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Call for driver tribute
Wednesday 11th April 2007, 11:44AM BST.
History buffs have launched a campaign to commemorate a Black Country-born Grand Prix racing driver who died in a horrific crash nearly 50 years ago.
Ken Wharton, who was 41, died while racing in New Zealand. He was born in Smethwick and owned a garage on the Bearwood Road for a number of years.
He started out in Formula One in 1952 and raced until 1955 where his last race was in Italy.
After that he raced in virtually all forms of motor sport including hill climbing where he wrote himself into the history books.
Read the full story in the Express & Star.
History buffs have launched a campaign to commemorate a Black Country-born Grand Prix racing driver who died in a horrific crash nearly 50 years ago.
Ken Wharton, who was 41, died while racing in New Zealand. He was born in Smethwick and owned a garage on the Bearwood Road for a number of years.
He started out in Formula One in 1952 and raced until 1955 where his last race was in Italy.
After that he raced in virtually all forms of motor sport including hill climbing where he wrote himself into the history books.
He became the only person to be the British Hill Climbing Champion on four successive years.
But it was while he was racing in New Zealand in 1959 that he sadly crashed and died while driving a Ferrari.
Now the Smethwick Local History Society has launched a campaign to get his life commemorated.
The campaign is being backed by Sandwell’s deputy leader Steve Eling.
He said: “Everything is still very much in its early days but I support the campaign wholeheartedly.
“I remember as a lad seeing the garage that he ran. It was a Ford dealership and was extremely popular on the Bearwood Road.”
Councillor Eling said it was part of a general campaign to get famous people from the Sandwell area commemorated in some way.
Last month a statue to West Bromwich-born film star Madeleine Carroll was put up next to The Public arts centre in the town.
And there are plans to name a street on a new housing estate being built in Cape Hill after sailor Bill Savage, who was awarded the Victoria Cross in the Second World War.
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a truly great man. Remembered with afection be all who knew him. Smethwick can be rightly proud of a man who trid hard in each race he entered. He won the 1956 Reims 12 hour racewith Peter Whitehead. Sadly Peter Collind died the following year, another who enjoyed his job.
John
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I worked at Ken Wharton’s garage in Hume Street for about 2 years and loved it, I believe that the garage in Hume Street was the first garage he had, I think the Shell Garage on Bearwood Road, was his second garage and was situated where the new apartments have recently been built.
I believe that the Shell Garage, and the Coliseum Ballroom on the corner, opposite the Snooker Hall, were later sold to Bearwood Motors, the Main Renault Agents in the area.
I have many memories of my time at the Hume Street garage, I was 16 at the time in 1958, I would have loved to have met Ken Wharton, when I worked there I believe that the garage was being run by his sister and his father.
For a small garage it certainly did good business, supplying several prestigious makes of new cars, Humber, Hillman, Fords, Austin’s and even new lorries, those were the days.
Jim of Bearwood
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As a motor racing fan from ‘backwoods of Europe’ I find the name instantly recognizeble- it’s only fitting he should be recognized as a sportsman of international repute.
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I am researching the Wharton family and would be pleased to hear from anyone with more information on Ken Wharton’s home life and family.
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I am currently working with Smethwick Heritage Trust to produce a Ken Wharton exhibition and to publish a book on his life and exploits. The research began in February 2007, when I had a letter asking for information published in the motoring section of The Daily Telegraph, after which a flood of information arrived by letter, telephone and e-mail. I now have virtually all the information I need and the exhibition is planned for March 2008 as part of The Heritage Roadshow. As far as I know, Smethwick Historic Society is not involved in a Ken Wharton project.
Regards, Robin Hanny
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