Cliff Allison

Cliff Allison started his racing career in a Formula Three Cooper 500 in 1953 before being spotted by Colin Chapman. Allison won the Index of Performance prize driving a 744cc Lotus in the 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans.Flockhart and Bueb Sweep Mark To Win 24-Hour Le Mans Auto Grind, The New York Times, 24 June 1957, Page 40. The Lotus of Allison and Colin Chapman finished sixth in the 1958 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race for sports cars.Collins-Hill Ferrari Wins 12-Hour Race at Sebring, The New York Times, 23 March 1958, Page S1. Allison came in fourth with his Lotus in the 1958 Grand Prix of Europe at Spa-Francorchamps, more than four minutes behind victor Tony Brooks.Brooks Vanwall Finishes First in Grand Prix Race in Belgium, The New York Times, 16 June 1958, Page 30.

Allison and Dan Gurney shared one of three team Ferrari cars that competed in the June 1959 1000 km Nürburgring race. Seventy-five cars entered the 1000 kilometre race which was a world championship event for sports cars.75 Cars To Start at Nürburgring, The New York Times, 7 June 1959, Page S6.

Allison was paired with Jean Behra in a Ferrari which finished second in the 1959 12 Hours of Sebring.Ferraris Score in 12-Hour Race, The New York Times, 22 March 1959, Page S1. The drivers received $1,500 in prize money.Hill and Gendebien Split Sebring Prize of $3,000, The New York Times, 23 March 1959, Page 40. Allison was credited with the fastest lap of the Sebring race in the No. 9 Ferrari. He was clocked at 3 minutes 21.6 seconds on the 97th lap of the 5.2-mile course.It Was Allison, The New York Times, 1 April 1959, Page 49.

In May 1960 Allison skidded off the road during practice for the Targa Florio in Palermo, Sicily. His Ferrari had reached a speed of 100 miles per hour when a tyre burst, or so the driver believed. The car crashed into a scrub forest, destroying itself and most of what it touched. When the mishap occurred the Ferrari was nearing the end of a five-mile straight by the sea. This was the only very fast stretch of road in the event. Allison escaped from the wreck without a scratch, but his face was ashen and his mouth hung open with an expression of fear.Crack-up Frightens Driver Out of Targa Florio in Sicily, The New York Times, 8 May 1960,

Page S6.

Allison was forced to make numerous pit stops during the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix. His Lotus finished sixth, 12 laps behind race winner Maurice Trintignant.Trintignant Drives Cooper Car to Victory in Monaco's Grand Prix, The New York Times, 19 May 1958, Page 31. However this marked the first World Championship point for Team Lotus.{{cite magazine|last=Henry|first=Alan|title=Looking back, with Cliff Allison|url=http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/february-1984/28/looking-back-cliff-allison|date=February 1984|magazine=Motor Sport|accessdate=17 March 2015}}

Ferrari's stable of drivers for 1959 were Olivier Gendebien, Phil Hill, Tony Brooks, Jean Behra, Dan Gurney, and Allison.Ferrari To Pass Up Auto Races in Italy, The New York Times, 10 December 1958, Page 59.

For the 1959 Monaco Grand Prix the Ferrari factory team fielded truncated versions of the cars they ran in future grand prix races. At Monte Carlo the Ferraris' long sleek snouts (air scoops) were cut away to allow more air into the cooling systems.Grand Prix Course in Monaco Is Too Slow, Drivers Complain, The New York Times, 10 May 1959, Page S3. Wolfgang von Trips lost control of his Porsche in a bend where the street was steeply inclined to Casino. Allison's Formula 2 Ferrari crashed into him as he spun. The Lotus of Bruce Halford came next into the blind curve and became part of the wreck. Allison and his Ferrari suffered the least damage while von Trips sustained a gashed face, and Halford had a cut to his arm. None of the three cars could continue.Brabham Wins Grand Prix de Monaco after Moss' Auto Drops Out, 11 May 1959, Page 36.

In the 1960 Argentine Grand Prix he scored the best result of his Formula 1 career when he finished 2nd. He suffered a major crash behind the wheel of his Ferrari while practising for the 1960 Monaco Grand Prix, and it took him almost the rest of the year to recover from his injuries. Allison was hurt when his Ferrari slammed into a straw barrier. He was unconscious when he was taken to a hospital. Allison sustained a broken left arm, rib fractures, facial cuts, and a concussion. He was listed in serious condition.British Driver Is Injured in Monte Carlo Crash, The New York Times, 28 May 1960, Page 16.

The following year he suffered another crash at the wheel of his Lotus in practice for the 1961 Belgian Grand Prix. He broke both his knees and fractured his pelvis when his car careened off the course and overturned in a field.Sports Datelines, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 1961, Page A5.

This marked the end of his career in motor sport. He kept in touch with the sport through reunions and was always a popular visitor to the paddock.

Allison owned and managed Allison's Garage in Brough. The business had been started by his father and he returned to it after his racing career ended. Allison's also provided the village and school bus services, which Cliff Allison would drive.

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090105195437/http://www.500race.org/Men/Allison.htm Cliff Allison profile at The 500 Owners Association]

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Category:1932 births

Category:2005 deaths

Category:English racing drivers

Category:English Formula One drivers

Category:Ferrari Formula One drivers

Category:Scuderia Centro Sud Formula One drivers

Category:Team Lotus Formula One drivers

Category:British Racing Partnership Formula One drivers

Category:24 Hours of Le Mans drivers

Category:World Sportscar Championship drivers

Category:20th-century English sportsmen