Colin Davis (racing driver)

This article is about the English racing driver. For other people named Colin Davis, see Colin Davis (disambiguation).

Colin Davis
Born(1933-07-29)29 July 1933
Marylebone, London, England
Died19 December 2012(2012-12-19) (aged 79)
Cape Town, South Africa
NationalityUnited Kingdom British
RelativesSammy Davis (father)
Formula One World Championship career
Active years1959
TeamsNon-works Cooper
Entries2
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1959 French Grand Prix
Last entry1959 Italian Grand Prix

Colin Charles Houghton Davis (29 July 1933 – 19 December 2012) was a British racing driver from England, who won the 1964 Targa Florio.[1]

Early life

Davis was born in Marylebone, London, the son of "Bentley Boy" and Le Mans winner, Sammy Davis (who later became Autocar magazine's sports editor).

He was educated at Stowe School in the late 1930s.

Davis was an advertising executive who raced a 500cc Formula 3 Cooper before moving to Italy from where he conducted his own racing career.

Racing career

Davis competed in two World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, finishing 11th in the 1959 Italian Grand Prix in a Scuderia Centro Sud Cooper-Maserati.[2] He also participated in several non-Championship Formula One races.

Davis finished eighth overall and a class winner in the 1960 Nürburgring 1000km, sharing a Ferrari 250GT with Carlo Abate.[3] In the same race the following year he finished fourth overall, again with Abate, in a Ferrari 250GT.[4] Also in 1961 Davis finished fifth in the 4-Hours of Pescara, driving solo in a 1,600 c.c. Osca Sport.[5] He shared the winning Porsche 904 GTS in the 1964 Targa Florio with Antonio Pucci.[6]

Later life

After Davis retired from racing, he emigrated to Cape Town and worked as a radio broadcaster.[7] He died on 19 December 2012 after a long illness.[1]

Racing record

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 WDC Points
1959 Scuderia Centro Sud Cooper T51 Maserati MON 500 NED FRA
Ret 		GBR GER POR ITA
11 		USA NC 0

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1958 Italy Automobili OSCA Argentina Alejandro de Tomaso O.S.C.A. 750S S750 252 10th 1st
1959 Argentina A. de Tomaso
(private entrant) 		Argentina Alejandro de Tomaso D.B. HBR-5 Spyder GT750 63 DNF
(Gearbox)
1961 Italy Automobili OSCA France Jean Laroche O.S.C.A. Sport 750 S850 85 DNF
(Overheating)
1962 Italy Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia Italy Carlo Maria Abate Ferrari 250 GT Drogo E3.0 30 DNF
(Prop shaft)
1964 Germany Porsche System Engineering Germany Gerhard Mitter Porsche 904/8 P2.0 244 DNF
(Clutch)
1965 Germany Porsche System Engineering Germany Gerhard Mitter Porsche 904/8 P2.0 20 DNF
(Clutch)
1966 Germany Porsche System Engineering Switzerland Jo Siffert Porsche 906/6 LH P2.0 339 4th 1st

Complete 12 Hours of Sebring results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1962 Italy Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia France Fernand Tavano Ferrari 250 GT GT3.0 119 DNF
(Engine)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Targa Florio winner Colin Davis passes away aged 79". Autosport.Com. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  2. ^ Motor Sport, October 1959, Pages 745-746.
  3. ^ Motor Sport, July 1960, Pages 534-535.
  4. ^ Motor Sport, July 1961, Pages 575-576, 578, 580.
  5. ^ Motor Sport, September 1961, Pages 739-740.
  6. ^ Motor Sport, June 1964, Pages 453, 456.
  7. ^ Williams, Richard (11 January 2013). "Colin Davis obituary | Motor sport | The Guardian". www.theguardian.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2021.