RE: Gerry Marshall dies at Silverstone

RE: Gerry Marshall dies at Silverstone

Friday 22nd April 2005

Gerry Marshall dies at Silverstone

A flamboyant driver and great human being has left us


Gerry Marshall, 1941-2005
Gerry Marshall, 1941-2005
Many in the motorsport world are today grieving over the death of Gerry Marshall, of one of the sport's most flamboyant drivers.

Old Nail in action, 1971
Old Nail in action, 1971
none
Old Nail in retirement
Old Nail in retirement

He died of a fatal heart attack at the wheel of a Camaro at Silverstone. He's been described as "a wonderful driver who was "a personal inspiration and a great raconteur with an excellent sense of humour and a generous spirit."

Born 16 November 1941, he was a British saloon car racing driver, considered by many to be one of the best drivers of all time, according to a recent magazine poll. His professional driving career spanned four decades, in 2000 chalking up his 600th win in a race at Snetterton, Norfolk in an Aston Martin DB4. His first win was in 1964, driving a Mini.

However, he is probably best remembered for his flamboyant and crowd-pleasing style during the 1970s driving for Dealer Team Vauxhall in the racing Firenzas "Old Nail" and "Baby Bertha", and also the ill-fated V8 Holden-Repco Ventora, "Big Bertha".

He also won the 1971 Escort Mexico championship, driving for the same team as the equally respected rally driver Roger Clarke. Marshall's style has been described as "sideways, on-the-edge cornering style that was to distinguish his driving in any car, large or small, front or rear drive.” This outward appearance belied an extraordinary cool-headed ability and intelligence behind the wheel. His biography, published in 1978, is titled Only Here For The Beer.

Our sympathies go to his family and his many, many friends.

Author
Discussion

unrepentant

Original Poster:

21,212 posts

255 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
Very sad news.

Gerry was a genuine character and one of the most entertaining drivers ever to get behind the wheel. I have spent many enjoyable days at Brands Hatch and Silverstone watching Gerry drive a variety of machinery sideways through every corner.

Whatever he was driving, be it Vauxhall or (someone else's ) Aston Martin Gerry always seemed to believe that it wasn't enough just to win, you needed to have a good time doing it and to entertain the crowd as well. A great philosophy.

RIP big man.

Twincam16

27,646 posts

257 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
My God, what a legend. Such a shame he's gone

I saw him racing at Oulton Park Gold Cup, the other year, in that Camaro, the best sounding thing on the grid. One of the last of the 'greats' - Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Carroll Shelby, Paddy Hopkirk, John Rhodes ...Gerry Marshall.

One of motorsport's greatest characters. At least he died doing something he loved.

AlexH

2,505 posts

283 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
Very very sad.

Attending a track day at Brands organised by Mole Valley in '99 he took me on a 'fast lap' in my then fairly newish Griff. Overtook everything on the track, Fezzas, Caterfields, Loti, you name it . Really opened my eyes to what the car would do, highly enjoyable and sh1t scary at the same time. Then instructed with me driving on a few more laps, thoroughly top bloke. A great loss.

mastiff

2,515 posts

240 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
Very sad news.

Had the pleasure of lapping the old Grand Prix circuit at Brands with Gerry in a Griffith some years ago. Extraordinary level of car control that comes from natural ability.

A thoroughly nice chap that will be missed. My condolances go out to family and friends.

RIP.

M.

eric the brave

396 posts

246 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
I am sure that there will be a lot of kind words written about Gerry so I will add nothing more except to say that, for me, he was the best. A true racer and an absolute joy to watch.

biggee

505 posts

254 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
I remeber TG interviewing him when Tuscan Racing was just on the go. I think Tiff N asked him him why he like racing them..

His response. I like big engines, they are just like me big

What a top guy.

summit7

647 posts

228 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
Top man - you can already see from these posts the amount of people he touched and gave pleasure to. Condolences to his family.

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

254 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
Bugger....

superflid

2,254 posts

264 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
Terrible news. Condolances to all his family.

His book "Competition driving" is about 3 feet away from me, it'll get another read tonight.

Let's hope there's a racetrack waiting for him up there.

Flat in Fifth

43,960 posts

250 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
Aaaahhhh!

At least the owd bugger went out doing what he loved.

1974 Tour of Britain, Gerry and Albert just playing around with the rest of the plebs.

"Never in the history of mankind has so much space on a circuit been occupied by so few cars going so sideways"
FiF 1974

brentstevens

952 posts

258 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
Oh no....what a great loss....a wonderful character and an ex adversary on the track.
The only time I ever was in front of him was back in the early 70s when Baby Bertha stalled on the front row of the grid at Thruxton. I nipped through in the old Harry Potter special and spent the rest of the lap looking in my mirror. Sure enough, Bertha's nose and flanks started to loom large and I almost braked to get out of his way.
A great driver who will be sadly missed. The next Goodwood Revival will not be the same.

niva441

2,003 posts

230 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
One of my greatest regrets, missing him in Berta. But many great memories.

Farewell to another hero and thanks for the memories.

Digga

40,206 posts

282 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
What sad news.

I spent one of the most terrifying laps ever, with Gerry instructing me at Snetterton in the Griff.

We had agreed, on the lap before, that I would not brake at the end of the Revett straight until he told me. As I passed my normal (i.e. mere mortals) braking point, willing my right foot not to lift, I glanced (very) nervously at Gerry, who yelled "not yet!".

The next 50m or so, before he decided I should hit the brakes, were some of the longest of my entire life. How I got through the following left-hander....

I feel very priviledged to have met one of my racing heroes - some of his TVR Tuscan Challenge performances in were simply awesome - but extremely sad that his character and driving style will not be seen again.

else

795 posts

237 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
Real shame, at least he went doing something he loved.

Condolences to his family, truly one of the greats

den

102 posts

276 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
Sad news indeed..

He'll be missed by us all !
I hold Gerry responsible for getting me into motorsport
when I had the pleasure of being driven by, then driving him round Brands Hatch GP in a Griff.

His ability to control a rearwheel drive car was and will remain unbeatable.

Rest In Peace Gerry

Den Lyon

dresser1

5 posts

236 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
Very sorry to hear about Gerry. He will be sadly missed. I and others used to compete with him in the special saloons in the 60's/70's and will always remember his never to be forgotten method of driving. I first met him on the streets of Wembley, (he lived in Barnet) and we had a bit of a dice on the road (you could in those days) and he ended up back at my Mothers house for a New Year's drink. He never changed.

Very sincere condolances to his family. The end of an era

Mike Berman (The Berpop)

bikerkeith

794 posts

263 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
What a sad loss.
I remember watching him at Brands in the 70s getting a Firenza ever more sideways each lap, until he overcooked it, the car rolled, ended on its roof and burst into flames.
Very prompt work by a track marshall put out the flames and dragged Gerry out of the car, whereupon Gerry nearly crushed the marshall to death with a very grateful bearhug.

Jasper Gilder

2,166 posts

272 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
What a sad sad day - my father-in-law sponsored Gerry in the Shaw and Kilburn Viva in 1970 and my wife who was a kid at the time says what ahoot he was to be around - her mother disapproved of Gerry which was always a good sign!

I remember that at some stage in the 1970's they organised a running race along the start/finish straight at Silverstone, all the fit young drivers lined up whilst Gerry rolled out of the bar and whipped them all.

A great character - we're all the poorer for his passing - nice he was doing what he loved best....

nyssa7

9 posts

228 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
I'm with Den, Gerry Marshall was responsible for me taking up racing. Back in 1988 I had the pleasure of being drievn by him round Donington in a Lotus Excel, unbelievably sideways. The best of it, he was driving one handed, chewing on a cigar and wearing his flat hat!

Then it was my turn to drive, he egged me on ever more and more sideways. Told me he hated being a passenger on events such as this, but I had given him a very pleasant ride. I'd have been happy enough with that, but no, Gerry has to get out of the car in the pitlane and bellow to everyone there that "this guy knows what he's doing". A memory I'll treasure forever

Can't believe he's gone

reggiecup

1 posts

234 months

Friday 22nd April 2005
quotequote all
Damn shame!

My Dad had a VX4/90, then a Victor 2.3 estate in the 70's and got me into Vauxhall when I was a kid. Natural progression was the DTV/Bill/Marshall Bertha's...Now I'm classic thundering, admittedly not in a VX but something big and V8.

All down to GM.

Not only was he great to watch, but on the couple of occasions I did actually meet him, he proved to be a proper old school gent..too few of those left these days!

He will be missed.

JWW