Colin Charles Houghton Davis (29 July 1933 – 19 December 2012) was a British racing driver whose career combined Formula One appearances with notable success in international sports car racing. Although he competed in only two Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, Davis earned lasting acclaim through his endurance racing, most notably winning the prestigious 1964 Targa Florio alongside Antonio Pucci.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | British |
| Birthplace | Marylebone, England, UK |
| Born | 29 July 1933 |
| Died | 19 December 2012 |
| First Grand Prix | 1959 French Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1959 Italian Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1959 |
| Current/Last Team | Privateer: Scuderia Centro Sud Cooper |
Early life
Born in Marylebone, London, Davis came from a family steeped in motorsport. He was the son of legendary “Bentley Boy” Sammy Davis, winner of the 1927 24 Hours of Le Mans and later the respected sports editor of Autocar magazine.
He was educated at Stowe School before embarking on a career in advertising. Alongside his day job, Davis began racing a 500cc Cooper in Formula 3, laying the foundations for a career that would eventually take him to Italy, where he based himself to pursue motorsport full-time.
Racing career
Davis made two appearances in the Formula One World Championship, both with Scuderia Centro Sud. His best result came at the 1959 Italian Grand Prix, where he brought his Cooper–Maserati home in 11th place. He also competed regularly in non-championship Formula One events, which attracted many of the leading drivers and teams of the era.
While Formula One formed only a small part of his racing career, Davis proved particularly effective in endurance competition. At the 1960 Nürburgring 1000km, he shared a Ferrari 250 GT with Carlo Abate to finish eighth overall while also claiming class honours. The pair returned the following year and improved to an impressive fourth overall in the same event.
Davis continued to build his reputation in sports car racing throughout 1961, recording fifth place in the demanding 4 Hours of Pescara while driving an 1.6-litre Osca Sport single-handedly.
The defining moment of his career arrived in 1964 when he partnered Antonio Pucci to victory in the legendary Targa Florio. Driving a Porsche 904 GTS, the duo conquered one of the world’s toughest and most prestigious road races, securing the greatest success of Davis’s racing career.
Later life
After retiring from competitive racing, Davis relocated to Cape Town, South Africa, where he began a successful second career as a radio broadcaster.
He died on 19 December 2012 following a long illness.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 2 |
| Race Starts | 2 |
| Did Not Start | 0 |
| Best Race Start | 17th |
| Best Race Finish | 11th |
| Retirements | 1 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | – |
| Reached Q3 | – |
| Q2 Eliminations | – |
| Q1 Eliminations | – |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Privateer: Scuderia Centro Sud Cooper | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 11 | 0 | 0 | NC |
Stats by Constructor
| Constructor | Years | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privateer: Scuderia Centro Sud Cooper | 1959 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
Teammates & Qualifying Head-to-Head
| Teammate | Years | Races | Qualifying H2H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azdrubal Bayardo | 1959 | 1 | – |
| Fritz d’Orey | 1959 | 1 | – |
| Ian Burgess | 1959 | 2 | – |
