RON TAURANAC: THE QUIET MASTER OF DESIGN
Ron Tauranac – The quiet master of design
This latest issue of Auto Action features a four-page tribute to design marvel Ron Tauranac written by Geoffrey Harris.
Chronicling Tauranac’s career through hillclimb, his association with Brabham and his successful Ralt line of race cars that launched Larry Perkins to the heights of Formula 1.
The following is an extract from issue 1791, available now:
Ron Tauranac has been in the spotlight as much or more in death than he was in 95 years of life.
It’s safe to presume he’d be relieved not to be around to hear all the glowing tributes flowing within open-wheeler motorsport circles for him since he died on July 17.
Tauranac was the archetypal quiet achiever, not one who sought or even understood kudos.
For all the successful racing cars he designed and engineered, Tauranac always reckoned his best was going to be the next one.
This was the man who created the most significant car in Australian motor racing history, the Brabham BT19 in which Jack Brabham won his third Formula 1 world title.
Brabham had said Tauranac “was the only bloke with whom I’d have gone into partnership – he was conscientious to a fault and peerlessly straight”.
The pair had walked up a driveway in Melbourne in the early 1970s to inspect Larry Perkins’ Elfin Formula Ford. The triple world champion was looking for something for his eldest son, Geoff, to race. The conversation ended with Tauranac telling Perkins that if he was ever in England to “drop around for a cup of tea”.
Perkins did just that. It became an enduring friendship of kindred spirits.
‘LP’ had dabbled in F1 but his greatest success overseas was winning the 1975 European F3 Championship in the first of Tauranac’s Ralts in the make’s international incarnation.
To read the full four-page feature pick up your copy of the Auto Action 1791 right now.
Also make sure you follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or our weekly email newsletter for all the latest updates between issues.
