team-thicko
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: the passing of Roger Menadue

To: wsthompson@thicko.com, vintage-race@autox.team.net, healeys@autox.team.net,
Subject: Re: the passing of Roger Menadue
From: HealeyRic2@aol.com
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2003 20:42:45 EST
I thought it would be a fitting remembrance to share this very kind letter 
Roger sent me last May when I requested he sign my copy of Geoff Healey's 
book, "The Specials" that had previously been signed by DMH, Geoff, Bic and 
Gerry Cooker:

    "The Specials are nearly all the cars that I made for Donald.  I made 
about 300 cars in all, the prototypes of all the cars that went into 
production during the 30 odd years that we existed.  I also made all of the 
race cars, the record breakers, including the Salt Flats.  When I say I made 
these cars, I had a young Scots lad as my assistant as a lot of work on 
building a car requires two people.
    I was always interested in cars, so I did a seven year apprenticeship in 
a garage and when I finished, I went on to Coventry and in the Twenties, 
Coventry was the centre of the British car industry.  And there I was 
employed by Triumphs as a road tester.  After 3 years, I went to SS Cars also 
as a road tester.  They are now known as Jaguar.  I then did two years with 
Armstrong Siddely Aircraft working on bombers and the was came on and I was 
"frozen".  I wasn't allowed to leave.  Towards the end of the war, Donald and 
I made our first car in our spare time.
    In 1950, Donald asked me how would I like to make a car for LeMans.  I 
replied that I would love to make a car for LeMans.  We would not win LeMans 
but we would five the opposition an awful fright and that was exactly what we 
did.  In a field of 62 cars, we finished in fourth place.  The following 
year, 1951, we finished in 6th place.   This was still good, for LeMans, to 
finish is something of a feat.  I believed that you had to study a car when 
you were building it, and  that paid off.  I have on several times when 
things got a little tense at some race or other, in the pits said to the 
other driver or Geoff Healey that I was not at all worried.  That my car was 
not going to let me down and they would not, they had been built with 
understanding and this, one learns only during apprenticeship and paying 
attention.
    In 1952, I was able to do what everyone said was impossible.  I built a 
LeMans race car to replace the car that I had prepared for the 1952 LeMans 
24hr race and Donald Healey had completely written off.  With less than 2 
weeks to go I said that I could make another car, body and all.  Donald and 
Geoffrey both said, "Impossible".  Nobody could build a LeMans race car 
complete with body in less than two weeks.  I said, "Maybe not, but I can."  
The said, "Don't be ridiculous.'  I said, "You two will not have any say in 
the building, either.  I can't have people arguing, it  will never get it 
done."  They knew they couldn't argue with me and had to give in.  They were 
furious, especially Donald and moreso when I had that car ready on time.  But 
worse was to follow.
    In the race, my car beat every other car in the race including one of the 
3 works Mercedes.  I beat the Ferraris, the Jaguars, Aston Martins, 
Cunninghams, Talbos, you name them.  I beat them and Donald was furious.  He 
wouldn't allow a picture of that car in any Healey book.
    In 1968, my last LeMans venture, I entered a Lucas fuel injected Sprite 
and won three trophies.  The First British Car Award, The Rudge Whitworth 
Biennial Cup for 2  consecutive year wins, The Best Mechanic LeMans 1968 (for 
the Jaguary and Coventry Climax trophy).
     I thought that this was a lovely way to finish LeMans after 23 years.  
My first attempt, 1950, I finished in fourth position and to finish the 
greatest sports car event of the year, the First British Car, is not too bad."

                                                             s/  Roger Menadue

The sport has lost another of the great "motormen".  

Godspeed,  Roger

Rick Neville

///  unsubscribe/change address requests to majordomo@autox.team.net  or try
///  http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo
///  Archives at http://www.team.net/archive/team-thicko


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>