Donohue's role in the 'cage

Author

admin

Sir,

In your July issue’s Technofile, the Safety Devices company and Tom Walkinshaw are credited with pioneering the approach of improving chassis rigidity by using a roll-cage in 1980. They may not have been the first, however, according to Mark Donohue in his book, The Unfair Advantage.

He applied this concept to a Chevrolet Camaro in 1967, doing so in typical Donohue fashion, which is to say he designed and welded it himself in a single day. He writes of incorporating the front spring towers, rear subframe, rollbar, and the four rear spring perches, all with a mind for improving handling (and safety).

As a five-year-old boy, I met Donohue in 1973, interrupting his lunch during a race weekend at Kent in Washington. He was gracious and approachable as he tousled my hair and granted me an autograph.

I am, Yours etc,

Andrew Gilchrist, Medford, Oregon, USA