It is with great sadness that we must report the death of Trevor Taylor, a celebrated Formula 1 driver in the 1960s, whose talents were largely overshadowed by Jim Clark. The son of a garage owner from the town of Wickersley, near Rotherham, Trevor Taylor was born just after Christmas in 1936. He started racing at the age of 19 with a Triumph TR2, before moving into the hyper-competitive world of 500cc Formula 3 racing with a Staride-JAP and then later a Cooper-Norton, with which he won the British championship in 1958 That earned him the chance to move up to Formula 2 in 1959. In 1960 he raced for Team Lotus in Formula Junior, while also competing in a number of F2 races with the team and in 1961, after winning the Formula Junior title, he began his career in F1, alongside Jim Clark, as a replacement for the injured Innes Ireland. At the end of that year he went to South Africa as Clark’s team mate for four non-championship races and finished second to at Kyalami (in Clark’s wheeltracks), survived a huge accident when his suspension failed in the second, retired with mechanical failure from the third but came through it all to win (ahead of Clark) in the final race. He stayed on with Team Lotus in 1962 and finished second in Holland, survived a major accident at Spa and did well in non-championship races: finishing third at Solitude, winning the Mexican GP and the Natal GP in South Africa. He remained alongside Clark in 1963 but his season was ruined by unreliability and accidents and Colin Chapman decided to replace him in 1964. Taylor moved to the British Racing Partnership team, but his efforts were handicapped by the team’s decision to run its own BRP chassis. He and his sister Anita began to run their own touring car team, known as Aurora Gear Racing, using BMC Mini Cooper Ss. They went on to field cars for Taylor in Formula 2 in 1965 and 1966 before Trevor joined Ralph Broad’s famous Broadspeed touring car team, enjoying much success in the years that followed. Taylor returned to F1 just once, with the short-lived Shannon car. He regularly competed in sports cars and won the Tourist Trophy at Oulton Park in 1967 at the wheel of a Lola T70. He was also a frontrunner in Formula 5000 and continued to race the big Chevrolet-engined cars until he retired from the sport in 1972 at the age of 36.
I watched Trevor race many times. I recall one meeting at Outlon Park in F2 with Jimmy, Trevor had him beat that day, but ended in the ditch at Old Hall. I have the pictures somewhere.
I also remember Anita in the Minis, beautiful girl, like a model. She raced against Christabel Carlise another beauty and fast.
I liked the guy if only because of his yellow overalls. He didn’t figure that much because of Clark and also because Chapman always treated his 2nd drivers badly.When they were both in Junior formula were pretty equal. RIP
the first GP I ever saw was the Dutch in ’62, Trevor came second and has been my favorite driver ever since. And now he is dead, another of my hero’s gone. A sad day for motor racing indeed !
This is very sad. In my youth I was a great fan of Team Lotus, Jim Clark and Trevor Taylor. I keenly followed Trevor’s progress through Formula Junior and was delighted when he got into F1 with Team Lotus. I still have a notebook recording his FJ results over two seasons. I feel that he never got a fair crack in F1 because of the unreliability of the Lotus and BRP cars (and the recklessness of Willie Mairesse). I would particularly highlight his voluntarily sharing the British Formula Junior Championship with Jim Clark when Jim was unable to compete in the final round at Silverstone and then winning it outright the following year when Jim moved up to the F1 team and many great drives in the “Team Elite” entered Lotus Elite, as well as the Broadspeed Ford Anglias and Escorts (with John Fitzpatrick and sister Anita Taylor) and in the Aurora Gears Mini (also with Anita) already mentioned. I also believe that he successfully raced woks Lotus Cortinas in the USA. My sympathies go to Anita and all his family at this time.
Very sad to hear this news. I don’t remember Trevor racing but as a fan of Clark I have read a lot about him. He may even have been the first driver to suffer from the number 2 Lotus seat syndrome although no doubt someone has a prior claim.
I love reading these historical and in depth stories you post. Keep up the good work.
Trevor was a very good friend, and neighbour, a real good man, who was a great raconteur, we used to try to out cook each other, as cooking was one of his great passions, and I’m a chef. we used to drink together he was a wonderful guy.
I have many fond memories of him, a true gentleman, a true friend, modest, witty and generous, RIP mate
I was a gofer in the Malaya Garage Racing Division in 1971/72 and Trevor was the team’s driver. I was always impressed by his commitment although it occured to me (at the age of 14) that maybe the Leda LT26 was’nt the fastest car in the series. However that year at Mondello Park,Monza, & Hockenheim his performances transcended the car. However 9th at the championship end was a poor reward. Following Graham McRae’s success with the LT27 in the Tasman 71/72 I was wishing this be be the vehicle for Trevor to kick start his career. It was not to be and I was at his last race at Mallory Park on June 18th 1972. Fast forward to the Goodwood Revival 2000 and I was able to meet Trevor again and we reminisced about F5000.
Today’s sad news means that another chapter has closed. I can still smile at the happy memories.
Paragraphs please!!!!!