Henry Charles Taylor (16 December 1932 – 24 October 2013) was an English racing driver whose unusually varied career took him from motorcycle speedway to Formula One, international rallying and even Olympic bobsleigh.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | British |
| Birthplace | Shefford, England, UK |
| Born | 16 December 1932 |
| Died | 24 October 2013 |
| First Grand Prix | 1959 British Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1961 Italian Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1959–1961 |
| Current/Last Team | BRP |
Racing career
Born in Shefford, Bedfordshire, Taylor began competing on East London speedway tracks. He exchanged two wheels for four in 1954, climbing into a 500 cc Formula Three Cooper and immediately showing considerable promise.
The following season brought two Formula Three championship titles. Taylor repeated the double in 1956, winning 15 races along the way. He also demonstrated an ability to handle more powerful machinery, competing successfully in sports cars and taking victory in a Jaguar D-Type.
Taylor moved into Formula Two in 1958, adding further wins and several strong finishes in Britain and France. His results soon carried him into Grand Prix racing.
Across 11 Formula One World Championship appearances, Taylor scored three points. His finest result came at the 1960 French Grand Prix, where he drove a Cooper T51 to fourth place. That same year, he raced for Ken Tyrrell’s Formula Junior team and claimed two victories.
The 1961 World Championship season brought fewer rewards, although Taylor remained highly competitive in domestic Formula One events, recording two second-place finishes among several notable results.
A serious accident during the 1961 British Grand Prix helped persuade him to leave single-seaters behind. Taylor shifted his attention to rallying and tackled events including the Monte Carlo Rally.
Over the next four seasons, he campaigned a Ford Anglia and handled the Ford Cortina on its competitive rally debut. He later moved into the highly successful Lotus Cortina, using it in both rallies and the 1964 European Touring Car Championship.
Taylor achieved numerous top-six rally finishes across the three Ford models and twice finished second in European Touring Car Championship races.
After retiring from rallying in 1965, he brought his experience back to the manufacturer as Ford’s Competition Manager. His appetite for speed was not limited to motorsport: Taylor also drove for the British Olympic bobsleigh team.
Death
Taylor died in Vallauris, France, on 24 October 2013 following a long period of ill health. He was 80.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 10 |
| Race Starts | 8 |
| Did Not Start | 1 |
| Best Race Start | 13th) |
| Best Race Finish | 4th) |
| Retirements | 1 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 1 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 10 |
| Reached Q3 | 0 |
| Q2 Eliminations | 0 |
| Q1 Eliminations | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 1 |
Points
| Points Scored | 3 |
| Points Finishes | 1 |
| Most Points in a Single Season | 3 (1960) |
| Seasons with Points | 1 |
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: Reg Parnell Racing Cooper | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 11 | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1960 | BRP | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 19th |
| 1961 | BRP | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 10 | 0 | 0 | NC |
Teammates & Qualifying Head-to-Head
| Teammate | Years | Races | Qualifying H2H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Parnell | 1959 | 1 | – |
| Bruce Halford | 1960 | 1 | – |
| Olivier Gendebien | 1960 | 4 | – |
| Tony Brooks | 1960 | 3 | – |
| Phil Hill | 1960 | 1 | – |
| Cliff Allison | 1961 | 1 | – |
| Juan Manuel Bordeu | 1961 | 1 | – |
| Lucien Bianchi | 1961 | 2 | – |
| Masten Gregory | 1961 | 1 | – |
