Letters: Meeting Whitney Straight
Your opinions on Alain Prost, Masten Gregory and the registration BUY 1
Your review of Paul Kenny’s biography of Whitney Straight hit a chord [The Straight story: cars, Cambridge and conflict, January]. Straight was the first winner of the South African Grand Prix held in 1934. He was indeed an accomplished pilot flying to the event in his VIP DH Dragon, a six-seater, accompanied by his brother Michael who finished third and Dick Seaman who had to retire his MG K3.
Once the post-war South African GP resumed in 1960 in East London with Stirling Moss in attendance I was fascinated by the name which headed the list of previous winners. My father recognised the name and claimed he was the first person to shake Straight’s hand after crossing the line. “Oh yeah, Dad,” I thought.
Quite a long time after he passed I came across a photograph, above, of my father and a chum who actually had WS on their shoulders. He was wearing his recognisable cricket blazer. Sorry Dad for my scepticism.
In the meantime I had actually met WS. I was the used-car manager at Fiat UK HQ in Brentford and was instructed by the Italian hierarchy to deliver an ex-press fleet Mirafiori to one Whitney Straight. I couldn’t believe it. I shot across to his 64-acre estate not far away in the Southall area with the M4 to Heathrow cutting past it.
When I met him and mentioned my East London connection he immediately said, “I must have a picture of your father,” and went off into his baronial home. After a while he reappeared with a couple of black and white photographs of his Maserati travelling on a deserted piece of coastal road that made up a part of the 15 miles of the original track and apologised for not having the relevant photo. In the review it’s mentioned that he wasn’t a model husband.
A month later he visited me with a woman who wished to purchase a Fiat 127. Her name was Diana Barnato Walker. Obviously her grandfather’s connection to the diamond fields of Kimberley and her father being one of the Bentley Boys rather caught my attention.
It turns out that Diana had been very much Whitney Straight’s squeeze over the years.
Ian Dove, Cape Town, South Africa
In the January issue [while discussing his role at the FIA Safety Commission] Peter Wright is quoted, “We developed two things. One is a driver restraint system (HANS device) and…” [A different perspective].
Dr Robert Hubbard and Jim Downing developed the HANS device without the help of the FIA Safety Commission. In fact the HANS device was available for years before the FIA mandated its use.
The death of Dale Earnhardt Sr did more than anything to acknowledge the need for a head and neck restraint system to reduce basal skull fractures. These fractures have killed off many drivers since the start of automobile racing.
Racers all over the world owe Dr Robert Hubbard and Jim Downing a debt of gratitude for improving driver survivability.
Bob G Smith, Florida
Interesting snippet by Doug Nye in the February issue about Masten Gregory’s Silverstone crash where he was “thrown over the bank… only to find himself besieged by schoolboys wanting his autograph”. I was one of them!
It was the 1958 British Grand Prix meeting, at the old Becketts corner. I heard a loud ‘whoomph’ and saw a large shower of earth within which was a flying, crouched blue-suited figure – an image that is with me still. The Lister-Jaguar ploughed through and over the bank and landed at our feet (the spectator barrier was a single rope!).
The car remained there for the rest of the meeting and afterwards I sat in it and noted that the gearlever was loose and floppy. I’ve often wondered what happened to the car, which presumably was recycled in one form or another. Masten, of course, continued with a spectacular career, and decades later I worked on a 1958 Lister-Jaguar. I wonder…?
Keith Martin, Milton Keynes
Alain Prost was the star of Motor Sport’s annual dinner before Christmas, held at Raffles London
Thank you for giving Alain Prost the recognition he so richly deserves, in the February issue [When the stars came out to play], one of the truly great F1 drivers in the last 40 years.
Wishing all at Motor Sport a very happy new year.
Denzil Monis, Bristol
It’s no Eau Rouge but these bends, photographed by a reader, were once part of Singapore’s notorious Thomson Road circuit
May I say how much I enjoyed your Great Lost Circuits feature on Singapore’s Thomson Road [February]. I managed to locate it several years ago, and apparently it has barely changed, so I’m attaching a couple of photographs taken in 2015. The corners shown are the best part of the track around the back, and very scary. I was advised not to go there as there are vicious monkeys patrolling, so I opted for a taxi instead. The driver sadly respected the speed limits and after a couple of laps I paid him well, happy that at least I had got a feel for the place, and not been bitten!
Julian Nowell, Walton-on-Thames
Our 2025 season review has been a high-flying issue for some – especially the WRC section
Red Bull Content Pool
What an absolutely superb set of photographic images in the end of year review edition [February]. In particular, those covering the 2025 season reviews of WRC and WEC – very much my favourite current motor racing series.
Chris Mabon, Lechlade, gloucestershire
BUY 1 – so suggests this demonstrator Coombs Jaguar; but the reg was previously on a Mercedes
With regard to the car registration BUY 1 [Getaway with you, January], I recall Tommy Sopwith driving into the paddock at Brands Hatch in a Mercedes 300 SL Roadster, which was Equipe Endeavour dark blue and had a BUY 1 numberplate. This was probably 1957.
Jeff Williams
Please extend my apologies to fellow reader Steve Campbell for what I intended to be a humorous letter. As a 1964 hippie, though, never anger meant, brother. I merely wanted to point out the irony of our previous letters and the 2025 Revival. I would like to offer a cocktail on my 2026 UK trip in the spirit of transatlantic peace and understanding!
Norman E Gaines Jr, Hartsdale, NY