by Kevin Guthrie and Alan McG. Stacey
2026 review by James Loveridge
Despite the devastation of World War 2, the motor sport world was pretty quick to recover. Indeed Italy had even held some events after the outbreak of war in September 1939, including a Mille Miglia, before getting involved. The defeat of Germany had halted it’s dominance of top level racing, albeit only temporarily in the case of Mercedes, Italy had Alfa Romeo and Maserati up and running when hostilities ceased and France held a Grand Prix, the Coupe de Prisonniers, in Paris in September 1945.
The late 1940s and the 1950s turned out to be a fascinating and important period in the revival of top level motor racing, particularly in Britain. Raymond Mays had taken up where he had left off with ERA and was developing the BRM; the Coopers, father and son, had decided Auto Union had got it right and the engine should push the car rather than pull it; Colin Chapman had worked out that it if you added lightness, the car would go better, thus allowing a new breed, which was eager to get involved, to do so. Alan Stacey was among them and the recently published “Alan Stacey, His Life and Lotus Career” by Kevin Guthrie and Alan McG. Stacey, tells his story. Alan was a keen photographer, and this 192 page book is full of excellent photographs both of him in action and those which he took himself.
Thanks, it seems, to the invention of a revolutionary tractor wheel by his father, shown on page 19, Alan had a pretty comfortable upbringing. Always determined to take up motor racing, even the loss of part of his right leg in a motor cycle accident in 1950 did nothing to stop him. He became an apprentice at de Havilland, but the receipt of just over £5,000 compensation for his injuries meant Alan could upgrade the level of his motor racing. He started seriously in a self assembled Lotus VI and then a Lotus Eleven. in both of which he achieved considerable success having devised a twist-grip throttle control on the gear lever to overcome the loss of part of his leg.
In 1957, he became a member of the Lotus B team using his own car with some factory support, and was paid a small amount. Quickly he became a member of the Lotus Formula One team alongside Innes Ireland and Jim Clark, but sadly this ended all too soon as he was killed on 19 June 1960 in the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francochamps. Another promising young driver, Chris Bristow in his Cooper, was also killed at the same event, and Stirling Moss was injured. Motor racing could be very dangerous.
This nicely produced book tells Alan’s story in full. It gives a fascinating history of those early days in top level motor racing. it is published by BHP Publishing at £35 and is recommended, if for the photographs alone.
Publisher: BHP Publishing
Price: £35 (or £50 for a signed copy) at www.bhp-publishing.co.uk
Description: Hardback 192 pages. 25cm x 21cm. 280 in black & white and colour.
ISBN: 978-1-7385085-9-4
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