Salvadori: a classroom apart

Sir,

When I received the August issue the first words I saw were ‘A tribute to Roy Salvadori’ on the front cover. In disbelief, I referred to page 20 and still could not believe what I was reading, since Roy had been my childhood hero.

I first saw him at Crystal Palace on September 18, 1954 where he drove the Maserati 250F and A6GCS for Gilby Engineering. At about the same time he was responsible for me receiving a hard clip round the car!

I was attending Hinchley Wood School and in those days you could see the Kingston by-pass across the school fields from the geography classroom. One day my friend and I were far more interested in watching two green sports cars being hammered up and down the by-pass. My geography master was far from pleased despite our explanation, “But that is Roy Salvadori and Peter Collins, sir!” That clip really hurt.

Years later I related this story to Roy during one of the Coy’s historic festivals at Silverstone. He thought it very funny but did offer his sincere apologies. He also confirmed that, yes, it was them since they used to test the works cars from his garage at Tolworth down to the Scilly Isles (the local name for the group of roundabouts at the junction of the by-pass and the Kingston Road outside Esher) and back. At subsequent festivals we would always talk and he would ask me, “How is your car?” Wonderful memories. Thank you, Roy, for everything — apology most sincerely accepted!

David Keen, Sevilla, Spain