Dick Protheroe 1922 - 1966

The Early Years

Below are some of the cars that were raced in the 50's and 60's other than the regular Jaguars.

The transporters that were used between races are featured here.

More info will be added to the images shown.

From autobiography.

"Being one of the privileged air crew who where allowed a meagre petrol ration during the war, I was able to run a variety of MG's and an International Aston Martin. These were followed in 1947 by the acquisition of a monoposto Austin 7 which Peter Clark had raced at Ecurie Lapin Blanc. The car was fitted with a blower and a few more or less successful sprints and hill climbs were completed, almost all necessitated an engine rebuild as the agonizing lesson that there is a limit to peak revs for a given engine had yet to be learnt."

"In the same year a Type 37 Bugatti was obtained with an (alleged) racing history and mechanically perfect. After fitting vestigial road equipment and registering the car, DJB 510, it very soon became apparent that all was not well. A complete rebuild was carried out with the help of Jack Lemmon Burton. The car was immaculately resprayed in French racing blue and it is this blue which has been adopted as my racing colour. The car was raced at the 1947 Gransden Lodge (Cambridge University M.C.) and came in second behind George Abecassis, also in a Bugatti. This car eventually joined Dr. Hilton Roths Museum in the USA."

Full autobiography.


747 Austin

1947 September - Prescott
1948 9th May - Prescott

WOT !! No seat belt - flat cap suites though !!
HWM Jaguar HWM 1

1955 20th Aug BARC 9 hours race - Goodwood
Tojeiro Jaguar

1956 14th July BRDC - Silverstone
1956 6th Aug BARC Sports Car 7 lap race - 1st - Crystal Palace
1956 18th Aug Daily Herald - Oulton Park
1956 Aug BARC Handicap Race - 3rd - Crystal Palace
1957 22nd April BARC - Goodwood
1957 April British Empire Trophy - shunted in rear by Duncan Hamilton
2002 Coys Auction with history.
2003 on the Autosport forum.
Austin Healey 100 S

1958 7th April Nottingham Sports Car Club - Mallory Park
2009 July Freddie March Memorial Trophy - 1st - Goodwood -  Driven by Graham Piro
Current car owned by Peter Waterhouse in 2002 July





Recently, from a Coys entry (Auction 18/07/2009), another XK120 has surfaced  formerly LXD 437 now OLH 3. Its history can be found on the Coys site. So far I have found no information in my fathers documents relating to this car. This might be the case if it was a "one off" race and crashed in the first few laps !!. Interesting controversy after the crash at Woodcote that there may be two cars that exist from the original. Another Ferrari 330P saga to come perhaps ??. A thread on the Autosport forum gives more information on this car.

Acknowledgement to Coys for information and photograph.

Please email Geoff Protheroe if you have any information on the above cars. Thank you