The Club is sad to report the death of Richard Shepherd-Barron on Sunday 7 September. Richard was elected a BRDC Member in 1963 and later went on to become a Life Member of the Club.
Richard was the younger son of Dorothy Shepherd-Barron, one of the leading tennis British tennis players of the 1920s and ‘30s, appearing at Wimbledon on 15 occasions, and reaching the women’s quarter finals and winning a bronze medal representing Great Britain in the women’s doubles at the 1924 Olympic Games. Richard was educated at Stowe School, within earshot of Silverstone Circuit of course, but it was not until he had completed his mandatory two years of National Service with the 1st the Royal Dragoons that he was able to contemplate some motor racing. Tragically his mother lost her life in a road accident in 1953.
Richard’s first race was in a Fiat Abarth 750 at a Goodwood Members’ meeting in 1958, competing on two further occasions at the Sussex circuit and also at the Scottish airfield circuits of Crimond near Aberdeen and Charterhall in the Borders. Employed as a commercial assistant by Alfa Romeo GB it was perhaps not surprising that Richard should acquire one of the rare in the UK Giulietta Sprint Veloces for the 1959 season with which he began to be noticed as a driver of considerable ability against such machinery as Lotus Elites and Marcos. His connections with Scotland and agriculture led to him coming under the umbrella of the distinguished Scottish Border Reivers team, his season ending at Snetterton in the Autosport 3 Hours by finishing second in class to team mate Jimmy Clark, albeit the future double world champion won the race in his Lotus Elite while Richard finished a worthy eighth overall in the Alfa.
While retaining the Giulietta for a second season in 1960, Richard spread his wings wings by venturing to the Continent to share the AC Ace-Bristol of Bob ‘Sideways’ Staples in the Nurburgring 1000Ks world championship race in which they finished 33rd overall and seventh in the 2-litre GT class among a vast entry. Race winners were Stirling Moss and Dan Gurney in a ‘Birdcage’ Maserati T61. The weekend in Germany was followed by the Spa Sports Car Grand Prix in an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Zagato with which Richard finished fifth overall and second in the 1600 cc GT class to the similar car of Domenico di Priolo. Through 1959 and 1960 Richard won nine times, either overall or in class, and achieved 27 ‘top three’ placings from 41 events.
Richard never really ventured into single-seaters apart from a couple of occasions during 1960 in Italian Formula Junior, first at Pescara in a Taraschi-Fiat which ended in premature retirement after an accident. A few weeks later he was at the wheel of a Giaur-based RAM-Fiat, at the time a unique car created by a couple of Rome-based Americans. On the street circuit of Reggio Calabria Richard ran well inside the top 10 and was ultimately classified fourth. He did not race the car again and it was exported to the USA.
For the last two years of his racing career Richard raced as a partner of Morgan magician Chris Lawrence. At the first attempt at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1961 the Plus Four, although initially accepted as an entry for the race, was turned away at final scrutineering at the whim of the ACO because it ‘looked old and obsolete’. Undaunted by this setback the LawrenceTune team returned in 1962 and was rewarded with victory in the 2-litre GT class and 13th overall.
After an outing sharing a Chevrolet Corvair with Chris Lawrence in the Brands Hatch Six Hour saloon car race, which they failed to finish, Richard hung up his crash helmet but retained a keen interest in motor racing. It will no doubt pass into legend that Richard passed away just after watching the recent Italian Grand Prix. For many years he administered the Le Mans Club des Pilotes, was a regular visitor to Silverstone and also attended numerous Morgan-themed events both at home and around the world. He was renowned for the jokes with which he regaled his family and friends. For many years he wrote about agricultural and horticultural matters for such magazines as Vegetable Farmer, Fruit Grower and Commercial Greenhouse Grower.
To Richard’s wife Penny, Chris and Nicky and their families the BRDC extends its most sincere condolences. Richard’s funeral will take place at 12:00 on Friday 10th October at Seven Hills Crematorium, Felixstowe Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP10 0FG. A celebration in Richard’s memory will then follow at The Black Tiles, Martlesham, IP12 4SP (an 8 minute drive). At Richard’s request, attendees are asked not to wear black as he would prefer some colour on the day to accompany the anecdotes and memories. In lieu of flowers, donations are welcome to St Elizabeth Hospice who provided amazing support to Richard and his family. Please let the Club office know if you are planning to attend and we can pass this on to Richard’s family.
