Trevor Taylor’s life as a racing driver began on a windswept airfield at Gamston, Nottinghamshire, England. His father held a time trial between him and his older brother, Mike. The track was a straight, a hairpin bend and back to the start. Trevor, driving the X100 they had just built, won by about a second, qualifying himself as driver and his brother Mike as mechanic. There was never any quarrel or conversation between the boys about a rematch—that was that.
His first proper race was at Aintree, in 1955, at a BARC-organized event where he started from the fourth row of the grid. As the cars entered the first corner, Trevor pressed the horn as hard as he could, hoping some of the cars would simply move out of his way—it worked! They moved, but he overcooked the corner and was left in their wake.
Financed by his father and the family garage business, Trevor entered the British 500-cc F3 championship and after just two years of competition became the 1958 F3 British Champion. His debut in Grand Prix racing came at the 1959 British GP, in a Cooper T51, but it was a step too far and he failed to qualify. A chance meeting with Colin Chapman at the 1960 Racing Car Show launched his career in Formula Junior as a paying driver under the banner of Team Lotus. His teammate for the season was Jimmy Clark. They vied for the championship that year, but Jimmy had become a graded driver and not able to compete in the last round of the championship. At that stage they were equal on points. Trevor could have easily won, but that wasn’t his style or his character. Instead, he refused to race at the final round unless the organizers agreed the Trophy was shared between him and Clark—they did. He retained his crown in 1961 and from there progressed to partner Clark again—this time in the Lotus Formula One team.
Trevor’s racecar had always been prepared by his brother Mike, but in Formula One that wasn’t to be the case. The miles of travel required and commitments at the family garage had to come first. Always fully aware of the pitfalls of his role as a number two to Jimmy, Trevor was entirely happy. His first Grand Prix, at Zandvoort, Holland, went well enough as he finished 2nd. Circumstances, many beyond his control, conspired to work against him, making future results unimpressive. Despite this he was the “wind beneath the wings” of Clark’s 1963 World Championship. Even so, he wasn’t retained by Team Lotus for 1964, and signed for the British Racing Partnership alongside Innes Ireland.
It was the wrong team at the wrong time, as financial constraints left the team ill prepared to compete on occasions. At the end of the year, both he and Ireland had their contracts terminated. Apart from a lone outing at the 1966 British GP in a car unfit to race, the Shannon, his Grand Prix career was over.
Never one to give up, he found himself in the 1969 F5000 Championship—not only racing, but winning. At the last race of the year the fickle finger of fate conspired against him again. A backmarker took out both Trevor and his championship rival Peter Gethin—leaving Gethin champion. Spurred on by this, and winning the 1969 Oulton Park Tourist Trophy, he continued racing. Further seasons in F5000, however, were not as fruitful, and slowly Trevor slipped from racing’s radar, unable to achieve his true potential.
Trevor was a colorful character, extremely quick-witted, with a caring nature. I last saw him in July this year, at the British Grand Prix. I was aware of his ill health and was surprised to see him. As I approached him he stood up from his chair and hugged me, whispered in my ear: “Mike, it’s cancer, it’s terminal. Please no emotion. I’m looking on the bright side, I know when I’m going—you don’t!” He laughed and sat down. To his wife and family Vintage Racecar offers sincere condolences.
By Mike Jiggle
