Wilkinson, Wilkie – A legend in the motor racing world

Wilkie Wilkinson (1903-2001)

WALTER Ernest “Wilkie” Wilkinson was in motor racing from the earliest days of the sport.

An outstanding mechanic, he was mostly known as the technical geniuses of the post war era, although he also did some racing.

In 1961, when racing-legend Graham Hill signed for Bourne-based BRM, he insisted Wilkie was team manager.

Wilkie bought old stables in Folkingham which he turned into a habitable home and was a familiar site in his vintage Rolls Royce which drove until aged 95, he failed an eye test.

Retiring in 1972, his ‘magic ear’ could still fine tune an engine better than any computer.

He also spent time repairing church locks.

Besides motor racing, Wilkie enjoyed travel, was a churchwarden, sang in the church choir and even found time to be president of Folkingham FC.

A road in the village was named Wilkie Drive, a rare compliment to this man of action of almost a century.

A founder member of the British Racing Mechanics Club he sported the blazer which proudly carried its badge.

The fifth son of a printer, at the age of 14 he joined Blakers Motor and Welding Company in East Finchley in 1917.

In 1929 he joined LC Rawlence in London, which imported Italian cars. Through them he got the chance to race as riding mechanic to Giulio Ramponi on the Ards circuit in Ireland.

Later Wilkie was riding mechanic to George Eyston at the 1931 Brooklands 12hr race.

Next he became chief mechanic to Kenneth Evans. He also prepared racing-mad bandleader Billy Cotton’s cars.

In 1950 he joined Ecurie Ecosse. The D type Jaguars prepared and deftly tuned by Wilkie took victory at the 1956 and 1957 Le Mans.

Wilkinson did also some post war racing himself, his last season being 1952 in a Bristol-Cooper. Wilkinson worked for BRM between 1961 and 1972 before retiring. He supervised work on the BRM turbine car, with Graham Hill and the now Sir Jackie Stewart finishing 10th overall and third in class in 1965. Wilkie also worked on the BRM/Matra Le Mans car.

To the public, motor racing stars are Fangio, Hunt, Mansell and Prost, but while Wilkie wasn’t one the sport’s big names – to many drivers he was an even bigger.