Tony Rolt

Tony Rolt
Circuit Zandvoort,7 August 1948. Tony Rolt in the 3.2-litre Aitken-Alfa, made by Peter Aitken (1912–47) based on anAlfa Romeo 8Cbimotore
Nationality	British
Born	Anthony Peter Roylance Rolt (1918-10-16)16 October 1918 Bordon,Hampshire,England, UK
Died	6 February 2008(2008-02-06)(aged 89) Warwick,Warwickshire,England, UK
Formula OneWorld Championship career Active years 1950,1953,1955 Teams Connaught(including non-works) Non-worksERA Entries 3 Championships 0 Wins 0 Podiums 0 Career points 0 Pole positions 0 Fastest laps 0 First entry 1950 British Grand Prix Last entry 1955 British Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Manscareer Years 1949–1954 Teams R. R. C. Walker,Nash-Healey Motors,Jaguar Cars Best finish 1st(1953 Class wins 1(1953)

MajorAnthony Peter Roylance Rolt,MC& Bar,(16 October 1918 – 6 February 2008) was a Britishracing driver,soldier and engineer. Awarhero, Rolt maintained a long connection with the sport, albeit behind the scenes. TheFerguson 4WDproject he was involved in paid off with spectacular results, and he was involved in other engineering projects.

At his death, he was the longest surviving participant of the first ever World Championship Grand Prix atSilverstonein 1950. He was one of the last prewar winners remaining too – he won the 1939British Empire Trophy,aged just 20 in 1939 – this was after he started his career in 1935, as a 16-year-old, in a 3-wheeler Morgan in speed trials. He won the1953 24 Hours of Le Mansand participated in threeFormula OneWorld Championship Grands Prix.

Early life and prewar racing

Rolt was born inBordon,Hampshire,and brought up atSt AsaphinDenbighshire,Wales.He was the fourth child ofBrigadier-GeneralStuart Rolt,and educated atEton,where he got into trouble for keeping a car.

Prince Bira's ERA "Remus", which Rolt bought in 1938

He began competing while at Eton, in aMorganthree-wheeler in their trials before, in 1936, making his track début sharing aTriumph Gloria Vitessewith Jack Elliott in theSpa 24 Hours,where the pair finished 11th, fourth in class. He drove there because he had just lost his British driving licence for speeding alongDenbighHigh Street. Throughout 1937, he raced aTriumph Dolomite,winning the Coronation Trophy, before acquiring the famousERARemusfrom his fellow Old Etonians, theSiameseprinces, Chula Chakrabongse andBira Birabongse.

In a minor race atBrooklands,a bolt dropped from the ERA’s exhaust and flames began swirling around Rolt’s lap; he removed his gloves, stuffed one across the hole and won the race. For 1939, he acquired another ERA, immediately winning the 200-mile British Empire Trophy race atDonington Park.

Second World War

He entered theRoyal Military College, Sandhurst,and in 1939 received a commission in theRifle Brigade.During theSecond World War,Rolt was alieutenantin the Rifle Brigade and in 1940 was sent to France, where he was in charge of areconnaissanceplatoon. He was soon in the thick of the fighting and helped defendCalais.The men defending Calais held for three days trying to stop the10th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)from advancing, and in doing so delaying their attack onDunkirk.He was captured and takenprisoner of warat the end of thebattle for Calais,just before theDunkirk evacuation.For his actions, he was awarded theMilitary Cross:his exploits included helping a wounded comrade while firing hisBren gunat the advancing German troops.

Rolt escaped seven times from German prisoner-of-war camps includingLaufen(Oflag VII-C),Biberach(Oflag V-B),Posen(Stalag XXI-D),Warburg(Oflag VI-B) andEichstätt(Oflag VII-B), before eventually being sent to the maximum security prison,Oflag IV-CinColditz Castleon 14 July 1943. In one attempt to escape, he got within yards of the Swiss border before being recaptured – which accounted for his transfer to the East German fortress. For his determined escape attempts, Rolt was awarded aBarto his Military Cross. In early 1944, he was one of the masterminds behind the audaciousglider escape plan,but in spring 1945, the US army liberated the castle, obviating the need for it.

After the war Rolt resigned his commission with the rank ofMajorto develop advanced automotive technologies.

Racing career

After the war Rolt resumed racing with anAlfa Romeo Bimotore,in which he took a fine second place in the 1948 Zandvoort GP. Between 1949 and 1952, he began a close association withFreddie DixonandRob Walker,setting an engineering partnership with the former and racing Walker’s 1926DelageandDelahaye.In 1950 and 1951, he shared aNash-Healey,withDuncan Hamilton,on both occasions, finishing fourth and sixth at Le Mans. From 1952 to 1955, Rolt raced Walker’s dark-blueConnaughtsin which he was tremendously successful in English national events, winning numerousFormula Two,Formula Libreand handicap races. Unfortunately, his business obliged him to restrict his racing. Also, in 1952 came the most significant move of his racing career; he was invited to join the Jaguar team,”I’d proved quite competitive atDundrodwhere I actually lapped theC-Typefaster than Stirling [Moss]. Then they asked me who I’d like as my co-driver and I said Duncan. They said "Duncan, you must be mad!” but he joined me in the team for 1952 and we always drove in long distance races together "..Their first Le Mans together for Jaguar was a disaster, which resulted in a head gasket failure and an early retirement.

Grand Prix racer

Rolt competed in three Formula One World Championship races, the British Grands Prix of 1950, 1953, & 1955, but all three outings ended in retirement. At the1950 British Grand Prix,the first-ever round of the F1 World Championship, he started 10th on the grid in an ERA that had been qualified byPeter Walker,but the gearbox failed after four laps. In the1953 race,once again he started from 10th, but ahalf shafton his Connaught failed after 70 laps. In his final Grand Prix, he again shared a drive with Walker in1955.In what was to be the last F1 outing for both drivers: their Connaught started 14th and retired withtransmissiontrouble after 18 laps.Stirling Mossasserts that Rolt would have been among the top GP drivers, if he raced regularly.

Called from the Bar

Jaguar C-Type,similar to which Rolt and Hamilton drove to victory at Le Mans

Rolt competed in every24 Heures du Mansrace from 1949 to 1955, famously winning the1953 eventin a Jaguar C-Type shared with Hamilton. Initially, the pairing were disqualified for practising in a Jaguar that had the same racing number as another on the circuit at the same time, but they were reinstated. Hamilton's account has become a motor racing legend: when Jaguar team managerLofty Englandpersuaded the organisers to let them race, both drivers were already drunk in a local bar. England said:”Of course I would never have let them race under the influence. I had enough trouble when they were sober!”

The Rolt/Hamilton partnership continued in 1954, where they finished second to a worksScuderia Ferrari,in aJaguar D-Type.This was despite an incident during a hail storm, Rolt realised that he could not see properly, so he pitted for a visor, but as a Ferrari was in its pit, the team waved him out again. When Rolt pitted again the next lap, his goggles werefull of water.He hopped out of the car to fix on a visor and Hamilton jumped into the car and was away. Having made up a four-lap deficit, the Rolt/Hamilton D-Type finished less than four kilometres behind the victorious Ferrari. They also finished second for Jaguar in the12 heures internationals – Voiture Sport Reims,but retired from the1955 Les 24 Heures du Manswhile running in second place. Rolt and his wife, Lois witnessed thedisasterthat year, which claimed more than 80 lives afterPierre Levegh's Mercedes left the track and ploughed into spectators. Thereafter, he concentrated on his engineering. By the end of 1956, although still a member of the Jaguar works team, Rolt retired from active racing to devote his full efforts to the Ferguson development programme.

Engineering career

After the war, Rolt returned to form part of Rolt Dixon Research, with his mechanic, Freddie Dixon, to work on an idea that they had considered before the war: four-wheel drive. The company they formed also pioneered theviscous coupling.This eventually led to backing from tractor magnateHarry Fergusonand gave rise to the development of theFerguson P99four-wheel driveF1car. Rolt subsequently builtIndianapolis 500track-racing 4WD cars for the AmericanSTP Corporation,and Ferguson transmissions appeared in theLotus 56,Novi-FergusonandSTP-Paxton TurbocarIndy Carsof 1964 to 1969. With the technical directorClaude Hilland the project engineerDerek Gardner,Rolt was among the unsung backroom heroes of British racing development. WhenFerguson Developmentclosed, Rolt foundedFF Developmentsin 1971, converting cars, vans and ambulances to four-wheel drive. During the 1980s, major automotive manufacturers finally saw advantages in all-wheel drive technology, and the company became a major technology partner ofFord,Chrysler,Audi,FiatandGeneral Motors.

In 1994, the business was sold toRicardo,who continued the development of "smart" transmissions using Rolt FFD and Ferguson experience. Rolt was immensely proud that the Audi sports cars that have dominated the 24 Heures du Mans and theAmerican Le Mans Seriesendurance championships since 2000 used Ricardo transmissions.

The F1 Tractor

The Ferguson P99

By the early 1960s Rolt and FF Developments had decided that it would build a 4WD racing car to demonstrate the value of four-wheel drive technology. Rolt helped to design, and also tested the Ferguson P99. Although Rolt was more than capable of driving the car fast enough for test purposes,Jack Fairmanwas called in to race it in the 1961 British Empire Trophy and1961 RAC British Grand PrixatAintree,proving without doubt the four-wheel drive allied to theDunlop Maxaretbraking system was substantially superior in the wet. The P99 was run under the banner ofRob Walker Racingand became the only 4WD car to win a Formula One race, when in the hands of Stirling Moss it won the1961 Oulton Park Gold Cup.The car was also the last front-engined car ever to win a F1 race. Despite a trip theTasman Seriesand success in the handsPeter Westbury,when he won theBritish Hill Climb Championshipin 1964, the car was not used much again. Subsequently the four-wheel-drive concept succeeded in the United States and in 1966 was built into theJensen FFroad car.

Rolt was a very private man, but had great charm and presence. He also had the dignity to shun personal publicity, and the notion that he had done something heroic in trying to escape from Colditz never crossed his mind. He avoided Colditz reunions. He simply saw it as his duty to make escape attempts and was quick to emphasise that there was nothing light-hearted about those efforts, and would say”Escaping was not a game. Nor was it fun. It was a duty ".He gained much satisfaction from shooting and skiing. Lois and his daughter, Nikki, predeceased him, but he was survived by his other daughter Angela, and sons David andStuart,the latter of whom racedSaloon carsin the 1970s and served as chairman of theBritish Racing Drivers' Club(BRDC).

He was the last surviving driver from that inaugural World Championship Grand Prix held atSilverstone;also the last pre-World War member of the prestigious BRDC, having been elected in 1936.

Racing record

Career highlights

Season	Series	Position	Team	Car
1937	Coronation Trophy	1st		Triumph Dolomite
1939	British Empire Trophy	1st		ERA B-Type
1948	Zandvoort Grand Prix	2nd		Alfa Romeo Bimotore
1951	Goodwood Trophy	3rd		Delage-ERA 15S8
	Woodcote Cup	3rd		Delage-ERA 15S8
1952	BRDC International Trophy	2nd		HWM-Alta
	Richmond Trophy	2nd	R.R.C. Walker	Delage-ERA 15S8
1953	Coronation Trophy	1st	R.R.C. Walker Racing Team	Connaught-Lea Francis A Type
	Snetterton Coronation Trophy	1st	R.R.C. Walker Racing Team	Connaught-Lea Francis A Type
	Les 24 Heures du Mans	1st	Jaguar Cars Ltd.	Jaguar C-Type
	Crystal Palace Trophy	1st	R.R.C. Walker Racing Team	Connaught-Lea Francis A Type
	United States Air Force Trophy	1st	R.R.C. Walker Racing Team	Connaught-Lea Francis A Type
	Bristol MC & LCC Trophy	1st	R.R.C. Walker Racing Team	Connaught-Lea Francis A Type
	Mid-Cheshire MC Formula 2 Race	1st	R.R.C. Walker Racing Team	Connaught-Lea Francis A Type
	Chichester Cup	2nd		Delage-ERA 15S8
	London Trophy	2nd	R.R.C. Walker Racing Team	Connaught-Lea Francis A Type
	Lavant Cup	3rd	R.R.C. Walker Racing Team	Connaught-Lea Francis A Type
	AMOC Trophy	3rd	R.R.C. Walker Racing Team	Connaught-Lea Francis A Type
	BRDC International Trophy	3rd	R.R.C. Walker Racing Team	Connaught-Lea Francis A Type
	Madgwick Cup	3rd	R.R.C. Walker Racing Team	Connaught-Lea Francis A Type
1954	Les 24 Heures du Mans	2nd	Jaguar Cars Ltd.	Jaguar D-Type
	12 heures internationals – Voiture Sport Reims	2nd	Jaguar Cars Ltd.	Jaguar D-Type
	August Bank Holiday Cup	3rd	R.R.C. Walker Racing Team	Connaught-Lea Francis A Type
1955	Silverstone International	3rd	Jaguar Cars Ltd.	Jaguar D-Type

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	WDC	Points
1950	Peter Walker	ERAE-Type	ERAStraight-6	GBR Ret*	MON	500	SUI	BEL	FRA	ITA			NC	0
1953	RRC Walker Racing Team	ConnaughtA Type	ConnaughtStraight-4	ARG	500	NED	BEL	FRA	GBR Ret	GER	SUI	ITA	NC	0
1955	Connaught Engineering	ConnaughtB Type	ConnaughtStraight-4	ARG	MON	500	BEL	NED	GBR Ret*	ITA			NC	0

* Indicates shared drive withPeter Walker

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1949	R.R.C. Walker	Guy Jason Henry	Delahaye 135CS	S5.0	126	DNF (Bearings)
1950	Healey Motors Ltd.	Duncan Hamilton	Nash-Healey E	S5.0	250	4th	3rd
1951	Healey	Duncan Hamilton	Nash-Healey Coupé	S5.0	250	6th	4th
1952	Jaguar Ltd.	Duncan Hamilton	Jaguar C-Type	S5.0		DNF (Head gasket)
1953	Jaguar Cars Ltd.	Duncan Hamilton	Jaguar C-Type	S5.0	304	1st	1st
1954	Jaguar Cars Ltd.	Duncan Hamilton	Jaguar D-Type	S5.0	301	2nd	2nd
1955	Jaguar Cars Ltd.	Duncan Hamilton	Jaguar D-Type	S5.0	186	DNF (Gearbox)

Complete Mille Miglia results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Pos.	Class Pos.
1953	Bill Cannell /Jaguar Cars Ltd.	Len Hayden	Jaguar C-Type	S+2.0	DNF (Engine)

Complete Spa 24 Hours results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1936		Jack Elliott	Triumph Gloria Vitesse	2.0		11th	4th
1948	Jock Horsfall	André Pilette	Aston Martin Speed Model	S2.0		DNF (Split fuel tank)

Complete 12 Hours of Reims results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1954	Jaguar Cars Ltd.	Duncan Hamilton	Jaguar D-Type		214	2nd	2nd

Complete 12 Hours of Donington results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Pos.	Class Pos.
1937	J. Elliott	J. Elliott	Triumph		DNF (Engine)

Complete 12 Hours of Paris results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Pos.	Class Pos.
1948		John Heath	Alta	2.0	DNF

External links

• Timesobituary
• The Guardian:obituary
• Latest Formula 1 Breaking News - Grandprix.com
• Drivers (R)kolumbus.fi

Archived12 January 2007 at theWayback Machine