The last Brooklands Hero ( UPDATE: not the very last..! >>> Tony Rolt )

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Only this week we received note that Rex King-Clark passed away at the end of December. He was the last surviving Brooklands competitor from pre-World War II days and also the oldest surviving member of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, where he became a life member in 1936. Rex King-Cark was a great man who has led a celebrated life. Only last May we featured the Singer that bears his signature. Motor Sport, a monthly magazine that covers contemporary and historic motor racing will also have an obituary in their March issue. (RB)

UPDATE by Richard Armstrong: "Thankfully, the late Rex King-Clark was not the last Brooklands survivor. A young army officer who owned an ex-Bira ERA raced there from 1938. His name? Tony Rolt. Captured during the fall of France in 1940 he was one of the group of inveterate escapers who ended up in Colditz Castle, where he was involved in the wonderfully ambitious plan to build a glider in the roof and escape by air. After Colditz was liberated he returned to Britain, where he took part in the first post-war motoring/motor sport event at Cockfosters, driving St John Horsfall's ERA. In later years he drove the Alfa-Aitken (an Alfa Romeo Bimotore with one of the engines removed): his greatest win was of course the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans, partnering Duncan Hamilton in a C-type Jaguar. Pre-war he was involved with Freddie Dixon in a project to build a 4WD racing car for the proposed 1941 GP Formula. He later linked up with Harry Ferguson and was central to the 4WD system developed by Fergusons. Although he is apparently now very frail, he is due to celebrate his 90th birthday on October 16th 2008." ( see also: The Golden Era Drivers)

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