Tom Delaney
Encyclopedia
Cyril Terence "Tom" Delaney (8 January 1911 - 31 August 2006) was a British
sportsman and industrialist, perhaps best known in his later years for being the oldest licensed racing driver in the world, having competed in the same Lea-Francis
car for more than three-quarters of a century from 1930 until just a few months before his death.
Delaney's father was a pioneer in motorsport
, having competed in the 1903 Paris
-Madrid
road race, and in 1910, having become the agent for the French
manufacturer Delaunay Belleville he built a factory in Maida Vale
, north London
. After World War I
he became managing director of Lea Francis, and in 1928 the young Tom accompanied the team's cars to Brooklands
for testing and tuning in preparation for the first ever Ards Tourist Trophy race in Ireland
. Tom later joined the team in Ireland as a young pit
manager and was thrilled to witness Kaye Don
winning the TT in the Lea Francis, a car which Tom then acquired.
In 1930, Delaney he won two trophies in his first year of competition, and quite a number thereafter, at venues such as Brooklands (he later became Vice-President of the Brooklands Society), Brighton Speed Trials
, Shelsley Walsh, Chalfont
, Prescott and Phoenix Park
(leading the Irish GP for most of the way). He raced at many well-known circuits including Donington
(he competed both in the inaugural meeting in 1933 and in 2005!), Castle Combe
, Rockingham
, Goodwood
and Silverstone
.
Apart from motor cars and aeroplanes (he was one of the first men to gain a pilot's licence at Brooklands), Delaney took over and greatly expanded his father's business, Delaney Gallay Ltd. They had five factories and employed 2,000 people. They were heat exchange
engineers who supplied advanced heating and cooling systems for both aircraft and vehicles. They were the first to introduce car heaters, air-conditioning and seat belt
s for cars in the UK. Delaney Gallay components flew on Spitfire
s, Lancaster
s, Typhoon
s and many modern civil and military aircraft, including Concorde
. The company Gallay still operates and is based in Wellingborough.
In 2004 Delaney suffered a serious accident while racing at Silverstone where he was thrown out of his car, which then bounced off a barrier running him over. In hospital that evening he was told he had only injured his wrist, whereupon Delaney telephoned his mechanic to see if the car could be repaired for the next race.
In late 2005, Delaney received the Motor Sports Association
's first ever "Lifetime Achievement" award to mark his 75 years of motor racing. His last race, at the age of 95, came at a VSCC
meeting at Silverstone in April 2006; he had been invited to the Goodwood
Revival meeting in early September, but died, after a short illness, just a few days before it was held.
Tom Delaney was featured in the BBC
ONE Life documentary The Oldest Drivers in Britain, which was broadcast on BBC1 on 18 October 2006.
Tom Delaney was survived by his five sons, one of whom, Geoffrey, along with a granddaughter, Lucy, are following in his footsteps.
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...
sportsman and industrialist, perhaps best known in his later years for being the oldest licensed racing driver in the world, having competed in the same Lea-Francis
Lea-Francis
Lea-Francis was a motor manufacturing company that began life building bicycles.- History :Richard Henry Lea and Graham Inglesby Francis started the business in Coventry in 1895. They branched out into car manufacture in 1903 and motor cycles in 1911. Lea-Francis built cars, under licence, for the...
car for more than three-quarters of a century from 1930 until just a few months before his death.
Delaney's father was a pioneer in motorsport
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
, having competed in the 1903 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...
-Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
road race, and in 1910, having become the agent for the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
manufacturer Delaunay Belleville he built a factory in Maida Vale
Maida Vale
Maida Vale is a residential district in West London between St John's Wood and Kilburn. It is part of the City of Westminster. The area is mostly residential, and mainly affluent, consisting of many large late Victorian and Edwardian blocks of mansion flats...
, north 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...
. After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he became managing director of Lea Francis, and in 1928 the young Tom accompanied the team's cars to Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
for testing and tuning in preparation for the first ever Ards Tourist Trophy race in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Tom later joined the team in Ireland as a young pit
Pit stop
In motorsports, a pit stop is where a racing vehicle stops in the pits during a race for refuelling, new tires, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, or any combination of the above...
manager and was thrilled to witness Kaye Don
Kaye Don
Kaye Don was a world record breaking car and speedboat racer who became a motorcycle dealer on his retirement from road racing and set up Ambassador Motorcycles.-Biography:...
winning the TT in the Lea Francis, a car which Tom then acquired.
In 1930, Delaney he won two trophies in his first year of competition, and quite a number thereafter, at venues such as Brooklands (he later became Vice-President of the Brooklands Society), Brighton Speed Trials
Brighton Speed Trials
The Brighton Speed Trials, in full The Brighton National Speed Trials, is commonly held to be the oldest running motor race. The first race was held July 19–22, 1905 after Sir Harry Preston persuaded Brighton town council to tarmac the surface of the road adjacent to the beach between the Palace...
, Shelsley Walsh, Chalfont
Chalfont
The name Chalfont could refer to:* Chalfont St Giles, in Buckinghamshire, England* Chalfont St Peter, in Buckinghamshire, England* Chalfont Common, in Buckinghamshire, England* Little Chalfont, in Buckinghamshire, England...
, Prescott and Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park is an urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying 2–4 km west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its 16 km perimeter wall encloses , one of the largest walled city parks in Europe. It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since the seventeenth...
(leading the Irish GP for most of the way). He raced at many well-known circuits including Donington
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
(he competed both in the inaugural meeting in 1933 and in 2005!), Castle Combe
Castle Combe
Castle Combe is a small village in Wiltshire, England, with a population of about 350. It is renowned for its attractiveness and tranquillity, and for fine buildings including the medieval church. The 14th century market cross, erected when the privilege to hold a weekly market in Castle Combe was...
, Rockingham
Rockingham Motor Speedway
Rockingham is the UK's most modern motorsport venue and Europe's fastest racing circuit, hosting corporate driving days, driver training, conferencing & exhibitions, vehicle manufacturing events, track days, testing, driving experiences and motorsport...
, Goodwood
Goodwood Circuit
Goodwood Circuit is an historic venue for both two- and four-wheeled motorsport in the United Kingdom. The 2.4 mile circuit is situated near Chichester, West Sussex, close to the south coast of England, on the estate of Goodwood House, and completely encircles Chichester/Goodwood Airport...
and Silverstone
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone 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...
.
Apart from motor cars and aeroplanes (he was one of the first men to gain a pilot's licence at Brooklands), Delaney took over and greatly expanded his father's business, Delaney Gallay Ltd. They had five factories and employed 2,000 people. They were heat exchange
Heat exchange
Heat exchange may refer to:*Heat transfer, an area of engineering concerned with the transfer of thermal energy *Heat exchanger, a device built for heat transfer from one medium to another...
engineers who supplied advanced heating and cooling systems for both aircraft and vehicles. They were the first to introduce car heaters, air-conditioning and seat belt
Seat belt
A seat belt or seatbelt, sometimes called a safety belt, is a safety harness designed to secure the occupant of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result from a collision or a sudden stop...
s for cars in the UK. Delaney Gallay components flew on Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s, Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
s, Typhoon
Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied...
s and many modern civil and military aircraft, including Concorde
Concorde
Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
. The company Gallay still operates and is based in Wellingborough.
In 2004 Delaney suffered a serious accident while racing at Silverstone where he was thrown out of his car, which then bounced off a barrier running him over. In hospital that evening he was told he had only injured his wrist, whereupon Delaney telephoned his mechanic to see if the car could be repaired for the next race.
In late 2005, Delaney received the Motor Sports Association
Motor Sports Association
The Motor Sports Association , is the official governing body of motorsport in the United Kingdom.-Responsibilities:...
's first ever "Lifetime Achievement" award to mark his 75 years of motor racing. His last race, at the age of 95, came at a VSCC
Vintage Sports-Car Club
The Vintage Sports-Car Club or VSCC is a British motor racing club. Established "towards the end of 1934" by Tim Carson and Tom Rolt to promote the pastime of motoring, the VSCC was first started in order to allow the "not so rich" to enjoy historic motoring.. General guidelines made the club...
meeting at Silverstone in April 2006; he had been invited to the Goodwood
Goodwood Circuit
Goodwood Circuit is an historic venue for both two- and four-wheeled motorsport in the United Kingdom. The 2.4 mile circuit is situated near Chichester, West Sussex, close to the south coast of England, on the estate of Goodwood House, and completely encircles Chichester/Goodwood Airport...
Revival meeting in early September, but died, after a short illness, just a few days before it was held.
Tom Delaney was featured in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
ONE Life documentary The Oldest Drivers in Britain, which was broadcast on BBC1 on 18 October 2006.
Tom Delaney was survived by his five sons, one of whom, Geoffrey, along with a granddaughter, Lucy, are following in his footsteps.