To all you Healey People, Healey Racers, MG Racers, Cooper Racers, and
Mighty Midget Racers (whoever went through a fence ass-backwards).
This is a shamless solicitation for all on the lists who might be so
inclined.
We have a long time friend (former racer of all those cars mentioned
above) who is not doing so well in his battle with cancer.
His name is George Swift, former racer who worked at the late Gene
Sweeney's BMC agency in San Anselmo (north of San Francisco) as Service
Manager, and raced with the San Francisco Region of SCCA from 1950 to 1956.
If it had wheels George raced it!
For you Healeyphiles, George was the first guy on the west coast to race
the Healey. The car he raced was the second Healey 100 on the west coast
(February, 1953), and was the Grand Prize winner at the 1953 Pebble Beach
Concours. The car was one of the initial pre-production cars. He added a
white swage panel to the car, before it was available or popular as a Healey
color scheme, and raced it from Oct. '53 (Golden Gate Park, Santa Clara,
Stockton, etc.) til he took delivery of one of the first 100S's. That was
given the Healey Blue over white treatment as had the 100 before it (no
white over lobelia blue 100S here!). George raced that car until '56. On
other weekends during this period he raced his Cooper, several MG's, MGA's
(Golden Gate, Sacramento, Reno,etc.), and other marques as they came through
the agency. George also served the sport in various positions with the
SF-SCCA, and worked the races in different capacities when not in an event
as a participant.
I know that there's a slim to no chance that you know who he is or
remember the name, but he is one of us, and he played a big part in the
history of the cars that we're all involved with.
Here's the solicitation part.
If you have time in the next couple of weeks I would like any of you who
feel you can, given this information, send him a card or note before the
holiday wishing him well.
George is not on the internet so your efforts will have to be via snail
mail. He can be reached at:
George Swift
P.O. Box 410
Mendocino, CA 95460
Thank you for your consideration.
Ron Yates
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