Most people who lived through the 1960s – and can remember it – now recall a unique decade when anything seemed possible and the impossible was achievable. At the time, those who avoided a life of ‘psychedelic substances’ and alcohol were able to indulge their passion for automobiles since it was an exciting era that gave rise not only to the ‘supercar’ but, in the world of motor sport, numerous GT and sports prototypes that evolved into valuable, sought after classics that continue to be raced and enjoyed some sixty years later.
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It was also an era that gave rise a unique breed of racing driver, talented enthusiasts from various walks of life who ignored the potential danger and were grateful to drive anything that was offered, from rally cars to Formula 1. Among their number was the British driver Richard Attwood who was fast and reliable and competed at the highest level. He began as an apprentice at Jaguar but in 1960, at the age of 20, he entered his first race driving a Triumph TR3. One year later he was invited to driving for a Formula Junior team where he recorded several impressive performances that culminated in a win in Monaco. The following season the team graduated to Formula 2, a formula in which many of the top grand prix drivers took part; Richard was not discouraged and showed his potential when he finished a close second to Jim Clark in a factory-entered Lotus at Pau. This led to an offer from the BRM team to drive their grand prix car in 1964 but despite an impressive first outing at Goodwood, the team was struggling with its four-wheel drive project. The following season he signed to drive for Reg Parnell but the teams old Lotus was no longer competitive.
However, in 1964 he was approached to help develop the new Ford prototype, the GT that was later referred to the GT40. He also received an offer to drive for David Piper and for several years he raced his various Ferraris while also driving for a variety of independent teams in Porsches, GT40s and Alfa Romeos. In 1969 he signed with Porsche to drive its new 917, usually in partnership with Vic Elford. They finished second at Le Mans that year but the following year saw him win the race when he was joined by the veteran driver Hans Hermann (who immediately retired). In 1971 he continued to drive the 917 but made the decision to retire from the sport at the end of the year, apart from a brief return to assist the ill-fated Aston Martin Nimrod project in 1984. The photograph shows a determined Richard Attwood in action, driving a Ford GT40 during the 1966 Scott-Brown Memorial race at Snetterton where he finished third behind the winning Lola T70 of Denny Hulme and Chris Amon’s McLaren-Elva.
