Hi Pete,
Sure I realise you were taking the mickey with your Bourbon/make up/divorce comments. Good to know you and I are the same vintage. I have a key ring with the message, ‘If I had to do it all over again I would make the same mistakes sooner.’
Some years ago when we were nearing our 30th I sat next to a lady at a dinner party. Gill and I didn’t know some of the people so it was where do live, what you do and all that. Then the lady asked me how long I had been married. I told her and she asked, ‘To the same woman?’ ‘Yep,’ I said. ‘ She said, ‘Hell, you have no imagination1’
Talking of ageing and retiring, apart from the old racing drivers who keep living in the fast lane, two other gents deserve a mention, Enzo Ferrari and Carroll Shelby.
Ferrari was born on February 18, 1898 and after doing all sorts of things including running his racing team, he founded his company when he was 47 years of age and ran in until his death on August 14, 1988, aged 90 and a half. Brock Yates’s excellent book, ‘Enzo Ferrari’ tells the story.
In 1992 Brenda Vernor, Ferrari’s former secretary and her good friends, David and Liz Piper and Graham Hill’s widow, Bette, came to South Africa for the SA Grand Prix at Kyalami and then on to Cape Town where they spent a few days sightseeing. I was able to interview Brenda about life at Ferrari and the article was eventually published by ‘MotorSport’ in May 1995, entitled ‘Ferrari’s Right Hand Woman.’ I was lucky to have had Brenda in Cape Town in a relaxed state and I believe that my article is one of only two interviews with her as she was always too busy at the factory to have time to meet up with journalists.
The article gives an interesting insight into Enzo Ferrari’s character and one thing she mentioned was that the Old Man had a row with his son Piero, waving his fist about some issue regarding the F1 team when he was in bed and a week from dying.
One would have thought he would have said what the hell I’m about to meet my maker so who cares, but not him! It was exactly that character trait that made him run his company some thirty years beyond average retiring age.
Born on January 11, 1923 The Ol’ Texan also just keeps rolling along despite having spare parts fitted just like his racing cars. And now there’s another Ford bearing his name, the good looking Shelby Mustang. I also like the new, squat, tubby Cobra. Plain but nice.
I’ll scan and post the Brenda Vernor interview.
Don’t give up!
André 40
