John Surtees, born John Norman Surtees on February 11, 1934, in Tatsfield, Surrey, England, grew up in a family deeply involved in motorcycling. His father, Jack, was a three-time British sidecar champion and owned a motorcycle shop. Surtees developed mechanical skills early, apprenticing at the Vincent factory and racing motorcycles from his teens, starting with local events and progressing rapidly. He joined the Norton works team in 1955, dominating British races, before signing with MV Agusta in 1956. There, he became a legend in Grand Prix motorcycle racing, winning seven World Championships: four in the premier 500cc class (1956, 1958, 1959, 1960) and three in the 350cc class (1958, 1959, 1960), along with 38 Grand Prix victories and multiple Isle of Man TT triumphs. Nicknamed “figlio del vento” (“son of the wind”) in Italy for his speed, Surtees transitioned to four wheels in 1960 while still competing on bikes, making an impressive Formula One debut and finishing second in the British Grand Prix that year in only his second F1 start.
Surtees achieved motorsport immortality by becoming the only person ever to win World Championships on both two and four wheels, securing the Formula One title in 1964 with Ferrari after a dramatic season finale in Mexico City, edging out competitors like Graham Hill and Jim Clark by a single point. He claimed six Grand Prix wins (including the German Grand Prix in 1963 and 1964, and the Italian Grand Prix in 1964), 24 podiums, and victories in sports cars like the 1963 Sebring 12 Hours. A near-fatal crash in a 1965 Can-Am race at Mosport left him with severe injuries, but he recovered to win again, including the 1966 Belgian Grand Prix for Ferrari (which he left mid-season due to disputes) and his final F1 victory in 1967 for Honda. Surtees later founded his own Surtees Racing Organisation team, competing in F1 and other series until 1978. He passed away peacefully on March 10, 2017, in London at age 83 from respiratory failure, remembered as a courageous, independent pioneer whose unique dual-discipline legacy remains unmatched in racing history.
1966 Lyons Maid (UK) “Famous Cars”