Terry Sanger, the doyenne of 1960s saloon racing specials has died aged 79.
Born in Wales, Terry moved to Bristol in his teens to become an apprentice at Bristol Aero Engines. Nurturing a desire to race, he spent several seasons on motorcycles, becoming especially adept at Castle Combe, his home circuit. During 1953 Terry intended to make his four-wheel debut at the “Combe” in a tuned–up Ford van. On the day, however, the Clerk of the Course seconded him to a marshal’s post at Quarry Bend where, later, he would meet Stirling Moss, who crashed just where Terry had been stationed!
Acknowledged as a gifted engineer Sanger is probably best remembered for the “Fraud Cortina,” a GT40-engined Cortina with enormously wide wheels and tires that took him to victory in the 1967 Redex Saloon Car Championship. In subsequent seasons Sanger competed in a Ford Falcon, Chevrolet Camaro and his self-designed and built Harrier F5000 car. He was elected to BRDC membership during 1973.
Terry supplemented his income by working on all sorts of racecar projects at his workshop. When asked how much a job had cost he would recite slowly in his West Country drawl: “Open your wallet and repeat after me—Help Yourself!”
For many years Sanger maintained a close association with Marcos, as both development engineer and works driver. Based in Bradford upon Avon, Sanger’s hometown, Marcos also employed Bob Marston, who later became Lola Cars’ Chief Engineer. Bob recalls Terry’s impish sense of humor: “His engineering prowess was second to none, but what I will always remember was his insatiable appetite for fun. He was always looking for the humorous side of a situation and, if one didn’t exist, creating one. One day he arrived at work in his bright red, fully working fire engine, complete with ladder, hoses and a big external bell. A bunch of us, with Terry driving, rode all around Bradford-on-Avon during our lunch hour just for the fun of it!”
Having retired from driving, Terry applied his experience and knowledge of Castle Combe to driver training, instruction and as a race official, his larger than life character and ebullient humor making him universally popular wherever he went. To his family and friends Vintage Racecar extends its deepest condolences.
By Glynn Jones
