Leslie Johnson
Encyclopedia
Leslie George Johnson was a British
racing driver who competed in rallies, hill climbs, sports car races and Grand Prix races.
, at that time one of London
’s poorest districts, and he spent his early years there. His father, a cabinet maker
, died soon after starting his own business. Johnson, left with a mother and younger brother to support even though he was still in his teens, took charge of the firm. The employees responded to his enlightened, philanthropic management with a loyalty and dedication which, allied to Johnson’s astute business brain, helped create the successful furniture manufacturing business that funded his entry into motor sport.
When competition resumed after World War II
he progressed from rallies
to hill climbs
, sports car racing
and single-seaters
. Although a prodigiously gifted driver who early in his career won the admiration of senior competitors such as Raymond Sommer
and Louis Chiron
, he never made a full commitment to racing. Business interests remained his primary focus. Further, as a child his heart and kidneys were damaged by nephritis
and acromegaly
, and deteriorating health in adulthood imposed its own constraints on his racing.
He specialized in European sports car endurance events, competing in five Le Mans 24-hour races
, two Spa 24-hour races
and four Mille Miglia
s. He also took part in five Grands Prix
, and broke several world speed records for production cars.
In sports car racing, he achieved Aston Martin
's first postwar international victory, and also the first successes for Jaguar's XK120 model
in both England and America.
His business ventures included the acquisition of British racing car manufacturer English Racing Automobiles
(ERA) after World War II. He also initiated and negotiated Stirling Moss
's first commercial sponsorship deal - with Shell
.
Among his close friends were Jaguar founder William Lyons
(to whom he lent his BMW 328
for detailed mechanical investigation during the planning and design of the Jaguar XK120
) and Mercedes-Benz
Grand Prix
engineering supremo Rudolf Uhlenhaut
. (Johnson used three Mercedes-Benz road cars: 300SL
“gullwing,” 300
“Adenauer” saloon, and 220S “ponton” saloon
.)
His worsening heart condition finally forced permanent retirement from competition in 1954. He bought a farm in Gloucestershire
that included three houses: one was for himself and his family, one for his farm manager, and one for his bank manager. He still managed to run his Maidenhead
-based company Prototype Engineering, which produced precision components for the fledgling nuclear industry
. Towards the end of his life he developed a keen interest in the “Sport of Kings”
and owned several racehorses.
Doug Nye
recorded motor racing photographer Guy Griffiths’s personal recollection of Leslie Johnson:
He was married to the widow of Anglo-French driver Pierre Maréchal
, and stepfather to her son Christian Maréchal, an advertising copywriter, UK ultralight aviation
pioneer and freelance journalist.
Leslie Johnson died in 1959, aged 46, at Foxcote House, the family's home in the village of Foxcote, Gloucestershire, England.
and a Talbot-Lago T150C sports-racing car. Louis Chiron
had driven the latter to victory in the 1937 French Grand Prix
. Johnson fitted extra fuel tanks in the tail and cockpit for long-distance racing.
His name is closely associated with Jaguar; particularly the XK120
model. The extraordinary competition history of his white car, road-registered as JWK 651, made it the world’s most valuable XK120 when it sold at auction for £230,000 ($350,000) in 2001.
His various successes with XK120s included the model's first-ever victories in Europe and the United States:
Johnson's Le Mans
results:
His Mille Miglia
results:
, Talbot-Lago
and ERA
cars in single-seater events between 1946 and 1950.
In August 1946, in his first drive in a "proper" racing car, albeit one that was already 20 years old, he broke the lap record at the Ards circuit (the Ulster venue of the RAC Tourist Trophy
race from 1928 to 1936). The car was the supercharged straight-eight Delage previously raced by Earl Howe
, Dick Seaman
and Prince Bira
. The clutch failed to release at the start so the car had to be pushed off the line. Having lost some 200 yards to the rest of the field, Johnson worked his way up to fourth behind Prince Bira, Reg Parnell
and Bob Gerard
but a spark plug melted four laps from the end, forcing him out. (He consoled himself with fastest average in the subsequent handicap race with his BMW 328.)
He entered three 1947 Grands Prix
with his ten-year-old Talbot-Lago
T150C, the car in which Louis Rosier had won the 1937 French Grand Prix
— Johnson raced it both as a sports car and a single-seater, simply removing the mudguards to convert it to Grand Prix configuration. The results were:
In November 1947 Leslie Johnson acquired English Racing Automobiles
, together with one of their prewar ERA E-Type single-seaters. The car was fast but fragile, and Johnson's 1948 results were disappointing despite a lap record and a fastest lap:
1949 saw three promising results from five entries:
But in 1950 Johnson again found himself repeatedly sidelined by the car's unreliability:
Other outings ended in steering failure and another split fuel tank.
Johnson’s ambitious and technically advanced E-Type successor, the G-Type ERA, was designed to race in both Grands Prix and Formula 2. The anticipated development funds did not materialize, and the car was unsuccessful even in the hands of Stirling Moss.
In 1951 Johnson was to have driven the new 600 bhp V16 BRM in the Italian Grand Prix
at Monza, but he was unable to reach the circuit in time for a pre-race test session in the very early morning. Hans Stuck
took the drive but the car blew up in practice and did not race.
sports cars at the Autodrome de Montlhéry
, the banked oval track near Paris
; most notably:
For the week-long 1952 marathon Jaguar's founder
, mindful of the considerable kudos and advertising mileage that had already accrued from Johnson's efforts, commandeered a brand new gold-colored XK120 FHC for him: it was Jaguar chief engineer Walter Hassan
's car, the second right-hand drive coupé made.
Moss recalled:
Montlhéry's concrete surface was rough, and the Jaguar broke a spring when it was already well into the run. No spare was carried on board. Regulations stipulated that an outside replacement would make the car ineligible for any further records beyond those already achieved before the repair. Johnson drove nine hours to save the other drivers from added risk while the speed had to be maintained on the broken spring. When finally he stopped to have it replaced, the car had taken the world and Class C 72-hour records at 105.55 mph, world and Class C four-day records at 101.17 mph, Class C 10,000-kilometer record at 107.031 mph, world and Class C 15,000-kilometer records at 101.95 mph, and world and Class C 10,000-mile records at 100.65 mph. After the repair the car went on to complete the full seven days and nights.
Johnson's team covered a total of 16,851.73 miles at an average speed of 100.31 mph.
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...
racing driver who competed in rallies, hill climbs, sports car races and Grand Prix races.
Overview
Leslie Johnson was born in WalthamstowWalthamstow
Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
, at that time one of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
’s poorest districts, and he spent his early years there. His father, a cabinet maker
Cabinet making
Cabinet making is the practice of using various woodworking skills to create cabinets, shelving and furniture.Cabinet making involves techniques such as creating appropriate joints, dados, bevels, chamfers and shelving systems, the use of finishing tools such as routers to create decorative...
, died soon after starting his own business. Johnson, left with a mother and younger brother to support even though he was still in his teens, took charge of the firm. The employees responded to his enlightened, philanthropic management with a loyalty and dedication which, allied to Johnson’s astute business brain, helped create the successful furniture manufacturing business that funded his entry into motor sport.
When competition resumed after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he progressed from rallies
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
to hill climbs
Hill climbing
In computer science, hill climbing is a mathematical optimization technique which belongs to the family of local search. It is an iterative algorithm that starts with an arbitrary solution to a problem, then attempts to find a better solution by incrementally changing a single element of the solution...
, 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....
and single-seaters
Open wheel car
Open-wheel car, formula car, or often single-seater car in British English, describes cars with the wheels outside the car's main body and, in most cases, one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have their wheels below the body or fenders...
. Although a prodigiously gifted driver who early in his career won the admiration of senior competitors such as Raymond Sommer
Raymond Sommer
Raymond Sommer was a Grand Prix motor racing driver....
and Louis Chiron
Louis Chiron
Louis Alexandre Chiron was a Grand Prix driver.-Career:As a teenager, Louis Chiron fell in love with cars and racing. He learned to drive at a young age and joined the Grand Prix circuit after World War I where he had been requisitioned from the artillery section to serve as a chauffeur...
, he never made a full commitment to racing. Business interests remained his primary focus. Further, as a child his heart and kidneys were damaged by nephritis
Nephritis
Nephritis is inflammation of the nephrons in the kidneys. The word "nephritis" was imported from Latin, which took it from Greek: νεφρίτιδα. The word comes from the Greek νεφρός - nephro- meaning "of the kidney" and -itis meaning "inflammation"....
and acromegaly
Acromegaly
Acromegaly is a syndrome that results when the anterior pituitary gland produces excess growth hormone after epiphyseal plate closure at puberty...
, and deteriorating health in adulthood imposed its own constraints on his racing.
He specialized in European sports car endurance events, competing in five Le Mans 24-hour races
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
, two Spa 24-hour races
Spa 24 Hours
The Total 24 Hours of Spa is an endurance racing event held annually in Belgium at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Conceived by Jules de Their and Henri Langlois Van Ophem just one year after the first 24 Hours of Le Mans, the race was run under the auspices of the Royal Automobile Club Belgium...
and four Mille Miglia
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 ....
s. He also took part in five Grands Prix
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
, and broke several world speed records for production cars.
In sports car racing, he achieved Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
's first postwar international victory, and also the first successes for Jaguar's XK120 model
Jaguar XK120
The Jaguar XK120 is a sports car which was manufactured by Jaguar between 1948 and 1954. It was Jaguar's first sports car since the SS 100, which ceased production in 1940.-History:...
in both England and America.
His business ventures included the acquisition of British racing car manufacturer English Racing Automobiles
English Racing Automobiles
English Racing Automobiles was a British racing car manufacturer active from 1933 to 1954. Currently the ERA trademark is owned by a British kit-car manufacturer.-Prewar history:...
(ERA) after World War II. He also initiated and negotiated Stirling Moss
Stirling Moss
Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss, OBE FIE is a former racing driver from England...
's first commercial sponsorship deal - with Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
.
Among his close friends were Jaguar founder William Lyons
William Lyons
Sir William Lyons , known as "Mr. Jaguar", was with fellow motorcycle enthusiast William Walmsley, the co-founder in 1922 of the Swallow Sidecar Company, which became Jaguar Cars Limited after the Second World War....
(to whom he lent his BMW 328
BMW 328
The BMW 328 is a sports car made by BMW between 1936 and 1940, with the body design credited to Peter Szymanowski, who became BMW chief of design after World War II ....
for detailed mechanical investigation during the planning and design of the Jaguar XK120
Jaguar XK120
The Jaguar XK120 is a sports car which was manufactured by Jaguar between 1948 and 1954. It was Jaguar's first sports car since the SS 100, which ceased production in 1940.-History:...
) and Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
Grand Prix
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
engineering supremo Rudolf Uhlenhaut
Rudolf Uhlenhaut
Rudolf Uhlenhaut , was an Anglo-German engineer and executive for Mercedes-Benz...
. (Johnson used three Mercedes-Benz road cars: 300SL
Mercedes-Benz 300SL
The Mercedes-Benz 300SL was introduced in 1954 as a two-seat, closed sports car with distinctive gull-wing doors. Later it was offered as an open roadster...
“gullwing,” 300
Mercedes-Benz Type 300
The Mercedes-Benz Type 300 were the company's largest and most-prestigious models throughout the 1950s...
“Adenauer” saloon, and 220S “ponton” saloon
Mercedes-Benz Ponton
The Ponton was Daimler-Benz's first totally new Mercedes-Benz series of passenger vehicles produced after World War II. In July 1953, the cars replaced the pre-war-designed Type 170 series and were the bulk of the automaker's production through 1959, though some models lasted through 1962.The...
.)
His worsening heart condition finally forced permanent retirement from competition in 1954. He bought a farm in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
that included three houses: one was for himself and his family, one for his farm manager, and one for his bank manager. He still managed to run his Maidenhead
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
-based company Prototype Engineering, which produced precision components for the fledgling nuclear industry
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
. Towards the end of his life he developed a keen interest in the “Sport of Kings”
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
and owned several racehorses.
Doug Nye
Doug Nye
Doug Nye born October 1945 is an English motoring journalist and author. He lives in Farnham, Surrey, England.He is generally recognized as a world authority on competition cars of any period from 1887, and is a consultant to the Bonhams auction house, the Collier Collection and sits on the...
recorded motor racing photographer Guy Griffiths’s personal recollection of Leslie Johnson:
- "[Q]uite the most charming, friendly, unassuming and courteous man in motor racing... [His] furniture factory [was] an extremely paternalistic, caring concern, in which long-term employees were looked after virtually to the grave. When they became too old for their regular work they might be put onto lighter duties for a lesser wage, but there'd always be something for them, Johnson made sure of that.
- "When he acquired ERA Ltd and re-established it at Dunstable he [employed] a number of old lags from pre-war racing who were looking for a job postwar. When he drove the E-Type, I think in the Isle of Man, Reg ParnellReg ParnellReginald Harold Haslam Parnell was a racing driver and team manager from England. He participated in seven Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, achieving one podium, and scoring a total of 9 championship points.-Driving career:Before World War II Parnell was a very successful racing...
wandered over for a chat with Johnson, and absent-mindedly gave the car's steering wheel a tweak, to discover VAAAST free-play. ‘You can't race this Leslie, you'll kill yourself’. ‘Oh yes, well, it takes a bit of getting used to but you know, the boys have worked so hard to get it ready I really feel I ought to give it a go...’.
- "He apparently never complained, he was a very buttoned-up, stoical, philosophical chap...his final illness was very quick, and extremely painful for him, yet he never let it show [...] He was regarded as being straight as a die...a good fellow.”
He was married to the widow of Anglo-French driver Pierre Maréchal
Pierre Maréchal
Jean-Pierre Maréchal was an engineer and racing driver who died after his Aston Martin team car crashed in the first postwar running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race....
, and stepfather to her son Christian Maréchal, an advertising copywriter, UK ultralight aviation
Ultralight aviation
The term "ultralight aviation" refers to light-weight, 1- or 2-person airplanes., also called microlight aircraft in the UK, India and New Zealand...
pioneer and freelance journalist.
Leslie Johnson died in 1959, aged 46, at Foxcote House, the family's home in the village of Foxcote, Gloucestershire, England.
Review of competition career
Key: FTD fastest time of the day; DNF did not finish; DNS did not startRallies
Johnson’s involvement in motor sport began and ended with rallying. Results included:- 1937: Winner, Scottish Rally. Winner, Torquay Rally, BMW 328BMW 328The BMW 328 is a sports car made by BMW between 1936 and 1940, with the body design credited to Peter Szymanowski, who became BMW chief of design after World War II ....
.
- 1938: 3rd, RAC RallyRally GBWales Rally GB is the largest and most high profile motor rally in the United Kingdom. It is a round of the FIA World Rally Championship and was formerly a round of the MSA British Rally Championship and is based in and around the city of Cardiff in Wales...
, BMW 328.
- 1939: 3rd, RAC Rally, BMW 328.
- 1952: 3rd, RAC Rally, Jaguar XK120. Later disqualified after a protest for running without rear spats, despite the scrutineers having noted and agreed their removal.
- 1953: Winner, Team Prize, Monte Carlo RallyMonte Carlo RallyThe Monte Carlo Rally or Rally Monte Carlo is a rallying event organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco which also organises the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique. The rally takes place along the French Riviera in the Principality of Monaco and...
, with Stirling MossStirling MossSir Stirling Craufurd Moss, OBE FIE is a former racing driver from England...
and Jack Imhof, Sunbeam-TalbotSunbeam-Talbot-Background history:The Sunbeam Motorcar Company Ltd was formed in 1905 to separate the Sunbeam motorcycle and bicycle maker from the new car manufacturer....
Mk. IIAs.
- 1954: Winner, Team Prize, Monte Carlo Rally, with Stirling Moss and Sheila van DammSheila van DammSheila van Damm was a leading British woman competitor in motor rallying in the 1950s, and also the former owner of the Windmill Theatre in London....
, Sunbeam-Talbot Mk. IIAs. Johnson suffered a serious heart attack during the rally but insisted on his co-drivers completing the event (to secure the Team Prize) before taking him to the Monte CarloMonte CarloMonte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
hospital that saved his life.
Hillclimbing
Johnson competed in numerous British hill climbs in 1946. Notable results included:- First and second, Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill ClimbShelsley Walsh Speed Hill ClimbThe Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb is a hillclimb in Worcestershire, England, organised by the Midland Automobile Club . It is one of the oldest motorsport events in the world, and is in fact the oldest to have been staged continuously on its original course, first having been run in 1905...
International meeting June 1; Talbot-LagoTalbot-LagoTalbot-Lago was a French automobile manufacturer based in Suresnes, Hauts de Seine, outside of Paris.-Origins:The Anglo-French STD combine collapsed in 1935. The French Talbot company was acquired and reorganised by a Venetian born engineer called Anthony Lago and after that, the Talbot-Lago...
T150C and BMW 328. John Eason Gibson reported: “It was noticeable that Johnson was one of the select few who deliberately slid their cars into the swerves, in preference to waiting for a centrifugally inspired slide to compel them to dice a bit…the high praise poured on Johnson by Sommer and Chiron, for his driving at Brussels, has been confirmed elsewhere.” - 4th and 5th, Bugatti Owners Club Prescott Speed Hill ClimbPrescott Speed HillclimbPrescott Speed Hill Climb is a hillclimb in Gloucestershire, England. The course used for most events is in length, and as of late 2007 the hill record was held by Scott Moran, who set a time of 36.35 seconds on 2 September 2007 for an average speed of . The track was extended in 1960 to form the...
June 23; Talbot-Lago and BMW 328. - 2nd, Bugatti Owners Club Prescott Speed Hill Climb July 28; Talbot-Lago.
- First, FTD and course record, Scottish Sporting Club Bo’nessBo'ness Hill ClimbBo'ness Hill Climb is a hillclimbing course near Bo'ness, Scotland, sometimes referred to as Kinneil Hill Climb. In March 1947 Motor Sport reported: "Kinneil hill at Bo'ness will provide an 880-yard course, having been lengthened by 140 yds." The first round of the inaugural series of the British...
Speed Hill Climb September 7; Talbot-Lago. Achieved on his first acquaintance with the course. - 3rd in class (to Sydney AllardSydney AllardSydney Herbert Allard was the founder of the Allard car company and a successful racing motorist. He was remarkable in that he achieved sporting success in cars of his own manufacture....
’s AllardAllardThe Allard Motor Company was an English car manufacturer founded in 1936 by Sydney Allard. The company, based in Putney, London. until 1945 and then in Clapham, London, produced approximately 1900 cars until its closure in 1966....
), Jersey Motor Club Bouley Bay Speed Hill ClimbBouley Bay Hill ClimbBouley Bay is a speed Hill Climb venue in Trinity, Jersey, organised by The Jersey Motor Cycle and Light Car Club. The course on Les Charrières du Boulay was "first used for competition in 1921" and since 1947 has hosted a round of the British Hill Climb Championship...
October 17; Talbot-Lago.
Racing: sports cars
Johnson's early races were with a BMW 328BMW 328
The BMW 328 is a sports car made by BMW between 1936 and 1940, with the body design credited to Peter Szymanowski, who became BMW chief of design after World War II ....
and a Talbot-Lago T150C sports-racing car. Louis Chiron
Louis Chiron
Louis Alexandre Chiron was a Grand Prix driver.-Career:As a teenager, Louis Chiron fell in love with cars and racing. He learned to drive at a young age and joined the Grand Prix circuit after World War I where he had been requisitioned from the artillery section to serve as a chauffeur...
had driven the latter to victory in the 1937 French Grand Prix
French Grand Prix
The French Grand Prix was a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships....
. Johnson fitted extra fuel tanks in the tail and cockpit for long-distance racing.
- 1946: 2nd overall and fastest lap, Brussels International Sports Car Race, SpaCircuit de Spa-FrancorchampsThe 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...
; BMW. The MotorThe Motor (magazine)The Motor was a British weekly car magazine founded on 28 January 1903....
reported his performance as that of "a budding Dick SeamanRichard SeamanRichard John Beattie "Dick" Seaman , was one of the greatest pre-war Grand Prix drivers from Britain....
" and added: "SommerRaymond SommerRaymond Sommer was a Grand Prix motor racing driver....
and ChironLouis ChironLouis Alexandre Chiron was a Grand Prix driver.-Career:As a teenager, Louis Chiron fell in love with cars and racing. He learned to drive at a young age and joined the Grand Prix circuit after World War I where he had been requisitioned from the artillery section to serve as a chauffeur...
danced with fiendish glee as Johnson took the esses in a single controlled slide. Chiron said he had the flair of NuvolariTazio NuvolariTazio Giorgio Nuvolari was an Italian motorcycle and racecar driver, known as Il Mantovano Volante or Nivola. He was the 1932 European Champion in Grand Prix motor racing...
. Sommer, inarticulate with emotion, kissed the poor chap."
- 1948: Winner, Spa 24 HoursSpa 24 HoursThe Total 24 Hours of Spa is an endurance racing event held annually in Belgium at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Conceived by Jules de Their and Henri Langlois Van Ophem just one year after the first 24 Hours of Le Mans, the race was run under the auspices of the Royal Automobile Club Belgium...
; prototype Aston MartinAston MartinAston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
shared with St. John Horsfall. Aston Martin’s first postwar victory.
- 1949:
- 3rd, Spa 24 HoursSpa 24 HoursThe Total 24 Hours of Spa is an endurance racing event held annually in Belgium at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Conceived by Jules de Their and Henri Langlois Van Ophem just one year after the first 24 Hours of Le Mans, the race was run under the auspices of the Royal Automobile Club Belgium...
; Aston Martin DB2Aston Martin DB2The Aston Martin DB2 is a sports car sold by Aston Martin from May 1950 through to April 1953. It was a major advancement over the 2-Litre Sports model it replaced, with a dual overhead cam straight-6 in place of the previously-used pushrod straight-4. The car featured a 2.6 L engine, and was...
, partnered by Charles Brackenbury. - Winner, SilverstoneSilverstone CircuitSilverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
National Allcomers Race; BentleyBentleyBentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
8 Litre owned by Forrest Lycett
- 3rd, Spa 24 Hours
His name is closely associated with Jaguar; particularly the XK120
Jaguar XK120
The Jaguar XK120 is a sports car which was manufactured by Jaguar between 1948 and 1954. It was Jaguar's first sports car since the SS 100, which ceased production in 1940.-History:...
model. The extraordinary competition history of his white car, road-registered as JWK 651, made it the world’s most valuable XK120 when it sold at auction for £230,000 ($350,000) in 2001.
His various successes with XK120s included the model's first-ever victories in Europe and the United States:
- 1949: Winner, Daily Express International Sports Car Race, SilverstoneSilverstone CircuitSilverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
, the XK120's first race, after an early collision with a spinning Jowett JavelinJowett JavelinThe Jowett Javelin is an award-winning British car that was produced from 1947 to 1953 by Jowett Cars Ltd of Idle, near Bradford. The model went through five variants labelled PA to PE, each having a standard and "de luxe" option. The car was designed by Gerald Palmer during World War II and was...
dropped Johnson to fifth. - 1950: Winner in class, 4th overall, Palm Beach Shores, FloridaPalm Beach Shores, FloridaPalm Beach Shores is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,269 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 1,511.-Geography:...
, SCCA sports car race - the XK120’s first American race - despite losing the brakes. Jim McCraw wrote, “In rain and high winds, the Jaguar finished fourth in a race that included three giants of American sports-car racing - Briggs CunninghamBriggs CunninghamBriggs Swift Cunningham II was an American entrepreneur and sportsman, who raced automobiles and yachts. Born into a wealthy family, he became a racing car constructor, driver, and team owner as well as a sports car manufacturer and automobile collector.He skippered the victorious yacht Columbia...
in a Cadillac-Healey, second; Phil Walters in a Healey, fifth; and Miles Collier in a Riley-Ford, sixth. Sam Collier finished eighth in one of the XK 120s, and Bill Spear DNF'd with no brakes in the third car.” The success launched Jaguar in the U.S. market.
Johnson's Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
results:
- 1949: DNF, Aston Martin DB2; retired from the lead with mechanical trouble.
- 1950: DNF, Jaguar XK120; clutch failure after 21 hours while lying third and catching the leader at a rate that would have seen the Jaguar in the lead before the full 24 hours had elapsed—an effort that convinced William Lyons it was worth investing in success at Le Mans. Explaining the clutch failure, Jim McCraw wrote: “Leslie Johnson ran as high as second during the middle portion of the race, but, in order to save brake wear, he kept downshifting the transmission at high speeds and eventually blew the clutch, which prompted the substitution of a solid-disc clutch plate from then on.”
- 1951: DNF, Jaguar C-TypeJaguar C-TypeThe Jaguar C-Type is a racing sports car built by Jaguar and sold from 1951 to 1953. The "C" designation stood for "competition"....
. - 1952: 3rd overall out of 57 starters, behind two factory-entered Mercedes-Benz W194 300SLs; first in class, ahead of triple Le Mans winner Luigi ChinettiLuigi ChinettiLuigi Chinetti was an Italian-born racecar driver, who emigrated to the United States during World War II and became an American citizen....
’s Ferrari; second in Index of Performance; winner, Gold Challenge Cup. Nash-HealeyNash-HealeyThe Nash-Healey is a two-seat sports car that was produced for the American market between 1951 and 1954. Marketed by Nash-Kelvinator Corporation with a Nash Ambassador drivetrain and a European chassis and body, it served as a halo vehicle for the automaker to promote the sales of the other Nash...
(a lightweight competition version hastily constructed for the race—the body was fabricated in less than a week; the entire car built from scratch in a fortnight). - 1953: 11th out of 60 starters; Nash-Healey.
His Mille Miglia
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 ....
results:
- 1950: 5th, Jaguar XK120. The best-ever result by an Englishman driving a British car, in this instance a production model beaten only by lightweight competition cars entered by Alfa RomeoAlfa Romeo in motorsportDuring its history, Alfa Romeo has competed successfully in many different categories of motorsport, including Grand Prix motor racing, Formula One, sportscar racing, touring car racing and rallies. They have competed both as a constructor and an engine supplier, via works entries and private...
(FangioJuan Manuel FangioJuan Manuel Fangio , nicknamed El Chueco or El Maestro , was a racing car driver from Argentina, who dominated the first decade of Formula One racing...
’s came third) and FerrariScuderia FerrariScuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
. - 1951: DNF, Ferrari-Jaguar "Biondetti Special" shared with his 1951 Le Mans partner and four-time Mille Miglia winner Clemente BiondettiClemente BiondettiClemente Biondetti was an Italian auto racing driver.-Biography:Born in Buddusò, Sardinia, into a working class family, Biondetti began racing motorcycles in 1923 but in 1927 turned to automobiles...
. - 1952: 7th to BraccoGiovanni BraccoGiovanni Bracco was an Italian racing car driver,remembered for losing control of his Delage 3000, killing five spectators at the 1947 Italian Grand Prix....
's winning works team Ferrari, the works Mercedes-Benz 300SLs of KlingKarl KlingKarl Kling was a motor racing driver and manager from Germany. He participated in 11 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 4 July 1954. He achieved 2 podiums, and scored a total of 17 championship points.It is said, that he was born too late and too early...
and CaracciolaRudolf CaracciolaOtto Wilhelm Rudolf Caracciola , more commonly Rudolf Caracciola , was a racing driver from Remagen, Germany. He won the European Drivers' Championship, the pre-1950 equivalent of the modern Formula One World Championship, an unsurpassed three times...
, and three works Lancias. Lightweight competition Nash-Healey, with Daily Telegraph motoring correspondent Bill McKenzie as passenger. - 1953: DNF, Jaguar C-Type.
Racing: single-seaters
Johnson raced DelageDelage
Delage was a French luxury automobile and racecar company founded in 1905 by Louis Delage in Levallois-Perret near Paris; it was acquired by Delahaye in 1935 and ceased operation in 1953.-History:...
, Talbot-Lago
Talbot-Lago
Talbot-Lago was a French automobile manufacturer based in Suresnes, Hauts de Seine, outside of Paris.-Origins:The Anglo-French STD combine collapsed in 1935. The French Talbot company was acquired and reorganised by a Venetian born engineer called Anthony Lago and after that, the Talbot-Lago...
and ERA
English Racing Automobiles
English Racing Automobiles was a British racing car manufacturer active from 1933 to 1954. Currently the ERA trademark is owned by a British kit-car manufacturer.-Prewar history:...
cars in single-seater events between 1946 and 1950.
In August 1946, in his first drive in a "proper" racing car, albeit one that was already 20 years old, he broke the lap record at the Ards circuit (the Ulster venue of the RAC Tourist Trophy
RAC Tourist Trophy
The International Tourist Trophy is an award given by the Royal Automobile Club and awarded semi-annually to the winners of a selected motor racing event each year in the United Kingdom. It was first awarded in 1905 and continues to be awarded to this day, making it the longest lasting trophy in...
race from 1928 to 1936). The car was the supercharged straight-eight Delage previously raced by Earl Howe
Francis Curzon, 5th Earl Howe
Francis Richard Henry Penn Curzon, 5th Earl Howe, CBE, PC, VD was a British naval officer, Member of Parliament, motor racing driver and promotor. In the 1918 UK General Election he won the Battersea South seat as the candidate of the Conservative Party, which he held until 1929...
, Dick Seaman
Richard Seaman
Richard John Beattie "Dick" Seaman , was one of the greatest pre-war Grand Prix drivers from Britain....
and Prince Bira
Prince Bira
12th, 1956 Melbourne, Star 19th, 1960 Rome, Star 22nd, 1964 Tokio, Dragon 21st, 1972 Munich, TempestPrince Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh better known as Prince Bira of Siam , or by his nom de course B...
. The clutch failed to release at the start so the car had to be pushed off the line. Having lost some 200 yards to the rest of the field, Johnson worked his way up to fourth behind Prince Bira, Reg Parnell
Reg Parnell
Reginald Harold Haslam Parnell was a racing driver and team manager from England. He participated in seven Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, achieving one podium, and scoring a total of 9 championship points.-Driving career:Before World War II Parnell was a very successful racing...
and Bob Gerard
Bob Gerard
Frederick Roberts "Bob" Gerard was a racing driver and businessman from England...
but a spark plug melted four laps from the end, forcing him out. (He consoled himself with fastest average in the subsequent handicap race with his BMW 328.)
He entered three 1947 Grands Prix
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
with his ten-year-old Talbot-Lago
Talbot-Lago
Talbot-Lago was a French automobile manufacturer based in Suresnes, Hauts de Seine, outside of Paris.-Origins:The Anglo-French STD combine collapsed in 1935. The French Talbot company was acquired and reorganised by a Venetian born engineer called Anthony Lago and after that, the Talbot-Lago...
T150C, the car in which Louis Rosier had won the 1937 French Grand Prix
French Grand Prix
The French Grand Prix was a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships....
— Johnson raced it both as a sports car and a single-seater, simply removing the mudguards to convert it to Grand Prix configuration. The results were:
- 6th, JerseyJerseyJersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
International Road Race. Finished ahead of several MaseratiMaserati in motorsportThroughout its history the Italian auto manufacturer Maserati has participated in various forms of motorsport including Formula One, sportscar racing and touring car racing, both as a works team and through private entrants.-Beginnings:...
and ERAEnglish Racing AutomobilesEnglish Racing Automobiles was a British racing car manufacturer active from 1933 to 1954. Currently the ERA trademark is owned by a British kit-car manufacturer.-Prewar history:...
single-seaters. - 7th, Belgian Grand PrixBelgian Grand PrixThe Belgian Grand Prix is an automobile race, part of the Formula One World Championship....
, Spa. - DNF, Swiss Grand PrixSwiss Grand PrixThe Swiss Grand Prix was the premier auto race of Switzerland. In its later years it was a Formula One race....
, Bern. There was an almost total lack of crowd control, with the result that Achille VarziAchille VarziAchille Varzi , was an Italian Grand Prix driver.-Career:Born in Galliate, province of Novara , Achille Varzi was the son of a prosperous textile manufacturer...
's Alfa Romeo killed one spectator on the track in practice, and Johnson pulled out of the race after his Talbot-Lago locked a brake entering a corner and tail-swiped the spectators, killing two. The following year, Varzi suffered a fatal accident in practice for the same event.
In November 1947 Leslie Johnson acquired English Racing Automobiles
English Racing Automobiles
English Racing Automobiles was a British racing car manufacturer active from 1933 to 1954. Currently the ERA trademark is owned by a British kit-car manufacturer.-Prewar history:...
, together with one of their prewar ERA E-Type single-seaters. The car was fast but fragile, and Johnson's 1948 results were disappointing despite a lap record and a fastest lap:
- DNF, Grand Prix du Salon, MontlhéryAutodrome de MontlhéryAutodrome de Montlhéry is an automobile racetrack, officially called L’autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, located across the towns of Linas Bruyères-le-Châtel and Ollainville, outside Paris in the southside....
. Lap record and pole position, but the fuel tank split in the race. - DNF, British Grand PrixBritish Grand PrixThe British Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is currently held at the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire...
, SilverstoneSilverstone CircuitSilverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
. Autosport magazine reported that he posted fastest lap in the opening practice session, 'good enough for Johnson to be a front row man, and a potential winner!' In the race, 'Chiron led off the starting line . . . with Parnell (Maserati) and Johnson [5th on the grid] dicing just astern, and as the ERA went into . . . the first turn on the first lap, there was a "crash and a bang" and the E-Type rolled to a standstill . . . leaving a trail of flame and smoke in its wake.' A driveshaft universal joint had failed. - 5th and fastest lap (shared with ParnellReg ParnellReginald Harold Haslam Parnell was a racing driver and team manager from England. He participated in seven Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, achieving one podium, and scoring a total of 9 championship points.-Driving career:Before World War II Parnell was a very successful racing...
's 4CLT Maserati), British EmpireBritish EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
Trophy.
1949 saw three promising results from five entries:
- DNF, British Grand PrixBritish Grand PrixThe British Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is currently held at the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire...
, SilverstoneSilverstone CircuitSilverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
-- Britain's first World Championship Grand Prix. - 5th, Richmond Trophy, Goodwood.
- 3rd, ChichesterChichesterChichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
Trophy. - 3rd, British Empire Trophy, despite broken rear shock-absorbers.
- DNS, Jersey Road Race. Second fastest to Italian champion Luigi VilloresiLuigi VilloresiLuigi Villoresi was an Italian Grand Prix motor racing driver who continued racing on the Formula One circuit at the time of its inception.-Biography:...
's Maserati in practice, but engine bearing failure kept the car out of the race.
But in 1950 Johnson again found himself repeatedly sidelined by the car's unreliability:
- DNF, British Grand PrixBritish Grand PrixThe British Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is currently held at the Silverstone Circuit near the village of Silverstone in Northamptonshire...
, SilverstoneSilverstone CircuitSilverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
. Started from the fourth row. The superchargerSuperchargerA supercharger is an air compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine.The greater mass flow-rate provides more oxygen to support combustion than would be available in a naturally aspirated engine, which allows more fuel to be burned and more work to be done per cycle,...
disintegrated after two laps and the car caught fire.
Other outings ended in steering failure and another split fuel tank.
Johnson’s ambitious and technically advanced E-Type successor, the G-Type ERA, was designed to race in both Grands Prix and Formula 2. The anticipated development funds did not materialize, and the car was unsuccessful even in the hands of Stirling Moss.
In 1951 Johnson was to have driven the new 600 bhp V16 BRM in the Italian Grand Prix
Italian Grand Prix
The Italian Grand Prix is one of the longest running events on the motor racing calendar. The first Italian Grand Prix motor racing championship took place on 4 September 1921 at Brescia...
at Monza, but he was unable to reach the circuit in time for a pre-race test session in the very early morning. Hans Stuck
Hans Stuck
Hans Stuck was a German motor racing driver...
took the drive but the car blew up in practice and did not race.
Record-breaking
Johnson set numerous world records with Jaguar and Sunbeam-Talbot AlpineSunbeam-Talbot
-Background history:The Sunbeam Motorcar Company Ltd was formed in 1905 to separate the Sunbeam motorcycle and bicycle maker from the new car manufacturer....
sports cars at the Autodrome de Montlhéry
Autodrome de Montlhéry
Autodrome de Montlhéry is an automobile racetrack, officially called L’autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, located across the towns of Linas Bruyères-le-Châtel and Ollainville, outside Paris in the southside....
, the banked oval track near Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
; most notably:
- 1950: 107.46 mph for 24 hours, including stops for fuel and tyres, in Johnson’s Jaguar XK120 roadster JWK 651; co-driver Stirling Moss. The first time a production car had averaged over 100 mph for 24 hours. Johnson and Moss, driving in three-hour shifts, covered 2579.16 miles, with a best lap of 126.2 mph.
- 1951: 131.83 miles in one hour, with a best lap of 134.43 mph; Johnson solo with the XK120. "No mean feat...driving at almost twice today's maximum (UK) speed limit into a steep turn, assaulted by the g-force induced by 30 degree banking twice every minute, using Forties technology, leaf spring suspension and narrow crossply tyres...Johnson remarked that the car felt so good it could have gone on for another week, an off-the-cuff comment that sowed the seed for another idea. Flat out for a week...
- 1952: 100.31 mph for 7 days and 7 nights; Jaguar XK120 coupé; co-drivers Stirling Moss, Bert Hadley and Jack FairmanJack FairmanJack Fairman was a British racing driver from England. He participated in 13 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 18 July 1953...
.
For the week-long 1952 marathon Jaguar's founder
William Lyons
Sir William Lyons , known as "Mr. Jaguar", was with fellow motorcycle enthusiast William Walmsley, the co-founder in 1922 of the Swallow Sidecar Company, which became Jaguar Cars Limited after the Second World War....
, mindful of the considerable kudos and advertising mileage that had already accrued from Johnson's efforts, commandeered a brand new gold-colored XK120 FHC for him: it was Jaguar chief engineer Walter Hassan
Walter Hassan
Walter Hassan OBE, C.Eng., M.I. Mech.E. was a distinguished UK automotive engineer who took part in the design and development of three very successful engines: Jaguar XK, Coventry Climax and Jaguar V12 as well as the ERA racing car....
's car, the second right-hand drive coupé made.
Moss recalled:
- "...in mid-summer Leslie Johnson had another of his ideas. Having averaged 100mph for 24 hours at Montlhery he now talked Jaguar into attempting 100mph for a week!...We again drove in three-hour spells. The speedbowl lap was under a minute at 120mph, so it was quite a strain. After each straight we hit the banking high up near the lip, then plunged off, twice every fifty seconds, night and day. In each spell we would cover about 2000 laps. It was impossible to keep one's mind occupied on a job like that. We had a two-way radio which helped keep boredom at bay. We talked all the time, called each other names, even told stories. One dare not let the mind wander, because we were running within four feet of the banking lip at around 120mph. One had to concentrate on something. I worked out how many million revs the engine made in a day, how many times the wheels turned, things like that.
- The weather did not help; hot by day, cold at night. Night driving was a strain too, because we couldn't afford the drain on the battery of extra lights. The headlights had to be set very high to let us see the top of the banking when we were on it, and this meant that on the short straights we could see nothing at all because the beams were playing in the air.
- We hit several hares, rabbits and birds, and Leslie swore at one point that he'd seen a huge ten-foot tall figure in a long cloak, wearing a tall pointed hat, striding toward him along the verge. Next time round the figure had gone...it worried the life out of him for the rest of his stint. In fact I had donned a Shell fuel funnel, pulled a tarpaulin around me and sat on Jack Fairman's shoulders as he strode along the verge. After Leslie had whizzed by we ran away and hid...All very childish, but good fun in the circumstances. Leslie then had an extraordinary idea to get his own back during one of my stints. I came whistling off the banking to find him sitting with Jack Fairman in the middle of the track, playing cards!
- Then he took the pit signal board and put it out on the track, so that my natural line past the pits took me between it and the timekeeper's hut. He was lounging beside the hut so I waved to him as I shot though the gap. Next time round the board had been moved closer to the hut. The gap was narrower, but I couldn't leave the fast line so I shot through it again. Next time round, he'd moved the board closer still. Each lap he narrowed the gap which made me concentrate harder to pass through it. Eventually he gave in, and the board went back to its proper position, hung on the tent. At least it passed the time..."
Montlhéry's concrete surface was rough, and the Jaguar broke a spring when it was already well into the run. No spare was carried on board. Regulations stipulated that an outside replacement would make the car ineligible for any further records beyond those already achieved before the repair. Johnson drove nine hours to save the other drivers from added risk while the speed had to be maintained on the broken spring. When finally he stopped to have it replaced, the car had taken the world and Class C 72-hour records at 105.55 mph, world and Class C four-day records at 101.17 mph, Class C 10,000-kilometer record at 107.031 mph, world and Class C 15,000-kilometer records at 101.95 mph, and world and Class C 10,000-mile records at 100.65 mph. After the repair the car went on to complete the full seven days and nights.
Johnson's team covered a total of 16,851.73 miles at an average speed of 100.31 mph.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 1950 Formula One season The 1950 Formula One season included the inaugural FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on May 13, 1950, and ended on September 3 after 7 races... |
ERA Ltd English Racing Automobiles English Racing Automobiles was a British racing car manufacturer active from 1933 to 1954. Currently the ERA trademark is owned by a British kit-car manufacturer.-Prewar history:... |
ERA English Racing Automobiles English Racing Automobiles was a British racing car manufacturer active from 1933 to 1954. Currently the ERA trademark is owned by a British kit-car manufacturer.-Prewar history:... E |
ERA English Racing Automobiles English Racing Automobiles was a British racing car manufacturer active from 1933 to 1954. Currently the ERA trademark is owned by a British kit-car manufacturer.-Prewar history:... |
GBR 1950 British Grand Prix The 1950 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 13 May 1950 at the Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, England. It was the fifth British Grand Prix, and the third to be held at Silverstone after motor racing resumed after World War II. It was the first round of the 1950 World... Ret |
MON 1950 Monaco Grand Prix The 1950 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 21, 1950 at Monaco. This race was the second round of 1950 World Drivers' Championship. The race, contested over 100 laps at an overall distance of 318.1 km was won by Juan Manuel Fangio for the Alfa Romeo team after starting from... |
500 1950 Indianapolis 500 The 1950 Indianapolis 500 was an automobile race which was held on Tuesday, May 30, 1950 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event was the third round of the 1950 World Drivers' Championship... |
SUI 1950 Swiss Grand Prix The 1950 Swiss Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on June 4, 1950 at Bremgarten. It was the fourth round of the 1950 World Drivers' Championship.-Report:... |
BEL 1950 Belgian Grand Prix The 1950 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on June 18, 1950 at Spa-Francorchamps. It was the fifth round of the 1950 World Drivers' Championship.-Report:... |
FRA 1950 French Grand Prix The 1950 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 2, 1950 at Reims-Gueux. It was the sixth round of 1950 World Drivers' Championship.__FORCETOC__-Report:Fangio put in a stunning display with a 116 mph practice lap... |
ITA 1950 Italian Grand Prix The 1950 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on September 3, 1950 at Monza. It was the seventh and final event of the 1950 World Drivers' Championship... |
NC | 0 |
External links
- ERA history http://www.motorsnippets.com/cars/era/index.htm
- ERA G-Type http://8w.forix.com/era.html
- Jaguar XK120 Montlhéry endurance record breaker http://www.jdht.com/jdht_collection/1951JAGUARXK120fhc.html
- Talbot Lago T150C similar to Johnson's http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3027/Talbot-Lago-T150C-Competition-Roadster.html