Legend: Tony Fowkes!
In his own words ...
I suppose you could say I was one of the original Ace Cafe motorcycle racers. We
used to race from The Ace to Neasden Circle and back to try and beat the song on
the duke box! These were heady and dangerous days - fatalities were not unknown. I
soon realised if I didn't mend my ways my number would soon be up. I turned to
motor sport. I competed in motorcycle scrambles and trials in the late 1950's and
early 1960's. It was great - very demanding and you had to be super fit. I remember
taking part in the first 50 mile scramble at Pirbright - it was so exhausting, it took me
a week to recover. I became an expert rider (licence holder) and won a few races.
After a short break in the mid 1960's I turned my attention to motor rallies....
A friend of mine took me to watch the RAC Rally. After watching Timo Makinen driving an Austin Healey 3000 through the forests at great speed sliding round the bends I was hooked. I had to have a go. I purchased a written off Ford Cortina and re-built it fitting a Lotus twin cam engine.
At that time I was in partnership with a friend of mine - Keith Thompson - and we had started up a garage business in Stonebridge repairing cars. In the evenings I was always preparing my own car and was soon taking part in International events with moderate success. I also used to prepare cars for other people.
We split the partnership in 1972 and I started my own garage in Park Royal.
I was now spending most of my time in motorsport - either competing in events or preparing cars. It would be fair to say the garage business was run around my rally activities and my car was always in the workshop having its bodywork repaired or engine tuned. I loved motorsport, the characters and the challenge of the International events.
Without the garage business and loyal support of service crews I doubt if I would have been so sucessful.
In 1975 I became a European Graded Driver after finishing 3rd on The Lombard RAC Rally of Great Britain. In 1977 - with Peter O Gorman - I finished 2nd on The London to Sydney Singapore Airlines Rally driving a factory Mercedes 280E. I went on to do five Paris to Dakar Rallies - two of which were on motorcycles.
and commercials for 40 years
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