The Motor Sport team on the road

Through its proud publishing century Motor Sport has had many different crew members, but one thing has always united us – the deep love of cars. And not just watching racing; MS has always got involved – from simple road tests to arduous adventures, whether it was WB driving a 1908 grand prix Panhard or getting chilly on one of his remarkable 27 Brighton Runs, or Alan Henry experiencing for himself the raw power of a Formula 1 Renault.

Mike Greasley, reporting rallies for both MS and Motoring News, was also a top-line co-driver in the works Audi and Ford WRC teams; ditto Gerry Phillips, co-driver and Safari Rally organiser. In March Dominic Tobin was co-driver in Rally North Wales. Meanwhile road-tester Jeremy Walton had an extensive racing career, Simon Arron and Ed Foster both had their moments in the sun, Andrew Frankel can stretch an XJR-9 and race a Ferrari at Goodwood, while I navigated in the great days of night road rallies and now drive in historic events.

Jenks shared a 300 SL with Mercedes genius Rudi Uhlenhaut driving to the Arctic Circle; WB pitted many cars against tortuous Lakeland passes, sped often to John O’Groats and undertook long road trips with photographer Michael Tee, once covering 10 European capitals in four days in a BMW. Bod and DSJ drove an E-type to Monaco and Jenks once got a Lotus Elan to Syracuse (and back!), Editor Joe Dunn’s mildy critical review of a Ferrari Lusso prompted an admonishing letter from a J Surtees while Damien Smith toured the Targa Florio circuit in a Ferrari 458.

There were flights too, chartering planes to Le Mans and Barcelona in the ’50s, and later Michael Tee would fly the team to grands prix and back, often in convoy with Jim Clark or Colin Chapman.

It’s been a busy hundred years with many ‘driver changes’, but as we set out on another lap it’s still passion that drives us. GC