Cliff Allison was a tough, talented British racing driver whose career spanned some of the most dangerous and formative years of post-war motor racing. Competing in Formula One between 1958 and 1961, Allison raced for Team Lotus, Scuderia Centro Sud, Ferrari, and UDT Laystall Racing.
| Nationality | American |
|---|---|
| Born | Henry Clifford Allison 8 February 1932 Brough, Westmorland, England |
| Died | 7 April 2005 (aged 73) Brough, Cumbria, England |
Born and later passing away in Brough, Westmorland (now Cumbria), Allison remained closely tied to his hometown throughout his life, returning there after racing to run the family business.
Formula Three and Sports Cars
Allison began racing in 1953, cutting his teeth in a Formula Three Cooper 500. His natural ability quickly caught the attention of Colin Chapman, who brought him into the Lotus fold. The partnership paid dividends on the international stage.
In 1957, Allison won the Index of Performance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, driving a 744cc Lotus. The following year, Allison and Chapman teamed up again to finish sixth overall at the 12 Hours of Sebring, competing against vastly more powerful machinery.
Allison’s speed on classic European circuits was also evident in single-event outings. At the 1958 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, he finished fourth in a Lotus, more than four minutes behind winner Tony Brooks but well clear of much of the field.
In 1959, Allison shared one of Ferrari’s three factory entries with Dan Gurney in the 1000 km Nürburgring, a sports cars World Championship event that attracted a mammoth 75-car field. That same season, he was paired with Jean Behra in a Ferrari that finished second at Sebring, earning the drivers $1,500 in prize money. Allison also recorded the fastest lap of the race in the No. 9 Ferrari, posting a time of 3 minutes 21.6 seconds on the 97th lap of the demanding 5.2-mile circuit.
Danger followed opportunity. During practice for the 1960 Targa Florio, Allison suffered a terrifying accident near Palermo when his Ferrari 250 TRI, travelling at around 100 mph, left the road after a tyre failure on the Buonfornello straight. The car ploughed into scrubland and was virtually destroyed. Allison emerged physically unscathed but visibly shaken—ashen-faced and wide-eyed. Remarkably, he climbed back into a replacement car and raced anyway.
Formula One Career
Lotus: 1958, 1961, Ferrari: 1959–1960
Allison entered Formula One in 1958 with Lotus. His debut season included the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix, where repeated pit stops dropped him far down the order. He eventually finished sixth, albeit 12 laps behind winner Maurice Trintignant—still a solid result given Monaco’s attrition rate.
In 1959, Allison joined Ferrari’s formidable driver lineup, which included Olivier Gendebien, Phil Hill, Tony Brooks, Jean Behra, and Dan Gurney. At Monaco that year, Ferrari ran specially modified cars with shortened noses to improve cooling in the tight street circuit. The race was chaotic: Wolfgang von Trips lost control of his Porsche Formula Two car near Casino, Allison collided with him in his Ferrari, and Bruce Halford’s Lotus then piled into the wreck. Allison escaped with minimal damage compared to the others, but none of the three cars were able to continue.
Later that season came one of the most unusual episodes in Formula One history. After Behra was dismissed from Ferrari ahead of the German Grand Prix at AVUS, Allison was entered as a reserve. During Friday practice, he set the fastest lap of all—2:05.8—edging Tony Brooks by a tenth of a second. Despite this, Allison was forced to start from the back of the grid because he was not an original entry. His race lasted just two laps before clutch failure intervened, marking the only time in F1 History a fastest qualifier did not start from pole purely due to entry regulations.
Allison’s finest Formula One result came at the Argentine Grand Prix in 1960, where he finished second—his career-best Grand Prix placing. That momentum was brutally halted just weeks later. During practice for the Monaco Grand Prix, Allison suffered a major crash when his Ferrari slammed into a straw barrier. He was knocked unconscious and hospitalised with a broken left arm, fractured ribs, facial cuts, and a concussion. Listed in serious condition, he spent most of the year recovering.
Tragically, his return to racing in 1961 ended his career for good. While practising for the Belgian Grand Prix, Allison crashed his Lotus heavily, breaking both knees and fracturing his pelvis when the car overturned in a field. The injuries were severe enough to force his retirement from competitive motorsport.
Post-Formula One
Following his enforced retirement, Allison remained closely connected to racing through reunions and paddock visits, where he was remembered as a warm, popular presence. Back in Brough, he resumed management of Allison’s Garage, the family business founded by his father. The garage also operated the local village and school bus services—vehicles that Allison himself often drove.
Cliff Allison Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 1958-1961 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Lotus, Scuderia Centro Sud, Ferrari, UDT Laystall |
| Entries | 18 (16 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 1 |
| Career points | 11 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1958 Monaco Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1961 Belgian Grand Prix |
Cliff Allison Teammates
| 12 drivers | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graham Hill | 9 | 1958 | |
| Alan Stacey | 1 | 1958 | |
| Keith Hall | 1 | 1958 | |
| Jean Behra | 2 | 1959 | |
| Phil Hill | 7 | 1959 | 1960 |
| Tony Brooks | 5 | 1959 | |
| Dan Gurney | 2 | 1959 | |
| Olivier Gendebien | 2 | 1959 | 1960 |
| Wolfgang von Trips | 3 | 1959 | 1960 |
| Jose-Froilan Gonzalez | 1 | 1960 | |
| Richie Ginther | 1 | 1960 | |
| Henry Taylor | 1 | 1961 |
Cliff Allison Complete Formula One Results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | WDC | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Team Lotus | Lotus 12 | Climax L4 | ARG | MON 6 | NED 6 | 500 | BEL 4 | FRA Ret | GBR Ret | ITA 7 | MOR 10 | 18th | 3 | ||
| Lotus 16 | Climax L4 | GER 10 | ||||||||||||||
| Scuderia Centro Sud | Maserati 250F | Maserati L6 | POR Ret | |||||||||||||
| 1959 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari Dino 156 | Ferrari V6 | MON Ret | 17th | 2 | ||||||||||
| Ferrari Dino 246 | Ferrari V6 | 500 | NED 9 | FRA | GBR | GER Ret | POR | ITA 5 | USA Ret | |||||||
| 1960 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari Dino 246 | Ferrari V6 | ARG 2 | MON DNQ | 500 | NED | BEL | FRA | GBR | POR | ITA | USA | 12th | 6 | |
| 1961 | UDT-Laystall Racing Team | Lotus 18 | Climax L4 | MON 8 | NED | BEL DNS | FRA | GBR | GER | ITA | USA | NC | 0 |
