Cliff Allison: from the Fells to Ferrari

Transcription

1 Cliff Allison: from the Fells to Ferrari It is interesting that one of Frank Allison s rivals was Roland Stobbart, who later became one of Britain s leading speedway riders known as Rol Stobbart about whom I was to write twenty years later when I was a speedway correspondent. Another local rider, Bernard Crabtree from Kendal, recalled that he was competing in a grass track meeting in the 1930s without a crash helmet. Frank Allison loaned him his for the next heat in which Bernard crashed heavily and was knocked out. Frank s helmet was smashed but it had saved Bernard Crabtree s life and he never forgot it. Local motor cycle racing historian, Adrian Pavey, also comments that: Frank and Gilly played an important role in the pre-war history of motor cycle sport in this region. A further link to motor sport came via Frank s friendship with the legendary motor cycle rider and car driver, Freddie Dixon. He was a very determined driver who crossed the social barrier that existed in those days for people who wanted to race. Dixon famously had many wins with his Riley 9s, and was one of the greatest engine tuners of Frank Allison befriended legendary motor cycle racer and racing driver, Freddie Dixon. (Cliff Allison Archive) Cliff s uncle, Gillie Allison, was also a successful grass track rider and accompanied the legendary Freddie Dixon on some of his racing exploits. (Cliff Allison Archive) 10

2 2 How the racing began If you listen to 86-year-old Percy Harris from Kendal, you said to him that he should have a word with that son of his begin to understand that, at one time, Cliff Allison might because these evening races were nonsensical and it was not have lived to race cars. In 1951 Cliff and a pal of his bound to end in tears. I tried to interest Cliff in coming into used to travel in the evening, every week, from Brough to motor cycle scrambling with me but he wasn t interested the technical college in Kendal, and it turned into a race, so I said, what about cars? That got him interested and his not only to see who could get there first, but who could set dad asked me to keep an eye open for a cheapie racing a new record time. So, one day I spoke to Frank Allison and car for him. The ill-fated short chassis Marwyn, bought by Percy Harris to sell to Frank Allison for Cliff to make his racing debut in. Cliff found the car practically undrivable and never raced it. He gave it back to Percy Harris to compete with in the Barbon Hill Climb. (Courtesy Percy Harris)

3 Cliff Allison s first World Championship Grand Prix was at Monaco in 1958 with the Lotus Twelve. His team-mate was Graham Hill in another Lotus Twelve: it was also Team Lotus debut in Grand Prix racing. (Gordon Wilkins) The Spa circuit was one of Cliff s favourites. Here, French photographer, Bernard Cahier, captures Cliff s first visit to the circuit in 1958, driving the Team Lotus Twelve. (Courtesy Bernard Cahier)

4 Cliff Allison: from the Fells to Ferrari Disaster at Monaco 1958 when Cliff s Ferrari Dino F2 car (number 52) was involved in Wolfgang von Trips accident with his Porsche, which also embroiled Bruce Halford s Lotus Sixteen. Cliff can be seen climbing the steps; von Trips is sitting on the top step, and Halford, wearing the dark shirt, has his back to the camera. (Cliff Allison Archive) 78

5 The final two seasons As to the future activity of the SEFAC company I said that, since the FIA-CSI are keeping in force two championships sports-marques and Manufacturers for Formula 1 besides they created a third one, the Intercontinental Formula, our racing activity for 1961 will be limited to two cars only, for those championship races being of higher interest to our company. I added that I thought these cars would be entrusted to Hill and von Trips, since I did not know your intentions. The limitation of our participations and the preparation of very few cars is a necessity of Scuderia Ferrari, in an attempt to contain the economical budget of a year within terms acceptable also to my Associates. Today, after receiving your letter, I do not exclude to be able to entrust you with a car, occasionally, during next year, 1961, and I regret of being unable to offer you a more complete activity for the above mentioned reasons. May I convey my best wishes and regards to your family and to you. Yours sincerely Enzo Ferrari This was obviously a terrible blow for Cliff as he was so determined to get back into Formula 1. However, shortly after he had declined the offer from Ferrari to race sports cars and GTs, Cliff received a letter from Ken Gregory who ran the British Racing Partnership. The story behind the British Racing Partnership is a fascinating one. As is well known, Ken Gregory had managed Stirling Moss for many years, aided by Alfred Moss, Stirling s father. However, by 1957 Stirling had become more and more involved in factory teams, meaning that some of the hands-on work with Stirling and his actual racing had eased up. One day, Ken Gregory got talking with Alfred Moss and suggested they form a company and buy a racing car to When Ken Gregory of the British Racing Partnership heard that Cliff Allison had turned down a contract with Ferrari for 1961, he wrote and offered Cliff a drive in the UDT-Laystall team, driving the Lotus Eighteen in Grand Prix events and a Lotus Nineteen in sports car events. (Cliff Allison Archive) Happy days; Cliff, third from the left, enjoys a few moments of fun with team-mate Henry Taylor, Stirling Moss, Bob Gibson Jarvie of UDT, team manager, Ken Gregory, and mechanic, Tony Robinson. The meeting was the Sussex Trophy at Goodwood and the car the UDT-Laystall Lotus Nineteen which failed on the start line. (Cliff Allison Archive) 103