pete Stowe]

Zipp, I’ve only time this evening for a brief response, but Vivian Selby was the manager of the racing department of the Bristol Aeroplane Company Car Division, which ran the Bristol 450 Le Mans cars 1953-55 (further details on the Bristol Owners Club website www.boc.net/type_450.php ). I should be able to find a little more information tomorrow, but it’s probably be worth your while contacting the BOC (they also have a forum on their website).

[David McKinney]

He was better known for his exploits in northern sand racing, especially at Southport, than at Brooklands. His record in 100-mile races on the beach, always it seems with a Bugatti 35C, included first in 1930, second in 1931 and 1933, and third in 1934. He also won another Southport feature in 1936.
In addition, Selby drove an MG Midget in the 1932 Mille Miglia, but failed to finish

[Doug Nye]

Vivian Selby was one of Sir Jack Brabham's very first contacts in England when Jack arrived from Australia early in 1955. Jack's own highly developed Cooper-Bristol single-seater had been enormously successful in Australian racing, and when he came to England he was to be grossly disappointed by the performance of the Cooper-Alta he had bought from Peter Whitehead here. He sought a replacement Bristol engine for it from the factory...when he met Mr Selby. He emerged with a deal to attend Le Mans as the Bristol factory team's spare driver, at Selby's invitation.

DCN

[Zipp]

WoW,

Thanx guys for the swift responses

Pete, i have now registered with the BOC forum, and posed the same question there. Thanx for the link, and the info supplied so far.

David, my mother did mention sand racing on the south coast, but she was not sure where. That is brill.

Doug, Sir Jack Brabham.......WoW!! now that is interesting. Thanx.
btw, My surname is Lye.

I have ordered a book to the library "Brooklands The complete motor racing history" by William Boddy, which seems to reference Selby on 14 separate pages. Looking forward to viewing this book.

Where have you guys sourced your info please?
Are there more publications i should be looking for?

Many Thanx again,
Still hoping to unearth some pictures......

[Pete Stowe]

The following appeared in Motor Sport August 1953.

“T. V. Selby used to race G.P. Bugattis at Brooklands with a fair degree of success as long ago as 1929-1935. He also drove the M.G. Midget at the time when this newcomer took the J.C.C. ‘Double Twelve’ Hour Race by storm. He drove one of these M.G.s with Freddie de Clifford in the Mille Miglia of 1932.
Later he drove for Austin in the works Sevens, notably on the occasion when the Austin team won an L.C.C. Relay Race at the Track. Selby also competed in the Belgian 24-Hour Sports-Car Race at Spa with an M.G. at this time.
He has had considerable experience of the Monte Carlo Rally, in which before the war he usually started from Stavanger.
After the war Selby joined the Car Division of the Bristol Aeroplane Company as Sales Manager. He transferred to the position of Racing Manager in January of this year and was responsible for the building and running of the first Bristol sports/ racing cars, the 2-litre Type 450 coupes, which failed at Le Mans—not surprisingly as they had been built in about six months—but one of which won its class in excellent style at Reims.”

From "British Rally Drivers Their Cars & Awards 1925-39" Donald Crowbourne:
Pre-war he entered the Monte Carlo rally in 1933 (Ford), 1934 (Chrysler) and 1935 (AC) and the RAC Rally in 1934 (Chrysler) and 1937 (AC).

Selby is mentioned several times in Charles Oxley’s book 'Bristol – The Quiet Survivor' (ISBN 1 85421 019 X), which includes a photo of him testing the open version of the 450.

You might also try contacting the Bristol Aero Collection (see www.bristolaero.i12.com/contacts.htm ), while Tony Crook at Bristol Cars ( www.bristolcars.co.uk ) must have known him.

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Zipp
Where have you guys sourced your info please?

Pre-war magazines - notably The Autocar
I don't have the magazines, but they are accessible in several libraries

[Zipp]

Thanx again for the info guys.

Pete, Fantastic gen. you have opened up a few more avenues for me to explore. Do you have the book entitled: the quiet survivor?

There are a couple of books i would love to have a look through, but i feel they are gonna be difficult to obtain, or very expensive? unsure.

Bristol-The Quiet Survivor
Bristol-An Illustrated History. both by Godfrey Charles Oxley-Sidey
Brooklands-The complete motor racing history by Bill Boddy

I have placed these on order at the library, but there are no guarantees that they will actually turn up. If they do, it will only cost me £2.05 each, which is fine. These books are very expensive to buy outright.

If anyone who has a copy of these titles, has the time to peruse for articles/pictures regarding TVG Selby, i would be most grateful if you could display the contents. If that is allowed?

Thanx again.

[Pete Stowe]

In my experience the English public library system is very good at locating seemingly obscure books; it can take some time for them to come through though. If you’re in the south of England you could always visit the Library at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, who would have copies. In the Oxley book you would really need to see the whole chapter on the Bristol 450 (Posting that here would infringe copyright.)

If you want to follow up the Bugatti aspect you could try contacting Bob Light, the Bugatti Owners Club Archivist
www.bugatti.co.uk

[john medley]

TVG Selby 's Type 35 Bugatti made its way to Australia,re engined with an R1 Anzani by Lyndon Duckett , eventually sold to Bob King whose book Bugattis in Australasia has words and photos on Selby and the car Pp 75-80

[fuzzi]

Vivian Selby also accompanied Lord de Clifford in his MG D-Type in the 1932 Mille Miglia. They were second in the 1100cc Sports class (to a Maserati) at Rome, but retired after breaking camshaft drive keys.

[Zipp]

As Pete Stowe stated earlier, the library has come through on one of the books- The Quiet Survivor.

Chapter 15- the type 450 racer, "The Cars from Mars", did indeed make for informative reading.

Lets hope that the library can come up trumps, with the other titles on order.
Thanx again for all your assistance.

As a bit of a side note, i am hopefully going to Donnington park tomorrow to watch the Le Grande Passione event . Any tips on a good vantage point, to view a large portion of the circuit?

http://www.donington...p?choice=070507

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Zipp
Any tips on a good vantage point, to view a large portion of the circuit?

Try the bank overlooking the Craner Curves and the Old Hairpin
Or Redgate, facing the pit straight