STEVE HOLE gives a potted overview of the suspension guru’s career. There was so much more to Allan than just being a car set-up expert and authoritative writer on vehicle suspension.
A classic automotive book. Pic by Steve Hole
Allan was born in June 1924 in Kings Norton, Birmingham. His father, Arthur, was a jeweller.
In 1942 he joined the RAF and served in Bomber Command as a navigator. I’m not sure which squadrons, but he definitely flew on Lancasters.
Signed by the maestro. Pic by Steve Hole
Post-war, Allan earned a living as a journalist, rising to a senior position on the Daily Mirror, where he worked for many years. He later moved to Yorkshire (latterly in Pateley Bridge) and, I believe Allan ended up as the Mirror’s Northern Crime Correspondent.
At weekends, away from the pressures of his day job, Allan was a keen motorsport enthusaist and after he retired he turned his hobby into a second career writing books on suspension and co-creating the Terrapin, with Richard Blakemore.
Actually, his first book was actually published in the early sixties, which covered a DIY build of a Rochdale GT.
Pic by Steve Hole
I suppose Allan is most remembered for his classic book called ‘High Speed Low Cost, first published in 1969. That book became a bible for enthusiasts and was reprinted several times, with the final one in the early noughties.
The late Allan Staniforth. Photo unknown but would love to give a credit.
Here at totalkitcar we bought the last print run of the book in 2003 and were the sole outlet for the book. Crikey, the demand was amazing and we sent them literally all over the world. It was around this time, I spoke to Allan several times. He was interested in our magazine and one could tell genuinely loved sportscars. One moment stood out for me when he thanked me for selling his book for him.
The Terrapin-Min. Photo origin unknown but would love to give a credit.
The original early editions came complete with Allan’s plan sets for the Terrapin sportscar. By 2003, the plans were available at extra cost.
The book, a forerunner really of Ron Champion’s ‘How to build a Sports Cars for £250’ showed the reader how to build what was claimed to be ‘the world’s cheapest 140mph single-seater’, the Terrapin-Min. It was underpinned by a spaceframe chassis and mid-mounted A-Series engine. Plenty of them (maybe over 100) were built and used in sprints, hillclimbs and circuit racing.
So successful was it that on October 5th, 1969 Hot Car (I think) magazine, in association with Allan, held a special Terrapin-day for his Terrapin-Min (MIni-based) at Elvington Airfield in North Yorkshire. It was pretty high profile and several suppliers produced bespoke especially for the day, including Britax who produced a set of harnesses with a thigh strap for the first time.
Allan co-designed the Whipperton Wrogue. Photo origin unknown, would love to give a credit.
On the day, Allan, in his Terrapin broke nine speed records, of which four still exist, I believe. The car definitely broke the world record for a 1km run. Other records broken on the day were national 1 km standing start and 1 mile ‘flying’ start.
Allan, along with his friends Bob Coats and Murray Rose, was responsible for the full-bodied Whipperton Wrogue in 1969, which Allan raced with some success in Clubman races, into the early seventies.
When the three mates sold the project to a company called Sarcon, they commercialised it while also changing the name to Scarab. I think they only made two before ceasing trading.
In 1983, another classic book on suspension from Allan’s pen arrived, called Race & Rally Car Source and that is still not only sought after but highly collectiible. A 30th anniversary edition was published in 2013, by the way.
A period advert for the renamed Wrogue, then known as the Scarab
Another superb reference book from Allan came in 1989 called ‘Competition Car Suspension’. Even if you’re not an engineer, Allan’s book are worthy of a place in your collection and in some cases are extremely sougth after and prized.
In his later years Allan was a technical journalist for Racecar Engineering magazine where he was ever popular.
Allan died in May 2009, leaving behind him a massive legacy in mainstream journalism, automotive suspension (and as an author), one of the most revered car suspension set up engineners and generall an all-round good bloke.