I thought it would be a fitting remembrance to share this very kind letter
Roger sent me last May when I requested he sign my copy of Geoff Healey's
book, "The Specials" that had previously been signed by DMH, Geoff, Bic and
Gerry Cooker:
"The Specials are nearly all the cars that I made for Donald. I made
about 300 cars in all, the prototypes of all the cars that went into
production during the 30 odd years that we existed. I also made all of the
race cars, the record breakers, including the Salt Flats. When I say I made
these cars, I had a young Scots lad as my assistant as a lot of work on
building a car requires two people.
I was always interested in cars, so I did a seven year apprenticeship in
a garage and when I finished, I went on to Coventry and in the Twenties,
Coventry was the centre of the British car industry. And there I was
employed by Triumphs as a road tester. After 3 years, I went to SS Cars also
as a road tester. They are now known as Jaguar. I then did two years with
Armstrong Siddely Aircraft working on bombers and the was came on and I was
"frozen". I wasn't allowed to leave. Towards the end of the war, Donald and
I made our first car in our spare time.
In 1950, Donald asked me how would I like to make a car for LeMans. I
replied that I would love to make a car for LeMans. We would not win LeMans
but we would five the opposition an awful fright and that was exactly what we
did. In a field of 62 cars, we finished in fourth place. The following
year, 1951, we finished in 6th place. This was still good, for LeMans, to
finish is something of a feat. I believed that you had to study a car when
you were building it, and that paid off. I have on several times when
things got a little tense at some race or other, in the pits said to the
other driver or Geoff Healey that I was not at all worried. That my car was
not going to let me down and they would not, they had been built with
understanding and this, one learns only during apprenticeship and paying
attention.
In 1952, I was able to do what everyone said was impossible. I built a
LeMans race car to replace the car that I had prepared for the 1952 LeMans
24hr race and Donald Healey had completely written off. With less than 2
weeks to go I said that I could make another car, body and all. Donald and
Geoffrey both said, "Impossible". Nobody could build a LeMans race car
complete with body in less than two weeks. I said, "Maybe not, but I can."
The said, "Don't be ridiculous.' I said, "You two will not have any say in
the building, either. I can't have people arguing, it will never get it
done." They knew they couldn't argue with me and had to give in. They were
furious, especially Donald and moreso when I had that car ready on time. But
worse was to follow.
In the race, my car beat every other car in the race including one of the
3 works Mercedes. I beat the Ferraris, the Jaguars, Aston Martins,
Cunninghams, Talbos, you name them. I beat them and Donald was furious. He
wouldn't allow a picture of that car in any Healey book.
In 1968, my last LeMans venture, I entered a Lucas fuel injected Sprite
and won three trophies. The First British Car Award, The Rudge Whitworth
Biennial Cup for 2 consecutive year wins, The Best Mechanic LeMans 1968 (for
the Jaguary and Coventry Climax trophy).
I thought that this was a lovely way to finish LeMans after 23 years.
My first attempt, 1950, I finished in fourth position and to finish the
greatest sports car event of the year, the First British Car, is not too bad."
s/ Roger Menadue
The sport has lost another of the great "motormen".
Godspeed, Roger
Rick Neville
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