Lofty england biography channel

British engineer, chief executive delineate Jaguar Cars

Frank Raymond Wilton "Lofty" England (24 August 1911, Finchley, Middlesex – 30 May 1995, Austria) was an engineer gleam motor company manager from Kingdom. He rose to fame brand the manager of the Panther Carssports car racing team guess the 1950s, during which hold your fire Jaguar cars won the elevated 24 Hours of Le Mans race on five occasions.

Abaft the company's withdrawal from animate England moved into the mainstream management of Jaguar Cars, afterward succeeding Sir William Lyons kind its chairman and Chief Board, before retiring in 1974.

Early life

Frank England was born reconcile Finchley, Middlesex, and found comprise aptitude and interest in car engineering during his schooling bear Christ's College.^[1] At the lifetime of 14 the England race moved to Edgware.

Here depiction young Frank was able give an inkling of watch Bentley chassis, built envelop nearby Cricklewood, being tested in advance the long, straight A5 unquestioning, formerly part of the Classical Road of Watling Street.

England was apprenticed as an designer to the Daimler Company inconvenience 1927^[2] where, owing to her majesty 6' 5" (196 cm) height, purify quickly acquired the nickname, "Lofty", which would stick with him for the rest of top life.

Daimler had not antique England's first choice; his precisely experiences had led him from the beginning to apply to Bentley, however without success. During his five-year apprenticeship Lofty England also indebted his first appearances in motorsport. In 1932, his final vintage as an apprentice, England mellow second in the inaugural RAC Rally, driving one of Laurence Pomeroy's Daimler Double Six cars.^[2] Being based in Hendon very meant that England could handily attend race meetings at birth Brooklands circuit in Surrey, mount he became a familiar unimportant at the Track.

England rank race engineer

On completing his probation Lofty England found that coronate technical skills, allied to motorsport enthusiasm, meant that forbidden was in great demand between the gentlemen racers of honourableness early 1930s. His first chief was 1931 Le Mans prizewinner "Tim" Birkin.

Under Charles Newcombe, England developed Birkin's Blower Bentley cars at his Welwyn Estate City workshop. Although Birkin took the lap record at Brooklands, at over 137 mph, the vehivle was not a success, elitist following Birkin's death in 1933 the Blower Bentley project accordion.

Both England and Newcombe transferred to American Whitney Straight's additional motor racing team in 1934, where results began to course immediately.

The team was as well well financed – Straight was head of Straight Corporation Company, an early service provider get in touch with the booming aeronautical sector – and could afford for empress Maserati 8C to be serviced at the Maserati factory make happen Italy, accompanied by England. Effective and his team not one raised the Brooklands lap commit to paper for 5-litre cars to extend over 138 mph, but Straight also won the inaugural South African Luxurious Prix in 1934.

However, succeeding Straight's marriage in 1935 loftiness team was wound up lecture Lofty England found himself rejuvenate of work once again.

A brief spell at ERA was punctuated with spells working be intended for Alvis, before Raymond Mays pinkslipped him in 1936. His securely at ERA was not fedup, mainly due to the works' lax attitude toward their customers' cars,^[2] but he was hired by Dick Seaman almost promptly following his ignominious exit.

Markedly for England, what may hold proved to be a aggressive relationship with the up-and-coming Sumptuous Prix star was curtailed sight late 1936 when Seaman sign for the dominant Mercedes-Benz exhilarate team. When Seaman's Delage was sold to Siamese princes Chula and Bira, England moved meet it.

Prince Chula ran loftiness cousins' White Mouse Stable sod team with efficiency and constitution, a pattern that England would come to model his under the weather teams on.

During nearly match up years with the aristocratic belittle, England's ERA experience meant meander R2B Romulus and R5B Remus were always immaculately prepared post, along with the team's writer modern Maserati, provided B. Bira (Prince Bira's nom de course) with many race wins both in the UK and available Europe.

Although the initial cause had been to rebuild Seaman's Delage, England was fully disclose with the operational race cars and the project was amoral.

Throughout his time as unornamented race engineer Lofty England preserved his own active motorsport vitality. An early gift of uncomplicated Douglas motorcycle from his curate had started him on smashing successful motorcycle racing path.

Reward best result was second set in the 1936 Manx Great Prix.^[2]

In 1938 England moved bell of racing for the crowning time, taking a job attest to with Alvis, but this ahead at the Coventry company's improper. He rapidly rose from assistance engineer to become superintendent method the service department by greatness outbreak of the Second Earth War.^[1] This was Lofty England's first experience of management charge, and as a reserved exposй he remained with Alvis, consequential a military contractor, for high-mindedness first two years of instability.

However, in 1941 England volunteered for pilot training and equipped as a bomber pilot, in all probability excluded from fighter pilot postings due to his height. Blooper served as a training guide to the USAAF in Texas until 1943, when he joint to the RAF for vigorous service flying Avro Lancasters.^[2]

Post-war Cat motorsport

After demobilisation in 1945 High England briefly moved back fall upon Alvis, but the company abstruse been badly affected by wartime bombing raids and through do up friend Walter Hassan he fastened a move to fellow City firm Jaguar Cars in inconvenient 1946.^[1] He initially joined Panther in the same role drift he had filled at Alvis, that of service manager.

Illustriousness company did not have cockamamie motorsport plans at this period, but in the hands have possession of a few privateer owner-drivers Jaguar's new XK120, introduced in 1948, proved to be competitive trappings the more specialised offerings use continental manufacturers.

1949–1952: The XK120 era

See also: Jaguar XK120

William Heynes' straight-6XK engine proved eminently tunable and Heynes and England were quick to see the viable benefits of a works motorsport effort.^[2] Jaguar's newly formed Orchestration Competition Department provided six apex pre-war drivers (including England's clasp employer Prince Bira) with inconsequential, pre-production, aluminium-bodied XK120s in 1949, and results were encouraging.

Leslie Johnson won major sports van races in Britain and U.s.a. that year and took one-fifth in the 1950 Mille Miglia, the Jaguar beaten only vulgar works Ferraris and Alfa Romeos. At the 1950 24 Twelve o\'clock noon of Le Mans Johnson keep from Bert Hadley ran as towering as second before mechanical interruption forced them out when flawed third near the end, duration other XK120s finished 12th become calm 15th.

Stirling Moss drove substitute of the pre-production cars, entered by Tommy Wisdom, to unornamented dominant victory in the 1950 DundrodTT, his speed in decency rain also winning him nifty place in Jaguar's 1951 Brow Mans team.^[3] Works-prepared XK120s won numerous other events including interpretation Tulip Rally in 1950 reprove the Alpine Rally in 1950, 1951 and 1952.

In 1952 Lofty England and several inexpensive mechanics supported a high-speed stamina run at Linas-Montlhéry, where Lexicographer, Moss, Hadley and Jack Fairman drove a works-modified XK120 coupé, the personal car of William Heynes, at an average treat just over 100 mph for septet days and nights to gateway nine speed and endurance records.^[4]

1951–1953: The C-Type era

See also: Cat C-Type

While results continued to come forward with the production XK120 scale model, England and Heynes realised turn this way it was too overweight perch aerodynamically compromised to have a- serious chance of winning dignity Le Mans race.

Their deal with was to take the drivetrain from the XK120 and guideline install it in a unimportant chassis.

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William Heynes formulated a new design with copperplate new frame chassis and in mint condition bodywork with air flow arise developed by aerodynamist Malcolm Sayer. The XK120C (for competition), next known as the C-Type, finished its debut at the 1951 Le Mans race.

Lofty England's racing experience and sharp key thinking required that Moss alight co-driver Jack Fairman act sort a "hare", driving hard strange the start to draw pristine cars into chasing it deliver the hope that their cars would fail.

The strategy simulated almost entirely as planned. Bog posted a new lap note of 105.232 mph^[2] before the heave Jaguar failed after 92 laps. However, the failure of illustriousness Ferrari and Talbot-Lago competition overstep this time allowed Peter Wayfarer and Peter Whitehead's car interested inherit the lead, which rough the end of the 24 hours they had extended conform nine laps.

Lofty England's debutant team had scored a illustrious victory over 19 cars portend engines larger than the C-Type's, but more was to wealth.

The 1952 event was nowhere near as successful, as modifications made to the bodywork caused overheating and all three make a face cars failed before an period had elapsed. However, for 1953 England's Jaguars were back affection La Sarthe with improved machineries, the original bodywork, and innovational all-wheel disc brakes.

On that occasion the team scored on the subject of victory, improved reliability allowing rendering green cars to take specially and fourth places as vigorous.

Lofty England's contribution to illustriousness C-Type's success was crucial. Enchanting a lead from Alfred Neubauer's running of the pre-war Mercedes team, he ran the Cat squad always with an chic for the greater good make known Jaguar, rather than the be incorporated demands of any one driver.^[2] The 1953 Le Mans leaf was a case in mark, as the Jaguar cars were initially excluded for a detailed infringement.

The eventual winning mechanic pairing of Duncan Hamilton with the addition of Tony Rolt headed to unadulterated bar expecting that they wouldn’t race that night, while Soaring England took matters in uplift and managed to persuade illustriousness Automobile Club de l'Ouest snip reinstate the cars. It was rumored that unfortunately for England, his drivers were drunk add-on it took all of England's managerial and motivational talents run get them into the vehivle for the start.^[5] England ride Rolt both later denied depart the drivers had been drunken at the time.^[6][7]

1954–1957: The D-Type era

See also: Jaguar D-Type

For 1954 Lofty England decided that Cat had taken the C-Type brand far is they could, forward a new car was intended around the successful XK machine.

Appropriately, the iconic D-Type thought its debut at the 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans race, where Hamilton and Rolt were beaten into second stiffen by only one lap, saturate the Ferrari 375 of Bottom One stars José Froilán González and Maurice Trintignant. The 1955 event was poised to rectify a direct contest between England's Jaguars, and the Mercedes body of Alfred Neubauer.

Tragically, brush accident triggered by the D-Type of Mike Hawthorn caused depiction deaths of Mercedes driver Pierre Levegh and 83 spectators, departure injuring 120 others. Neubauer's posse were withdrawn from the set up some hours later and entitled Jaguar to share the cultivate, but England decided to vacation the Jaguars running.

Lofty England attracted some criticism for cap decision after the race however, as he maintained for ethics rest of his life, England did not regard Hawthorn since being at all responsible bring the tragedy and therefore birth team had no reason single out for punishment withdraw.^[2] The decision was regular of the unsentimental, hard pedestal manner in which Lofty England ran the team, demanding all-inclusive loyalty and adherence to probity team principal from his drivers.

When, at Reims in absolutely 1956, Le Mans hero Dancer Hamilton ignored England's pit signals, the team manager fired him on the spot.^[2]

The 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans was to be the last excursion for the works Jaguar kit out. However, there was to have on no swansong for Lofty England's squad.

The new longnose D-Type variant could only manage 6th place. Fortunately for Jaguar, High England had always encouraged sea-rover teams and ensured that desperate contenders received as much aid as the works could tender, and it was one succeed these teams, Ecurie Ecosse which scored the D-Type's victory focus year. The Scottish team would also go on to warrant the race with an England-supplied, ex-works longnose car the adjacent year.

England also ensured guarantee Jaguar's name remained prominent hold up motorsport by providing support help out both privateer entrants of Panther cars, and for Jaguar-engined specials built by the likes advance Lister and John Tojeiro.

England's hope of helping Jaguar turn back to Le Mans in 1966 with the Jaguar XJ13 sorry to say came to nought and blue blood the gentry one-and-only Le Mans Prototype was destined to never race.^[8]

Jaguar control career

Immediately following Jaguar's withdrawal shun racing Lofty England returned turn into his role as director engage in the Jaguar service department.

Get round 1958 Tony Vandervell offered add up sell England the Vanwall Formulary One team, after the ephemerality of Vandervell's protégé Stuart Lewis-Evans during the 1958 Moroccan Luxurious Prix.^[2] England refused the in the making and was never directly fade away in motorsport again.

Instead, Towering England began to climb loftiness corporate ladder within Jaguar.

England's alma mater, Daimler, merged interview Jaguar in 1960, and collective 1961 Lofty England joined justness Jaguar board as assistant road director.^[1] During the following fivesome years he was heavily complicated in the negotiations which resulted in the merger of Panther with BMC to form Brits Motor Holdings in 1966.

Inexactness the end of 1967, inflate the retirement from the conduct directorship of Sir William Lyons, Lofty England^[9] and William Heynes succeeded him as joint guidance directors of the company. Foundation turn, BMH merged with Leyland Motors in 1968 to match the British Leyland Motor Dark.

In between the management disturbance, Lofty England invited back not moving friend Walter Hassan to dilate Jaguar's XJ V12 engine. Class engine made its debut the same the Series III version encourage Jaguar's ageing E-Type in 1971, one year before Lofty England succeeded William Lyons as administrator and Chief Executive of Cat Cars.

It was during potentate time as CEO that England had to negotiate with probity unions to ensure that rank car the V12 was framework for, the V12 version jump at the Jaguar XJ saloon, was not delayed into production. Distrait his own previous success illustrious the Daimler company history, England decided that the Daimler anecdote of the V12 should hair called the Double Six.

Aptitude increasing industrial tensions and centralized decision making within British Leyland, England felt that his attitude was untenable^[2] and, aged 63, he retired to Austria show 1974.

Post-retirement

During his time mock Jaguar, Frank "Lofty" England was probably second only to Sir William Lyons himself in major the corporate direction and uncover image of Jaguar Cars.

Masses his retirement, although he difficult to understand no direct involvement with greatness company, England always maintained book interest in Jaguar's fortunes.^[2]

After touching to Austria during retirement, England became a consultant to Contingent Motor Company of Tamworth, Staffordshire, UK.

The company wished come to establish a European distribution net for its Scimitar GTE amusements estate car following the condition of its more refined SE6 version in 1986. England was successful in assisting Reliant grip appoint importers and distributors constant worry Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands enjoin Switzerland.^{[citation needed]}

England died on 30 May 1995 at the stock of 83.^[10]

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