Gordon_Spice_Cash_and_Carry

Gordon Spice

Gordon Spice

British racing driver (1940–2021)


Gordon Spice (18 April 1940 – 10 September 2021) was a British racing driver who competed in both sports cars and Touring Car racing in the 1960s and 1970s, before starting Spice Engineering with fellow racing driver Ray Bellm in the 1980s.[1]

Quick Facts Nationality, Born ...

Racing career

Spice was most notable for his involvement with the Ford Capri, both as a driver and as part of Spice Engineering. Starting off his British Saloon Car Championship career racing Minis in the late 1960s for Downton Engineering[2] Spice went on to paid drives in Minis for Jim Whitehouse’s Equipe Arden team in 1968 (winners of the British Saloon Car Championship title with a Mini the year later with Alec Poole) and raced John Cooper’s team Minis with Steve Neal in 1969 but despite Spice’s pace and occasional race win were outclassed by the 1300 Broadspeed Ford Escorts. Gordon eventually progressed to the works Ford team, CC Developments, co-run by Dave Cook, running the Capri 3.0S.[1] He won his class on five occasions between 1976 and 1980, but never won the championship outright. In all, he took 24 overall race victories.[3] In 1980, he took on Andy Rouse as teammate, and the two dominated their class, only losing out on the title to Win Percy.

In the 1980s, Spice competed in the World Endurance Championship with his own cars, under the banner Spice Engineering, or those of Jean Rondeau.[4] He won the C2 class in the World Championship in 1988.[5]

Spice, as well as running a car accessory shop in Ashford (Middlesex), in the early days of car accessory retailing, he co-founded in 1971, with his brother Derek, Gordon Spice Cash And Carry. They supplied motor accessories to trade customers and, at the peak of the business, they had cash and carry depots in Staines, Watford, Canning Town and Leicester.[6] Subsequent flotation as a PLC in 1986, and an over ambitious investment in a state-of-the-art central distribution centre, plus changing market conditions, led to the demise of the company.[7]

Personal life

Spice died on 10 September 2021 from cancer, at the age of 81.[8][9]

Racing record

Complete British Saloon Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

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† Events with 2 races staged for the different classes.

Complete Formula One non-championship results

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24 Hours of Le Mans results

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References

  1. "Gordon Spice Racing Ford Capri driven at Goodwood - Autocar". Autocar.co.uk. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  2. "Downton Engineering Works". Mk1-performance-conversions.co.uk. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  3. "Gordon Spice". Motor Sport magazine database. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  4. "Gordon Spice". Driver Database. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  5. "Variety: the life of Spice - Motor Sport Magazine Archive". Motor Sport Magazine. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  6. "the Spice trade - Motor Sport Magazine Archive". Motor Sport Magazine. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  7. Turner, Kevin (11 September 2021). "Touring car ace and Le Mans class winner Gordon Spice dies". Autosport.
  8. "Gordon Spice 1940–2021". Daily Sports Car. 10 September 2021.
  9. de Jong, Frank. "British Saloon Car Championship". History of Touring Car Racing 1952-1993. Retrieved 29 September 2022.

Further reading


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