Archie Scott-Brown
Encyclopedia
William Archibald Scott Brown, known as Archie, (13 May 1927, Paisley
, Renfrewshire
– 19 May 1958, Heusy, Belgium
) was a British
Formula One
and sports car racing
driver from Scotland
. He participated in one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix on 14 July 1956, scoring no championship points. He also attempted to qualify for the Italian Grand Prix in the same year, but was excluded due to his lack of the required International Licence, his disability precluding the granting of such a licence at the time. Away from F1, in his short career Scott Brown scored 71 wins, 15 of which came in international competition.
Archie Scott Brown (although often shown as Scott-Brown, the name is not hyphenated) was born in 1927. As a result of German Measles during his mother's pregnancy, Archie was born with severe disablement to his legs and right arm. Tremendous determination and several operations meant that Archie was able to lead a normal life, although he never grew over 5'0" tall.
He took up motor sport early in life after his father built him a small car to aid his mobility. His first competitive race was in 1951, in his own MG
roadster, bought using a small legacy. As his reputation grew, his name became closely linked with that of Brian Lister, initially driving Lister's Tojeiro
special, and later in sports racing cars built by Lister himself, and bearing his name. Archie enjoyed much success driving Lister-Jaguar
s - the famous Knobblys. Known for his courageous driving style, he was often to be seen in corners getting his Lister very sideways indeed. Asked about the possibility of the Lister's notoriously poor brakes failing completely, he responded that he would "carry on without them, old boy". Over the few years he was in the sport he developed a fierce but good-natured rivalry with rising American driving talent Masten Gregory
.
He was mortally injured on 18 May 1958 during an accident in a sports car race
at Spa-Francorchamps
, driving a Lister Knobbly and duelling for the lead with Gregory. Battling hard with Mastern Gregory driving the Ecurie Ecosse Lister Jaguar, they swapped the lead between them inches apart.The competition was so fierce that Archie dented his car's nose on the rear of the Ecosse car on lap three.With Archie leading on lap six they arrived at Blanchimont, then in the Clubhouse bend (where Rhichard Seaman died in 1939) to find the track slick with rain, the right hand front wheel of the Lister hit a road sign snapping the track rod causing a disastrous accident. That great driver died from his injuries the next day.He died in hospital (Heusy) the following day, less than a week after his 31st birthday.
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
, Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...
– 19 May 1958, Heusy, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
and sports car racing
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
driver from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He participated in one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix on 14 July 1956, scoring no championship points. He also attempted to qualify for the Italian Grand Prix in the same year, but was excluded due to his lack of the required International Licence, his disability precluding the granting of such a licence at the time. Away from F1, in his short career Scott Brown scored 71 wins, 15 of which came in international competition.
Archie Scott Brown (although often shown as Scott-Brown, the name is not hyphenated) was born in 1927. As a result of German Measles during his mother's pregnancy, Archie was born with severe disablement to his legs and right arm. Tremendous determination and several operations meant that Archie was able to lead a normal life, although he never grew over 5'0" tall.
He took up motor sport early in life after his father built him a small car to aid his mobility. His first competitive race was in 1951, in his own MG
MG (car)
The MG Car Company is a former British sports car manufacturer founded in the 1920s by Cecil Kimber. Best known for its two-seat open sports cars, MG also produced saloons and coupés....
roadster, bought using a small legacy. As his reputation grew, his name became closely linked with that of Brian Lister, initially driving Lister's Tojeiro
John Tojeiro
John Tojeiro , affectionately known as Toj, was an engineer and racing car designer, whose innovations helped to revolutionise car design in the 1950s and '60s....
special, and later in sports racing cars built by Lister himself, and bearing his name. Archie enjoyed much success driving Lister-Jaguar
Jaguar XK6 engine
The renowned Jaguar XK dual overhead camshaft inline 6-cylinder engine was introduced in 1949 and continued in manufacture until 1992. It was produced in five displacements for Jaguar passenger cars, with other sizes being made by Jaguar and privateers for racing...
s - the famous Knobblys. Known for his courageous driving style, he was often to be seen in corners getting his Lister very sideways indeed. Asked about the possibility of the Lister's notoriously poor brakes failing completely, he responded that he would "carry on without them, old boy". Over the few years he was in the sport he developed a fierce but good-natured rivalry with rising American driving talent Masten Gregory
Masten Gregory
Masten Gregory was a racing driver from the United States. He raced in Formula One between and , participating in 43 World Championship races, and numerous non-Championship races....
.
He was mortally injured on 18 May 1958 during an accident in a sports car race
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
at Spa-Francorchamps
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is one of the most challenging race tracks in the world, mainly due to its...
, driving a Lister Knobbly and duelling for the lead with Gregory. Battling hard with Mastern Gregory driving the Ecurie Ecosse Lister Jaguar, they swapped the lead between them inches apart.The competition was so fierce that Archie dented his car's nose on the rear of the Ecosse car on lap three.With Archie leading on lap six they arrived at Blanchimont, then in the Clubhouse bend (where Rhichard Seaman died in 1939) to find the track slick with rain, the right hand front wheel of the Lister hit a road sign snapping the track rod causing a disastrous accident. That great driver died from his injuries the next day.He died in hospital (Heusy) the following day, less than a week after his 31st birthday.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 1956 Formula One season The 1956 Formula One season featured the seventh FIA World Championship of Drivers as well as numerous non-championship races for Formula One cars. The championship series commenced on January 22, 1956 and ended on September 2 after eight races. Juan Manuel Fangio won his third consecutive title,... |
Connaught Engineering | Connaught B Type | Alta Straight-4 Straight-4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft.... |
ARG 1956 Argentine Grand Prix The 1956 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 22 January 1956 at Buenos Aires. It was the first round of the 1956 World Drivers' Championship.... |
MON 1956 Monaco Grand Prix The 1956 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 13 May 1956 at Monaco. It was the second round of the 1956 World Drivers' Championship.... |
500 1956 Indianapolis 500 The 1956 Indianapolis 500 was an automobile race held on Wednesday, May 30, 1956 at Indianapolis. It was the third round of the 1956 World Drivers' Championship.... |
BEL 1956 Belgian Grand Prix The 1956 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 3 June 1956 at Spa-Francorchamps. It was the fourth round of the 1956 World Drivers' Championship.... |
FRA 1956 French Grand Prix The 1956 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 1 July 1956 at Reims. It was the fifth round of the 1956 World Drivers' Championship.- Classification :- Notes :* Pole position: Juan Manuel Fangio - 2:23.3... |
GBR 1956 British Grand Prix The 1956 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 14 July 1956 at Silverstone. It was the sixth round of the 1956 World Drivers' Championship.- Classification :- Notes :... Ret |
GER 1956 German Grand Prix The 1956 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 5 August 1956 at Nürburgring. It was the seventh round of the 1956 World Drivers' Championship.- Classification :- Notes :* Pole position: Juan Manuel Fangio - 9:51.2... |
ITA 1956 Italian Grand Prix The 1956 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 2 September 1956 at Monza. It was the eighth and final round of the 1956 World Drivers' Championship.... |
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Further reading
- Edwards, R. 2004. Archie and the Listers: The heroic story of Archie Scott Brown and the racing marque he made famous. Patrick Stephens, 248pp. ISBN 1-85260-469-7