Arthur William Owen was a determined and versatile British racing driver who made his mark across a wide spectrum of motorsport. Though his Formula One career was brief—just a single World Championship appearance at the 1960 Italian Grand Prix—it was anything but uneventful. Driving a privately entered 2.2-litre Cooper, Owen’s race ended almost as soon as it began, crashing out on the opening lap at Monza’s fearsome South Corner after a brake failure left him powerless to avoid the inevitable.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | British |
| Birthplace | Lambeth, England, UK |
| Born | 23 March 1915 |
| Died | 27 April 2002 |
| First Grand Prix | 1960 Italian Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1960 Italian Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1960 |
| Current/Last Team | Privateer: Cooper |
But to judge Owen by that lone F1 outing would miss the point entirely. Away from the Grand Prix spotlight, he built a formidable reputation. In 1955, alongside Jim Russell and William Knight, he drove a “bobtail” Cooper sports car at Montlhéry, helping to set thirteen international speed and distance records—a feat that spoke volumes about both endurance and precision. He carried that momentum to Monza, adding further records to his name.
Owen’s speed was undeniable. In 1959, he set the fastest time of the day at the Brighton Speed Trials, and in 1962, he reached the peak of British hill climbing, winning the British Hill Climb Championship in a Cooper-Climax T53. That same year, he demonstrated his raw pace on the international stage by qualifying in pole position for the Macau Grand Prix—only for another early crash to cut short what could have been a standout performance.
Undeterred, Owen continued to compete globally, securing a podium finish at the inaugural Japanese Grand Prix in 1963, where he placed third at Suzuka in a Lotus 23.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 1 |
| Race Starts | 1 |
| Did Not Start | 0 |
| Best Race Start | 11th |
| Best Race Finish | DNF |
| Retirements | 1 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 1 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 1 |
| Reached Q3 | 0 |
| Q2 Eliminations | 0 |
| Q1 Eliminations | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Stats by Season
| Year | Constructor | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Privateer: Cooper | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | DNF | 0 | 0 | NC |
