Tony Rolt

Major Anthony Peter Roylance Rolt, MC & Bar, (16 October 1918 – 6 February 2008) was a British racing driver, soldier and engineer. A war hero, Rolt maintained a long connection with the sport, albeit behind the scenes. The Ferguson 4WD project he was involved in paid off with spectacular results, and he was involved in other engineering projects.

At his death, Rolt was the longest surviving participant of the first ever World Championship Grand Prix at Silverstone in 1950. He was one of the last prewar winners remaining too – he won the 1939 British 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 the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans and participated in three Formula One World Championship Grands Prix.

Early life and prewar racing

Rolt was born in Bordon, Hampshire, and brought up at St Asaph in Denbighshire, Wales. He was the fourth child of Brigadier-General Stuart Rolt, and educated at Eton, where he got into trouble for keeping a car.

Rolt began competing while at Eton, in a Morgan three-wheeler in their trials before, in 1936, making his track début sharing a Triumph Gloria Vitesse with Jack Elliott in the Spa 24 Hours, where the pair finished 11th, fourth in class. He drove there because he had just lost his British driving licence for speeding along Denbigh High Street. Throughout 1937, he raced the Triumph Dolomite, winning the Coronation Trophy, before acquiring the famous ERA Remus from his fellow Old Etonians, the Siamese princes, Chula Chakrabongse and Bira Birabongse.

In a minor race at Brooklands, 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 at Donington Park.

Second World War

Rolt entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and in 1939 received a commission in the Rifle Brigade. During the Second World War, Rolt was a lieutenant in the Rifle Brigade and in 1940 was sent to France, where he was in charge of a reconnaissance platoon. He was soon in the thick of the fighting and helped defend Calais. The men defending Calais held for three days trying to stop the 10th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht) from advancing, and in doing so delaying their attack on Dunkirk. He was captured and taken prisoner of war at the end of the battle for Calais, just before the Dunkirk evacuation. For his actions, he was awarded the Military Cross: his exploits included helping a wounded comrade while firing his Bren gun at the advancing German troops.

Rolt escaped seven times from German prisoner-of-war camps including Laufen (Oflag VII-C), Biberach (Oflag V-B), Posen (Stalag XXI-D), Warburg (Oflag VI-B) and Eichstätt (Oflag VII-B), before eventually being sent to the maximum security prison, Oflag IV-C in Colditz Castle on 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 a Bar to his Military Cross. In early 1944, he was one of the masterminds behind the audacious glider 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 of Major to develop advanced automotive technologies.

Racing career

After the war, Rolt resumed racing with an Alfa Romeo Bimotore, in which he took a fine second place in the 1948 Zandvoort GP. Between 1949 and 1952, he began a close association with Freddie Dixon and Rob Walker, setting an engineering partnership with the former and racing Walker’s 1926 Delage and Delahaye. In 1950 and 1951, he shared a Nash-Healey, with Duncan Hamilton, on both occasions, finishing fourth and sixth at Le Mans. From 1952 to 1955, Rolt raced Walker’s dark-blue Connaughts in which he was tremendously successful in English national events, winning numerous Formula Two, Formula Libre and 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 at Dundrod where I actually lapped the C-Type faster 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 the 1950 British Grand Prix, the first-ever round of the F1 World Championship, he started tenth on the grid in an ERA that had been qualified by Peter Walker, but the gearbox failed after four laps. In the 1953 race, once again he started from tenth, but a half shaft on his Connaught failed after 70 laps. In his final Grand Prix, he again shared a drive with Walker in 1955. In what was to be the last F1 outing for both drivers: their Connaught started 14th and retired with transmission trouble after 18 laps. Stirling Moss asserts that Rolt would have been among the top GP drivers, if he raced regularly.

Called from the Bar

Rolt competed in every 24 Heures du Mans race from 1949 to 1955, famously winning the 1953 event in 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 manager Lofty England persuaded 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 works Scuderia Ferrari, in a Jaguar 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 were full 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 the 12 heures internationals – Voiture Sport Reims, but retired from the 1955 Les 24 Heures du Mans while running in second place. Rolt and his wife, Lois witnessed the disaster that year, which claimed more than 80 lives after Pierre 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 the viscous coupling. This eventually led to backing from tractor magnate Harry Ferguson and gave rise to the development of the Ferguson P99 four-wheel drive F1 car. Rolt subsequently built Indianapolis 500 track-racing 4WD cars for the American STP Corporation, and Ferguson transmissions appeared in the Lotus 56, Novi-Ferguson and STP-Paxton Turbocar Indy Cars of 1964 to 1969. With the technical director Claude Hill and the project engineer Derek Gardner, Rolt was among the unsung backroom heroes of British racing development. When Ferguson Development closed, Rolt founded FF Developments in 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 of Ford, Chrysler, Audi, Fiat and General Motors.

Racing record

Career highlights

Season Series Position Team Car 1937 Coronation 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 Madgwick Cup 3rd R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Connaught-Lea Francis A Type 1954 Les 24 Heures du Mans 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 ERA E-Type ERA Straight-6 GBR MON 500 SUI BEL FRA ITA NC 0 1953 RRC Walker Racing Team Connaught A Type Connaught Straight-4 ARG 500 NED BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA NC 0 1955 Connaught Engineering Connaught B Type Connaught Straight-4 ARG MON 500 BEL NED GBR ITA NC 0

Indicates shared drive with Peter Walker

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1949 R.R.C. Walker Guy Jason Henry Delahaye 135CS S5.0 126DNF(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 186DNF(Gearbox)

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

Complete Spa 24 Hours results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 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 1954 Jaguar Cars Ltd. Duncan Hamilton Jaguar D-Type 214 2nd 2nd

Complete 12 Hours of Donington results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class 1937 J. Elliott J. Elliott TriumphDNF(Engine)

Complete 12 Hours of Paris results