Le Mans winner and war hero Tony Rolt

[Nordic]

Tony Rolt, 1953 Le Mnas winner.

Pre-war ERA star, winner of the Military Cross for his role in the rearguard action around Calais in 1940, incorrigible escaper from German PoW camps, one of the masterminds behind the glider which the PoWs designed and built for an escape attempt from Colditz Castle, driver postwar of the former Bimotore Alfa Romeo, of Rob Walker's Delage-ERA and Connaughts, co-winner of Le Mans 1953 with Duncan Hamilton in the works Lightweight C-Type Jaguar, subsequently head of Harry Ferguson Research, developers of automotive four-wheel drive systems, constructor of the only 4WD car ever to win a Formula 1 race, also the last front-engined F1 car to win a contemporary F1 race....and so much more.

He had been (briefly) the oldest surviving member of the British Racing Drivers' Club. He was also the last surviving pre-war member. And the last surviving starter in the inaugural 'British Grand Prix'.

Credit and thanks to Mr D Nye for his summary of Tony Rolts amazing life.

[Andy Zarse]

What of him? 

[DelBoy]

What of him? 

Must admit that was my reaction as well, Andy - I assumed he's driven over the Styx

Del

[mgmark]

Haven't found another obit anywhere else yet, but the news appears here, so subject to some sort of wider confirmation, sadly it seems so  http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns20018.html

What a Boy's Own history though - Brooklands racer in 1938, wartime service, escapee and Colditz, followed by the inaugural British GP race at Silverstone in 1950, Le mans winner etc etc....Respect as the youngsters say these days.  RIP.

MG Mark

[Christopher]

Now on Autosport......


Le Mans winner Tony Rolt dies

Le Mans 24 Hours winner and former Grand Prix driver Tony Rolt died yesterday, aged 89.

Born on October 16th 1918, Rolt was an accomplished pre-war ERA racer and later went on to race in Formula One as well as triumphing at Le Mans in 1953.

Rolt served as a lieutenant in the rifle brigade during the Second World War. He was captured at Calais in 1940 and escaped seven times before eventually being sent to Castle Colditz.

He was one of the masterminds behind the famous plan to build an escape glider, but the prison was liberated before the aircraft was completed.

After the war, he returned to Britain to form part of Dixon Rolt Developments, which, among other projects, worked on the development of four-wheel drive systems. The company became FF Developments and created the Jensen FF road car in 1966. Their technology was later used widely throughout the motor industry

Rolt helped to design, and also drove, the Ferguson P99 which became the only four-wheel drive car to win an F1 race, in the hands of Stirling Moss at the Oulton Park Gold Cup in 1961.

He also shared an ERA with Peter Walker in the first ever world championship Grand Prix, held at Silverstone in 1950. He was the last remaining survivor from that race.

Jaguar then signed Rolt as a works driver and he won the 1953 Le Mans 24 Hours with Duncan Hamilton in C-Type. He was also the last remaining member of the British Racing Drivers' Club to have been elected before the war.