[TR] Graham Robson

Fri Aug 6 17:27:46 MDT 2021

Rest in peace, Graham.

Here's a link to the TRR's front page (with the info first posted by Robert
Jones):
https://www.tr-register.co.uk/article/2021/08/0274/Graham-Robson-Honorary-President-of-the-TR-Register-and-Former-Triumph-Works-Competition-Secretary-passes-away-aged-85

On Fri, Aug 6, 2021 at 5:18 PM Robert Jones <rjones at wfeca.net> wrote:

> Copied from the TR Register:
>
>
> Many in the world of motoring and motorsport have lost a good friend with
> the death of Graham Robson on 6 August 2021. He enjoyed a busy professional
> life which continued right up until his passing. Graham Robson wrote over
> 169 books, some published in several other languages, and countless
> newspaper and magazine features, which must have made him the most prolific
> motoring author ever. But quantity did not affect quality - his books,
> mainly covering classic cars and rallying, were all meticulously researched
> and well written: on many subjects his books are now the 'standard works'.
> Because of his wide motoring knowledge, Graham was regularly called on to
> be master of ceremonies or commentator for national club events. It also
> helped him become President of the TR Register, Vice President of Club
> Triumph and Honorary Life member of several others clubs.
>
> Alec Arthur Graham Robson was born in Skipton, Yorkshire, on 18th January
> 1936 to Clifford and Kathleen Robson. An only child, he was educated at a
> local school then at Ermysteds Grammar School before going up to Lincoln
> College, Oxford, where he read Engineering.
>
> His first job was as a Graduate Trainee at Jaguar cars in 1957. His
> subsequent career became almost a perfect training path for someone
> destined to become a leading author:
>
> In 1961 he became a Development Engineer, then Competition Secretary at
> Standard- Triumph where he presided over the successful Works TR4 rally
> campaigns and the victory at Le Mans for the Triumph Spitfire. He worked
> at Autocar magazine from 1965 and the Rootes Group (which became Chrysler
> UK) in 1969, becoming their Chief Engineer in Product Proving . He then had
> a spell as Technical Director at Kangol before becoming a full time
> independent motoring writer, researcher and author in 1972. That word
> 'independent' cannot be stressed too highly because whatever his links with
> the manufacturer of a car he was writing about, his research was always
> thorough and he never pulled his punches. Once asked what was his most
> memorable motoring moment he said: "First sight of the Ford RS200, the day
> it was shown to a privileged few, before its public launch." It was typical
> of the esteem in which he was held by manufacturers as well as enthusiasts
> that he was invariably on that list.
>
> Many of Graham's books were about motorsport. Perhaps not surprising
> because he got involved in the sport as a rally co-driver in the mid-50s;
> he said that his passion for writing was triggered by writing modest rally
> reports in those days for Motoring News. He became one of the leading UK
> co-drivers, competing in works teams and winning the Welsh International
> Rally with Roger Clark in 1965.
>
> He ran Standard-Triumph's motorsport programme from 1962 to 1965 and then
> got heavily involved in running many different rally championships for Ford
> Motorsport.
>
> Graham married Pamela in 1962 and they had two sons, Hamish who is now a
> senior design engineer with Toyota Motorsport in Germany, and Jonathan who
> is an experienced Landscape Gardener in Dorset. He moved to live in a
> picture postcard village in Dorset in 1981, thereafter travelling widely on
> business, and for pleasure. Sadly, Pamela died in 2014 after a long illness.
>
> Graham was recognised by the Classic Car community in 2018 when he was
> awarded the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Car Club
> Awards, held at the NEC in Birmingham.
>
> Graham Robson published more motoring books in the UK than any other
> author. His most successful and best-known books include:
>
> The Works Escorts
>
> Triumph Cars – the Complete Story (co-written with Richard Langworth)
>
> The Cars of BMC
>
> Cosworth – the Search for Power
>
> The Works Triumphs
>
> Cars in the UK (2 volumes)
>
> Boreham
>
> World Cup Rally 40
>
> Grand Prix Ford – Cosworth and the DFV
>
> The world of motoring will never be quite the same again. Rest in peace,
> Graham Robson.
>
> Graham Robson was well known for his commentary and presenting at TR
> Register events in the arena with his close friend, Wayne Scott.
>
>    - news <https://www.tr-register.co.uk/articles/tag/news>
>    - graham robson
>    <https://www.tr-register.co.uk/articles/tag/graham-robson>
>    - obituary <https://www.tr-register.co.uk/articles/tag/obituary>
>
> Related Articles
>
>    - Tony Lee, Triumph's Chief Development Engineer dies aged 86.
>    <https://www.tr-register.co.uk/article/2015/09/0028/Tony-Lee-Triumphs-Chief-Development-Engineer-dies-aged-86>
>    - Sir Michael Edwardes 1930 - 2019
>    <https://www.tr-register.co.uk/article/2019/10/0201/Sir-Michael-Edwardes-1930-2019>
>    - All members invited to the funeral of Merv Parkes 1950 - 2017.
>    <https://www.tr-register.co.uk/article/2017/11/0115/All-members-invited-to-the-funeral-of-Merv-Parkes-1950-2017>
>
>
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