Selwyn Edge
British businessman and racing driver
About Selwyn Edge
Lived 1868 – 1940 (aged 71). Selwyn Edge was a British and Australian sport cyclist, racing automobile driver and businessperson.
Selwyn Francis Edge (1868–1940) was a British businessman, racing driver, cyclist and record-breaker. He is principally associated with selling and racing De Dion-Bouton, Gladiator; Clemént-Panhard, Napier and AC cars. and the Westerham Hill climb when he was nineteen. One of the English Team and aged 23 he came third in the first Bordeaux–Paris cycle race in 1891. He worked for Rudge then Harvey Du Cros as manager of his new Dunlop offices in London. In 1892 he married Eleanor Rose Sharp who died in 1914; his second wife, Myra Caroline Martin, whom he married in 1917, had two daughters by him.
From 1910 until at least 1922 he resided at Gallops Homestead, Ditchling, Sussex, and from 1912 to 1919, courtesy of his contract with Napiers, he devoted himself to farming. He sold his company, S.F. Edge Ltd, to Napier in 1912, for £120,000. Edge switched the contract for purchasing engines for the AC car from Anzani, where he also sat on the board, to Cubitt, who produced what was essentially a copy of the Anzani design. Edge purchased AC cars outright for £135,000 in 1927.
At the 1903 Gordon Bennett, Edge had an 80 hp (60 kW) Napier, the Type K5, but was disqualified.
His final contribution to motor racing was the inauguration of the Campbell Circuit at Brooklands in 1937.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Selwyn Edge's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Selwyn Edge's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Selwyn Edge?
British businessman and racing driver (1868-1940)
When was Selwyn Edge born?
Selwyn Edge was born on 29 March 1868 in Sydney.
When did Selwyn Edge die?
Selwyn Edge died on 12 February 1940 in Eastbourne.
What was Selwyn Edge's occupation?
Selwyn Edge was a sport cyclist, racing automobile driver and businessperson.
What nationality was Selwyn Edge?
Selwyn Edge was British and Australian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Selwyn Edge. https://biography.guide/selwyn-edge/
MLA: "Selwyn Edge." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/selwyn-edge/.
Chicago: "Selwyn Edge." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/selwyn-edge/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:07 UTC