British Grand Prix

Silverstone, 13 May 1950

All cars are 1.5-litre s/c F1 or 4.5-litre F1^† unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Talbot T26C-DA [110 052] (Yves Giraud-Cabantous): Built in 1950 using parts from '110 012' and raced for the works by Giraud-Cabantous, Sommer and, in Argentina, Gonzalez. To Claes for 1951 and then Ecurie Belgique (Claes and Pilette) 1952. Some differences of opinion over its ownership in the 1950s but then via UK and German owners until 1987. Next seen with Peter Mullin (USA) in 2001. Raced by Mullin at 2007 Monterey Historics.
2. Talbot T26C [110 001] (Louis Rosier): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 001' was raced by Louis Rosier from 1948 to 1950 and then under the Ecurie Rosier banner by Pozzi in 1950; by Henri Louveau and Louis Chiron in 1951; and by Giraud-Cabantous, Chaboud and Mairesse in 1952. It was acquired by the Musée Henri Malatre at Rochetaillé, France, in 1956 and was still on display in 1990.
3. ERA B Type [R14B] (Bob Gerard): Johnny Wakefield 1938-39 and then Bob Gerard's main ERA from 1946 to 1953. Then via Jimmy Stuart to Donald Day in 1959. Apart from a short period, Day has owned it ever since. Recent drivers include Ted Rollason, Goff Tidball and Paul Richardson. Retained 2007.
4. ERA C Type [R8C] (Cuth Harrison): Built in 1938 using mechanical parts from R8B and raced by Earl Howe 1938 and until a crash in the 1939 International Trophy. Then to Reg Parnell for 1946, Cuth Harrison from 1947 to 1951, Brian Shawe-Taylor 1951 and 1952; then a chain of other owners until acquired in 1977 by Bruce Spollon. Rebuilt to correct C-type specs and raced from 1981 to 2003.
5. Talbot T26C [110 008] (Philippe Étancelin): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 008' was Philippe Etancelin's car in 1948 and then passed to Jean Achard November 1950. Achard moved to Brazil, taking the car, and sold it there to Pinheiro Pires who raced it in Brazil from 1951 to 1954. Remains to UK via Colin Crabbe in the 1980s and then via other UK owners to Tony Bianchi c1999. Has been raced in historics up to 2005.
6. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1596] (David Hampshire): Maserati records list this as Reg Parnell's car dated 14 Sep 1948. Raced by Parnell from 1949 to 1951, under the Scuderia Ambrosiana banner in 1950 and 1951, also by Hampshire in 1951. Sold or leased to Bobby Baird mid-1951 and then sometime after 1952 sold to Count Johnny Lurani. Lurani sold it in 1955 to Pat Hoare in New Zealand where it raced until the mid-1960s and then spent many years in the Queenstown Motor Museum. It was sold in 1982 and returned to Europe in 1989. Sold at auction a number of times in the late 1980s and 1990s. Owned by Max Lustenberger (Switzerland) from 1999. Retained 2004.
7. Maserati 4CL [1585] (Joe Fry): Delivered on 30 Apr 1947 to Enrico Plate's team and driven by a variety of drivers from 1947 to 1949, including Emmanuel de Graffenried. Sold to Joe Fry for 1950, but passed after Fry's death in July 1950 to Duncan Hamilton and Philip Fotheringham-Parker who campaigned it in British races until then of the F1 formula in 1951. Campaigned widely in UK historic racing events by several British owners until passing to the current owner, Oliver Maierhofer (Germany) On display at Tubingen Motor Museum in 2007.
8. Maserati 4CL [1585] (Brian Shawe-Taylor): Delivered on 30 Apr 1947 to Enrico Plate's team and driven by a variety of drivers from 1947 to 1949, including Emmanuel de Graffenried. Sold to Joe Fry for 1950, but passed after Fry's death in July 1950 to Duncan Hamilton and Philip Fotheringham-Parker who campaigned it in British races until then of the F1 formula in 1951. Campaigned widely in UK historic racing events by several British owners until passing to the current owner, Oliver Maierhofer (Germany) On display at Tubingen Motor Museum in 2007.
9. Talbot T26C [110 011] (Johnny Claes): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 011' was Johnny Claes car in 1948-50 and then sold to Duncan Hamilton (and Fotheringham-Parker) and raced 1951-53. Stored in France until 1955 when Hamilton sold it to Allan Freeman in New Zealand who raced it through to 1961. It was bought by Joe Hepworth in 1963 and returned to England; then via other UK and French owners until sold to Bernie Ecclestone 1996. Retained 2002.
10. Alta GP [No 3] (Joe Kelly): The third GP Alta, 'GP3', was built for Joe Kelly and raced until 1951. Then extensively modified by Kelly as his 'IRA' special. This car was later acquired by Ray Fielding and fitted with a Jaguar engine. (Sources: Directory of Historic Racing Cars, Jenkinson; Powered by Jaguar 2nd Ed 2005, Nye)
11. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1607] ("B Bira"): To Enrico Platé for 1949 (dated 14 Nov 1949 in Maserati records) and raced by Bira up to Geneva 1950. Car fitted with a 4450cc OSCA V12 engine for Bira for the 1951 season. The OSCA was taken to Australia in 1955 by Bira as a spare car to his 250F and sold there to Alf Harvey who raced it from 1955 to 1959. The car then went to the UK for historic racing and was bought by Tom Wheatcroft in 1971. Subsequently in the Donington Museum.
12. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1593] (David Murray): Shown in Maserati records as Alberto Ascari's early 1948 car. To Reg Parnell 1949 for Fred Ashmore then raced in 1950 by David Hampshire and others as part of Scuderia Ambrosiana. Then David Murray's car for 1951. Crashed in practice at the Nürburgring for the 1951 German GP and not seen again.
13. Alta GP [No 2] (Geoffrey Crossley): This car was built for Geoffrey Crossley and raced until 1951. Then broken up to create a special. (Source: Directory of Historic Racing Cars, Jenkinson)
14. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1601] (Emmanuel de Graffenried): To Enrico Platé for 1949 (dated 7 Mar 1949 in Maserati records) and driven by Emmanuel de Graffenried. Continued as de Graffenried's well-used car through 1950 and 1951. Probably one of two cars extensively rebuilt as Plate-Maseratis for 1952. Probably raced by Ottorino Volonterio in F2 in 1953. Sold with the sister car (probably 1598) by de Graffenried to 20th Century Fox for film work then sold again via Tom Carstens (Tacoma, WA). Subsequent history unknown.
15. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1606] (Louis Chiron): Shown in Maserati records as going to Louis Chiron in Monte Carlo 21 Sep 1949. Raced by Chiron through 1950 then to Toni Branca for 1951 and then de Walckiers (who entered Steve Watson and Pilette) for 1952. Reappeared Italy 1960s then via chain of Italian, Belgian, Swiss, German and French owners to 1998. Owned by Bernie Ecclestone from 1998.
16. Talbot T26C-DA [110 053] (Eugène Martin): Built in 1950 using parts from '110 003' and raced for the works by Martin, Chaboud and Giraud-Cabantous in 1950 then by Rosier as a private entry in 1951. Driven by Trintignant for Ecurie Rosier in 1952, then Giraud-Cabantous 1952-53. Owned by Marceau Hauret 1955 and Houdayer (Paris) 1981. Raced from 1987-2000 by François d'Huart (Belgium) as '100105'.
17. ERA E Type [GP1] (Tony Rolt): The prototype E-Type, run by the works in 1939 for Mays (in practice only) and Dobson. To Peter Whitehead for 1946 and 1947 then to Reg Parnell's team then to Whitehead again, now with Peter Walker as driver 1949-50. Later fitted with Jaguar engine and equipped as sportscar and through a chain of owners to Duncan Ricketts, who completed the restoration and has raced it regularly since 1998.
18. ERA E Type [GP1] (Peter Walker): The prototype E-Type, run by the works in 1939 for Mays (in practice only) and Dobson. To Peter Whitehead for 1946 and 1947 then to Reg Parnell's team then to Whitehead again, now with Peter Walker as driver 1949-50. Later fitted with Jaguar engine and equipped as sportscar and through a chain of owners to Duncan Ricketts, who completed the restoration and has raced it regularly since 1998.
19. ERA E Type [GP2] (Leslie Johnson): The second E-Type, first raced by Leslie Brooke 1947, then taken over by ERA Ltd and raced by Leslie Johnson 1948-50, latterly for TASO Mathieson. Peter Walker 1951, then went with GP1, appearing in Scotland with Jaguar engine in 1962. To Gordon Chapman in 1966 and still owned by the Chapman family in 2000.
20. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1611] (Felice Bonetto): Listed in Maserati records as going to Officine A. Maserati 7 Mar 1950 and then Scuderia Milan. Used by Milan for second Milan (Speluzzi)-engined 4CLT and raced in 1950 (for Bonetto at Monza and Godia at Barcelona) and 1951 (Marimon at Reims and Landi at Albi). Subsequent history unknown but one of the Milan-Maseratis is owned by Doreen Fielding in Scotland.

Formula 1 events 1948-1953

The results published here were compiled by David McKinney and Adam Ferrington from a range of sources including Autocourse, Motor Sport and Autosport, as well as the F1 Register's A Record of Grand Prix and Voiturette Racing Volume 5 covering 1950 and 1951. Individual car identities were then meticulously checked against their enormous libraries of books and photographs, notably Talbot-Lago de Course by Pierre Abeillon, Les Gordini by Robert Jarraud, Gordini – Un Sorcier, Une Equipe by Christian Huet and The History of English Racing Automobiles by David Weguelin.

David has also contributed extensively from his notes on car identities compiled over 40 years of research, Michael Müller has contributed immaculately researched histories of all the 1948-1950 Ferrari 125s, and Doug Nye, both through his books and his personal assistance on HWM, has also been of great help.

Please note that since David's sad death in 2014, Adam and Allen have agreed that these pages will remain unaltered from now on, as a lasting testimony to David's expertise.