It is with much regret that the Club has to report of the death of BRDC Life Member Paddy McNally on the 22nd of July at the age of 88. As those of you who knew Paddy may well be aware, he had been seriously ill for some time.
Paddy was elected as a Full Member of the BRDC in 1972, proposed by his father-in-law and successful Formula 2 and Sports Car driver of the early 1950s, Ken Downing, and seconded by Lord Essendon, formerly the Honourable Brian Lewis, who was one of the leading British drivers of the 1930s. He was born in Gravesend and grew up in County Monaghan, Ireland while being educated at Stonyhurst College. On leaving school, Paddy went to work for the British Racing and Sports Car Club where his duties included managing the Young Motoring Enthusiasts Club. He moved to Autosport where he held various roles ranging from Editorial Assistant, Technical Assistant, Assistant Editor and Overseas Editor, the last following his move to live in Switzerland. Had he remained in the UK he would most probably have become the magazine’s Editor in succession to its founder Gregor Grant but instead that honour went to Simon Taylor whom Paddy had presciently hired as an Editorial Assistant in 1966.
Paddy’s race reports, track tests and technical articles were of the highest standard although he needed more than the relative pittance paid by the magazine to enable him to go racing from 1959 in a succession of state of the art sports cars of the time such as a Triumph TR3, Morgan Plus 4, Lotus Elite, Jaguar E-type and AC Cobra. The E-type was not one of the exotic Lightweights but rather a road going but race-prepared Fixed Head Coupé and brought Paddy and co-driver Warwick Banks (who was then making his name in Formula 3 with Ken Tyrrell’s Cooper team) 25th overall and second in class in the Nürburgring 1000km round of the World Sports Car Championship. Paddy also had various wins and other good placings with the Elite and the Cobra in national British races. In 1968, Paddy contested the Springbok Sports Car Series with Digby Martland in South Africa with a Porsche 911, finishing as runner up in the Championship. Paddy and Digby returned the following year to finish fourth overall and win their class in the East London 500km on what was then the South African Grand Prix circuit.
While continuing to cover Formula 1 and World Sports Car Championship events, Paddy developed a profitable sideline trading in high end racing machinery such as Ford GT40s and AC Cobras. At the other end of the spectrum, he shared a Mini-Marcos with the late Mike Garton to finish 18th overall among a huge field of sports-prototypes and GT cars in the 1967 Nürburgring 1000km.
Paddy moved on from Autosport to become a sponsorship consultant for Marlboro. His association with the tobacco company in Formula 1 led, in the late 1970s, to him assuming a role ‘looking after’ his friend James Hunt in the years immediately following James becoming World Champion. Paddy’s fertile mind saw an opportunity to develop commercial aspects of Formula 1 which had hitherto been haphazard and neglected. In late 1983, with the support of Bernie Ecclestone, Paddy set up Allsport Management SA in Switzerland with the aim of providing trackside advertising and corporate hospitality at Formula 1 events. Scruffy banners and rudimentary tents became a thing of the past. The Formula 1 Paddock Club was created to provide the high-quality hospitality, expensive but much sought after. It would not be inaccurate to say that it was Paddy who, with Bernie Eccelstone’s encouragement, established the template for racetrack advertising and hospitality which exists to this day. In 2006, Paddy sold Allsport Management SA to CVC Capital Partners but continued to be its Chief Executive until retiring in 2011.
In 1967, Paddy married Anne Downing, the daughter of Ken Downing. They had two sons Sean and Rollo. Anne died in 1980 and in April this year, Sean died very suddenly from unstated causes. Between 1982 and 1985, Paddy was also famously in a relationship with Sarah Ferguson. Paddy did not seek a high profile in the world of motor racing but motivated by a passion for the sport from his early days as a competitor, simply focussed on maximising the commercial opportunities and personal relationships which he could see existed. To Paddy’s family and many friends in the BRDC, the Club extends its sincere condolences. Details of Paddy’s funeral will be shared with Members once they are known.