ALAN MANN 1936 - 2012

Myself, and all of us at the HRDC, are deeply saddened by the passing of Alan Mann - the mercurial force behind the all-conquering eponymous racing team.

Alan Mann's period history is the stuff of legend, yet he was ever modest about his many achievements. Luckily for us, Alan Mann was a great supporter of historic racing and he revived his famous Alan Mann Racing Team in 2004 simply to enjoy - and possibly to re-enact - the magic of racing cars the that he hallmarked as his own from the 1960s. His consummate knowledge of the sport, sharpened by an extremely quick wit and a ferocious eye for detail saw that he suffered no fools gladly. His ethics were of the highest standard and he was always ready to proffer advice and quick to extend help to others whether on a first-hand basis - or through his incredible network of contacts in the racing industry.

But above all he was a friend and mentor, not only to me but to many, many others. His support of the HRDC through its formation was inspirational. When times were hard, he would always see the end game with an intense clarity, urging me to keep the faith and see the project through. Just before he died, he was still planning and orchestrating a full HRDC season racing with the Alan Mann Racing Ford Prefect 107E, to be driven by his talented son, Henry Mann. Hopefully we may still see this happen.

In the meantime, on behalf of the HRDC, I salute the legend that still is Alan Mann – an inspirational achiever, a great friend and mentor – and, above all - a perfect gentleman.