NOTICE OF DEATH - JOHN COOMBS

It is with regret that the Club has to announce the death of Life Member John Coombs on Saturday 3 August, age 91.

John joined the Club in 1952 having started racing the previous year in a F3 (500cc) JBS. He chose a Cooper Mk IV for 1952 racing with Alan Rippon as Ecurie Britanique and achieved some good results during the season.

Over the next couple of years John progressed to a Cooper Bristol and Lotus XI but increasing business commitments convinced him to give up driving and concentrate on preparing cars for others. As a Jaguar dealer, it was natural to run Mk IIs (for which he became so famous) and John was instrumental in persuading Jaguar to build the lightweight E-Type to compete with the Ferrari GTO. Later he ran various cars in Formula 2.

Indeed, it is as an entrant, rather than driver that John will be best remembered and many of the biggest names drove for him over twenty years including Jack Brabham, Ron Flockhart, Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart.

John was always a huge supporter of the Club and even this year was instrumental in enabling the BRDC Monaco lunch to take place in the Paddock Club on Grand Prix practice day. Condolences have been sent to Ellie and details of funeral/memorial service will be publicised when known.