Mick Hill

[leecostelloracing]

there is no introduction needed for this great man he was an amazing engineering genius and driver my thoughts go out his family
and I certainly thank mick for putting down the steps for younger drivers like my self to try an walk let alone achieve
much love never forgotten sir mick hill

[lotustwincam]

Very sad news, Mick encouraged me to start racing back in 76/77, and always had time to give good advice and have a laugh. A proper star.

RIP Mick

[Alan Raine]

Sad news.

Mick Hill took Special Saloons to another level with some wonderful and powerful creations. I witnessed some cracking races in the 70's. Mick involved in most of them.

RIP Mick Hill and thanks for the memories.

[morninggents]

So sad to hear this news. He was a great engineer and driver.

[Unit 2 Racing]

Very Sad news.

Back in the 70's I went to pick up a couple of Brabham BT21 rear corners advertised in Autosport. The seller turned out to be Mick Hill, had a very interesting afternoon looking around his cars and projects he was working on.

[col rooney]

Condolences to his family and friends

[backfire]

Mick had a heart transplant in the pioneer days (they actually left his old heart in - so he had two) and comfortably outlived the other patients of that era. I saw him fairly regularly and he always lived life to the full in the knowledge he had lived for many years on borrowed time. The last time I saw him (shopping in Costco Derby, convertible Bentley in car park!) he seemed a lot weaker, but still cheerful with that full head of black hair and not looking his age.
A very capable driver (check out his solid performances in the ex Mike Wilds March in F5000) and, of course, a fine engineer producing, in terms of outright wins, the most successful racing car ever with the original Boss Capri.
Thanks Mick for the friendship, good memories and entertainment.

[dave vass]

Very sad to hear that Super / Special Saloon car legend Mick Hill has passed away. He was a very talented driver and always kept us well entertained at the front of his races along with the late great Gerry Marshall. RIP

[Gerry Taylor]

We seem to be losing a few big names from this area of our sport. Mick is a sad loss to us all. I started a little before Mick, but when he came on the scene he brought a lot to the game. I will miss him. It really is the closing of an era.

[Gerry Taylor]

I have been reading about Mick on a lot of Special Saloon pages, and just wondered if everyone knew of his passing; on here.
Mick and I go back forty odd years, and back to when we both raced Ford Anglia's. To when he asked me if he could buy my old rolling shell, as he had this idea to put a jag unit under it! Back then only Richard Scantlebury had attempted it. Mick did it, and successfully too. The rest is a wonderful history of Special Saloon racing cars.
Goodbye Mick, and thanks for all those cars, all those years of magnificient motor races.
I will miss you.
Gerry Taylor, ex-racer.

[The SpeCTator]

An innovator and legend that will be long remembered.

[Heightswitch]

Very sad news.
A great racer and brought a great spectacle to super saloon racing in the day

[Andy Clegg]

Thanks for letting us know. Wish I'd seen more of his races. RIP Mick.

[grantp]

That's very sad.

I saw him a few weeks ago in the local Post Office. He looked frail, and he was by all accounts - but not so frail that he would be gone so soon after.

RIP Mick.

[John Turner]

I remember those fabulous special saloons that he built and raced very well. He was always at the sharp end. Sad news indeed.

I'll move this to Tributes shortly and merge with the thread started there.

[Rennen]

In the mid 1970's I got the chance to help a local garage owner called Tony Strawson who raced in Super Saloons with a Ford Falcon and then he purchased Mick Hills original Boss Capri, it was a very simple but clever car...it had Lola T70 suspension, huge vented disc brakes and Lola wheels all round, a Jag diff and a Jag gearbox mated to a 4.7 litre Ford V8 to the same spec as a Cobra or GT40 up front which hung on a square tube cradle off the bulkhead a la an XKE !

This clever and effective racecar was and maybe still is the most successful saloon racing car in terms of wins and championships won ever in the UK ?

Mick then replaced it with an even better version!

A true legend has passed!

[p261brm]

Thanks mate for the memories