Ninian Sanderson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1925-03-14)14 March 1925 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Died | 1 October 1985(1985-10-01) (aged 60) Glasgow, Scotland |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Years | 1955 –1963 |
| Teams | Triumph Ecurie Ecosse TVR AC Cars |
| Best finish | 1st(1956) |
| Class wins | 2(1956,1963) |
Ninian Sanderson (14 May 1925 – 1 October 1985) was a Scottish car dealer,sports car racing driver, and winner of the1956 24 Hours of Le Mans.[1][2]
Sanderson was born inGlasgow. In common with many drivers of his era, he cut his racing teeth in the highly competitive 500ccFormula 3 class in the early 1950s. He is best known for winning the1956 24 Hours of Le Mans for theEcurie Ecosse team, together withRon Flockhart in an ex-worksJaguar D-Type.[3][4] The following year Sanderson again competed for Ecurie Ecosse, finishing second with co-driverJohn "Jock" Lawrence, only beaten by the other Ecurie Ecosse D-Type driven by Flockhart andIvor Bueb.
He took part in several non-championshipFormula Two andFormula One races with Ecurie Ecosse, with a best result of third in the 1952 Scotland National Trophy and 1952 Joe Fry Memorial Trophy.[5] He was a reserve driver with the team for the1953 British Grand Prix but did not compete in the race.[6]
In 1999 the Jaguar sports car that won the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans was sold atChristie's in London for £1.71 million.[7] At that time it was the most expensive car ever bought at auction.[7]
Although reputedly not the easiest of men to get along with, Ninian Sanderson was well known in racing circles for his lively sense of humour. Fond of practical jokes he was not averse to putting firecrackers up exhaust pipes and ribbing members of the public with his race-bred black humour. The contrast in personalities within the Ecurie Ecosse team was stark; down-to-Earth, Glaswegian Sanderson, and refined, Edinburgh-born Flockhart were "like chalk and cheese".
Sanderson was also a keen yachtsman and regularly raced his yachts on the Clyde with the same competitive spirit and ebullience as in his motor racing. He owned several beautiful Clyde boatyard McGruer-built yachts: a Dragon class keelboat named "Corsair" built in 1947 and an 8-metre class cruiser racer "Debbie" built in 1966. In 1974 he also commissioned McGruer to build his well-known 3/4-Tonner racing yacht "Nippie Sweetie".[8][9]
In 1983 Sanderson andJim Watt raised £10,500 for the medical oncology unit at theGlasgow Royal Infirmary following a sponsored canoe trip fromBroomielaw toTarbert, Loch Fyne.[10] Sanderson had been receiving treatment at the unit for several years; he died of cancer in 1985.[1][10] His wife Dorothy Sanderson died in 2007.[11]
Sanderson was educated atStrathallan School. In the announcement of his death the school magazineThe Strathallian quoted F1 racing World championJackie Stewart describing Sanderson as a 'perfectionist, with immense spirit and commitment.'[2]
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 |  Standard Triumph Ltd. | Bob Dickson | Triumph TR2 | S2.0 | 242 | 14th | 5th |
| 1956 | Ecurie Ecosse | Ron Flockhart | Jaguar D-Type | S5.0 | 300 | 1st | 1st |
| 1957 | Ecurie Ecosse | John 'Jock' Lawrence | Jaguar D-Type | S5.0 | 319 | 2nd | 2nd |
| 1958 | Ecurie Ecosse | John 'Jock' Lawrence | Jaguar D-Type | S3.0 | 2 | DNF (Engine) | |
| 1959 | Standard Triumph Ltd |  Claude Dubois | Triumph TR3S | GT2.0 | 114 | DNF (Radiator) | |
| 1960 | Standard Triumph Ltd | Peter Bolton | Triumph TRS | S2.0 | 249 | N/C* | |
| 1961 | Ecurie Ecosse | Alan McKay | Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite | S1.0 | 40 | DNF (Accident) | |
| 1962 | TVR Cars | Peter Bolton | TVR Grantura Mk3 | E2.0 | 3 | DNF (Overheating) | |
| 1963 | AC Cars Ltd | Peter Bolton | AC Cobra Hardtop | GT+3.0 | 310 | 7th | 1st |
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Ecurie Ecosse | Ivor Bueb | Jaguar D-Type | S3.0 | 22 | DNF (Valve springs) | |
Source:[14] | |||||||
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1956with: Ron Flockhart | Succeeded by |