Tony Robinson

The biography of a race mechanic by Ian Wagstaff

To be Stirling Moss’ favoured mechanic would be honour enough, but Tony Robinson’s career also includes touring Europe with privateer Bruce Halford, designing and building what was arguably the first El monococque, looking after lnnes Ireland, Stuart Lewis-Evans, Masten Gregory and Graham Hill among many drivers, working for Cooper and employing a young Ron Dennis.

His adventures carting Halford’s 250F Maserati in an ancient coach over mountain passes, sometimes with his friend our own DSJ as passenger, are hairraising, but it is Moss and his manager Ken Gregory who are the main supporting figures in this interesting biography. Taken on by Alf Francis, Tony remained linked with Moss and Gregory from 500cc days through the 250F times and, after the Halford interlude, on to the partnership that became BRP. Wagstaff gives the inside story on how Tony designed F1 and Indy cars at BRP, as well as depicting a wide and respected racing career. It’s instructive to see from the inside how a team functions and how hard a mechanic works. There’s surprisingly little on Moss’s final crash, but the tales of off-duty drivers abroad are great. GC

Published by Veloce Publishing, ISBN 978 1 845842 30 7, £24.99