Jordan, John

[Alan Raine]

Whilst going through what remains of my 70's photos I came a cross a couple which jogged the old brain cells.

One in paticular stood out and that was of John Jordans Can Am McLaren.



Many of the Silverstone meetings in the early 70's featured a Libre race which John would often win. I think he had done some F5000 beforehand possibly with a McLaren M10 but am not sure. The family owned Jordans Flour Mill in Biggleswade which now produces the Jordans Breakfast Bars. He was a dapper fellow probably in his late 50's, always looked smart and a bit old fashioned. Not the sort of guy who you would think would drive a big Can Am car.

But he had another string to his bow and this was his aeroplane. He was a well known pilot and would often fly to the circuit in his old Biplane. There were a few summer evenings after the racing when John (occasionally after a challenge from someone in the bar) would jump into his plane and perform an improptu flying display.

This sometimes didn't go down too well with the authorities and it occasionally landed him in trouble. Stories circulated of his exploits. (I don't know how many were true). One was flying under the Daily Express bridge at Silverstone, which was ok, but he took down a few telegraph cables on the other side. Another was when he took someone up for the first time. The plane had no seat belts for a passenger so as they were about start a loop he was told to brace himself and put his feet under the bar on the floor!

Anybody else remember him?

[chunterer]

Sounds absolutely hilarious!!!

Maybe a bit un pc for today's world though?!!

Was this the same guy responsible for a BRM derivative that was seen in British F1 in the early 80's. Can't remember who was down to drive it but it was definitely at Thruxton in May 1982 and was at the back.

It was called a Jordan BRM, funnily enough...

[Alan Raine]

Yes it was. I think he brought a lot of BRM bits when the factory closed.

I don't think PC had been invented then!!!!

[chunterer]

Nor laptops?!

Nice pic of the Mclaren, reminds me of the Atlantic Computers Historic GT's in the 80's (oh yes i feel another thread coming on!!!!)

Crikey Alan what did he have in mind when he bought that lot then?

Did he race the BRM himself in anything before the period I saw it pottering about?

[Alan Raine]

I don't really know.

All I remember really is when he was racing the McLaren. I think he must of stopped driving sometime in the mid to late 70's, but was an enthusiast who had a bit of cash so put together a small collection including the BRM(s).

When I marshaled in the 70's he was one of the faces in the bar 'apres race'
in the Silverstone Club.

[Steve Wilkinson]

John Jordan was something of a Silverstone specialist rarely seen elsewhere.

Although one has to admire his choice of weapon!

[diz]

Through the mists of old age, I can remember getting a phone call from John. He had either entered, or wanted to enter one of my Formula Libre races at Aintree [that would have been between 73 and 77]. But first he would have to check out the car, so he would give it a "bit of a test" up and down the Biggleswade lanes and if it worked, he would make it to Aintree.
I don't remember whether he made it or not, but the eccentricity of the phone call and the images in my mind of what the local plod would make of it live with me.

[Alan Raine]

Originally Posted by diz

Through the mists of old age, I can remember getting a phone call from John. He had either entered, or wanted to enter one of my Formula Libre races at Aintree [that would have been between 73 and 77]. But first he would have to check out the car, so he would give it a "bit of a test" up and down the Biggleswade lanes and if it worked, he would make it to Aintree.
I don't remember whether he made it or not, but the eccentricity of the phone call and the images in my mind of what the local plod would make of it live with me.

That I can believe. I lived about 20 miles from Biggleswade at the time and occassionally had to go past the Jordan Mill. Bedfordshire is very flat around there and there are a lot of long open roads (ideal for a Can Am Mclaren???). I think John may have had a few run ins with the authorities with his plane, so a few with the car wouldn't surpise me either. He was definately an eccentric (in a nice way) and perhaps would have wondered what the fuss was all about.

I also think he was a Siverstone specialist, or liked circuits with lots of straights and only a few corners. Somewhere for a Can Am car to stretch its legs!

[TimD]

Don't forget that before the McLaren he was seen pedalling a Ford GT40 at the circuits. He acquired it in 1967 and apart from two outings in an Elva GT160, that GT40 appears to have been his first experience in a racing car!

[Alan Raine]

Originally Posted by TimD

Don't forget that before the McLaren he was seen pedalling a Ford GT40 at the circuits. He acquired it in 1967 and apart from two outings in an Elva GT160, that GT40 appears to have been his first experience in a racing car!

I knew he had driven something but I wasn't sure what it was.

[Dan Rear]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Nor laptops?!

Nice pic of the Mclaren, reminds me of the Atlantic Computers Historic GT's in the 80's (oh yes i feel another thread coming on!!!!)

Crikey Alan what did he have in mind when he bought that lot then?

Did he race the BRM himself in anything before the period I saw it pottering about?

He raced a P201 occasionally in about 1979. In 80 he had T Trimmer out in the P207 at the odd Aurora race, and in 82, the American Dave Williams raced it a few times. He also owned, I think, later on a Lola T330 which Trimmer was v quick in in mid-1980s Libre.

[chunterer]

Nice info Dan!

Williams, that's the guy I couldn't remember - he was in it at that Thruxton meeting i remember but even though the BRM made a heack of a racket it was slack compared to the Crawford, Trimmer and Musetti cars that were at the front.

That Lola of Trimmers' you mention was a bit famous at the time in club circles as I think it was regularly in a battle with Alo Lawler's McLaren to see who could keep lowering lap records!!

[allenbrown]

Originally Posted by diz

Through the mists of old age, I can remember getting a phone call from John. He had either entered, or wanted to enter one of my Formula Libre races at Aintree [that would have been between 73 and 77] ...

Hi diz

You organised libre races at Aintree in the 1970s? All of them or just some of them? Do you still have any records from those races?

Allen

[Andrew Kitson]

John is well into his 80s now and still lives in the Biggleswade area.
His M6B in Alan's photo is being restored, by John's ex-mechanic Dave Finnigan at his workshop in Gamlingay. It has not run for over 20 years. Dave is also busy restoring one of the two P207s he acquired from John with the M6B and T332, which is now owned and raced by Frank Lyons. Dave was mechanic on this Lola to Tom Belso and Tony Trimmer. (Tom lives in Gamlingay too but has no interest in the sport these days although Dave keeps him up to speed with goings on!) The other P207 Dave did a great job on, including engine work solving some of the fundamental problems that created so much unreliability. It has been sold to a guy in the USA and has run trouble free so I heard. Dave also keeps busy on engine rebuilds, Frank Lyons F5000 & DFVs etc and other F5000s.

My late father was a good friend of John Jordan. John would race at mainly Snetterton or Silverstone. When he raced the GT40 he would often be parked next to us in the paddock when the old man was a mechanic on special saloons. He won so many libre and GT races with the GT40. His antics in the air were legendary. I saw him fly under the old footbridge across the start straight at Snetterton and true about the phone lines at Silverstone. He was too the only person we knew that did aerobatics in the dark with his Stearman! A great flyer and ex-Spitfire pilot. Another story from the late 60s was an alleged middle-of-the-night race on the A1 between John in his GT40 and Colin Crabbe in a Ferrari! Colin lived just up the A1 in Peterborough.

They don't make 'em like John anymore!

[Alan Raine]

Originally Posted by Andrew Kitson

They don't make 'em like John anymore!

Too true - an old style english gent with lots of spirit. I only saw some of the unofficial air displays and none of the 'bridgework'. Some people would run for cover as soon as his plane went up in the air, after previous experience with flour bombs!!

I just count myself lucky to have been around at the time to see the little bit I did see.

Can you imagine it happening now!

[Andrew Kitson]

I've dug out our old thread from 2002 on John's mate and rival John Woolfe who had his race shop in Eaton Socon, not far from Sandy/Biggleswade where John was based.
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...ht=john+woolfe
The first photo in the thread of John Woolfe's M6B has John Jordan's GT40 in the background. This M6B is the car that JJ then owned.

[John Turner]

I think Robs Lamplough used to turn up, occasionally in a Spit, as well.

I remember John Jordan's GT40 quite well, as on 2 or 3 occasions I attended race meetings with John Markey and his Pink Stamps Lotus 30. These two were usually the only 2 big bangers on the grid, at the time. Of course my memory might be failing me there.

[jamesholland]

After the McLaren M6B John Jordan traded up to an M8E which I remember quite well. I think that was the last car he raced.

[R59]

Time for some tales of "Jordanisms" then...

John is one heck of a character. He was a supply pilot in WW2, and he flew more hours in unarmed aircraft than many. If I remember the story correctly, he probably flew more hours in Spitfires than anyone else!

His exploits in his chosen air-weapon of more latter times (his Boeing Stearman) were flour-bombing Biggleswade Carnival, flying under various bridges, National Grid lines, etc.. and probably the most motorsport orientated stunt was under the old bridge on the club straight at Silverstone.

After landing back at base, he tried to call his old friend Jimmy Brown to apologise, but couldn't get through because the telephone lines were tangled in his undercarriage!

I recall John at dinner's at the Biggleswade Rugby Club (not far from his home) throwing bread rolls at people who didn't look like they were enjoying themselves!!

As for his racing exploits, it was the M8E that nearly got him! Thankfully, it didn't!

I can't remember his GT40, but my brother remembers him going to Snetterton for a Libre race, turning up after qualifying, starting from the back of the grid, and being in the lead by lap 2, with Angle boxes snapping at his heels, then lapping them all at least once by the end. A Sunday afternoon drive!

He's a character, and this world still needs characters! What's more, he's a gentleman.

It's a shame that Dave Finnigan doesn't appear on here to tell more tales out of school! (not that he'd do such a thing!)

Rob.

[Alan Raine]

Originally Posted by racing59

He's a character, and this world still needs characters! What's more, he's a gentleman.

Agree with that. Trouble is if he did all those things now he'd be locked up!

[R59]

He was on first name terms with many at the CAA!!!

Shame they took his pilots licence away, it used to be great to see him take off from Little Gransden, and then fly most of the way to Old Warden inverted!

Not forgetting his flying in the film "Biggles" where... who else was going to fly a plane under bridges!

[Alan Raine]

Originally Posted by racing59

He was on first name terms with many at the CAA!!!

Shame they took his pilots licence away

When did they do that

[Andrew Kitson]

Originally Posted by racing59

He was on first name terms with many at the CAA!!!

Shame they took his pilots licence away, it used to be great to see him take off from Little Gransden, and then fly most of the way to Old Warden inverted!

Not forgetting his flying in the film "Biggles" where... who else was going to fly a plane under bridges!

Did he do some flying for the movie 'The Blue Max' too?

[John Turner]

Andrew has posted a short tribute to John Jordan, who sadly died over the weekend, which I have moved to the Tribute forum here:-

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=81535O

[Andrew Fellowes]

Very sad news,

Great memories, a still afternoon at Silverstone, listening to the Stearman engine as he barrel rolled all the way home, in the end I just couldn't see him well enough to go on counting, but I can see it now, a spec in the distance and thinking he'll level out soon wont he? No there's another one!