Tony Colley RIP

[MONDELLO MAN]

Tony passed away this morning after a short illness , he raced his fathers Frazer Nash from the early seventies , at Mondello, Phoenix Park , Oulton, and Silverstone , Nash raids were also attended . He shared David Dunns Bentley at the Le Mans Classic a few years ago . Agreat mimmic, cartoonist and raconteur after a carrer in graphic design he had become a succesful motoring journalist and presented a motoring programme on tv , He will be sadly missed .

[Motormouth]

Brian Foley has kindly given me permission to reproduce this wonderful piece he has written about Tony........

TONY COLLEY – A TRUE GENTLEMAN AND A MOTORING LEGEND By Brian Foley
The death has occurred of Anthony William Pomeroy Colley (Clondalkin), aged 58, after a long fight against cancer. He was in his usual great form last Christmas as he chatted about more motorsport and motoring adventures this year, but little did we know then that we would be attending the Thanksgiving Service for The Life of Tony Colley on the day of this year’s Gordon Bennett Rally, June 6th.

Tony was a well known and popular figure in motoring circles, contributor of articles on motoring and veteran and vintage cars to ‘The Sunday Business Post’ and numerous magazines including ‘Auto Ireland’ and ‘Irish Car & Travel’. He worked in advertising and trained as a graphic artist. His cartoons were published in various newspapers and magazines, including ‘Fleet Management’ and he also produced cartoons and graphic designs for a variety of commercial, sporting and other promotional purposes. Only recently he designed a new logo for the Irish Motoring Writers’ Association, of which he was a member. He once decorated a large commercial aircraft in vinyl for a sporting promotion, working against the clock during the night on the tarmac at Dublin Airport.

He presented a tv motoring programme Ignition on City Channel and Country Mix on 106.8 radio, and did numerous voice-overs for radio and tv adverts. He had bit parts in a number of films including ‘Michael Collins’ and the RTE TV programme ‘The Whistle Blower’. He was a natural MC, an entertainer who always got the best out of everyone and enlivened many a function with his special brand of charm and wit.

Tony Colley grew up on the family farm close to Clondalkin, which was once a quiet Co.Dublin village. His father Dudley campaigned a 1934 Frazer Nash in Irish speed events and was the first winner of the prestigious Sexton Trophy in 1948, which was the Irish racing/hillclimb championship run under the jurisdiction of the RIAC. Dudley’s many racing successes included victory in the 1938 Cork Grand Prix (handicap event) in which he was timed at 95.3 mph at the wheel of the Chain Gang car, thus named for it’s chain drive transmission. He wrote a most entertaining book “Wheel Patter” covering a byegone cavalier era in Irish sporting and general life. Dudley Colley died in 1959 at the age of 48. In 2003 Tony updated and personally re-published his late father’s book

Tony and his brother Finlay restored the Frazer Nash, with help of Bobbie Newell and David Dunn, whilst Tony motored about in his first car, a 1949 Morris 8 which Finlay had bought from Jim Boland in Clondalkin. Others later involved in voluntary work on the car included Dave Miller and Sam Stretton, with Paddy McClintock providing quips of wisdom and tipples of vino. Tony first raced the Frazer Nash in 1975, at Mondello Park, and later in English as well as Irish events for several years, also competing in long distance road events at home, in France and Italy.

Two years ago he had a narrow escape without injury at Donington Park when a loose petrol pipe caused a fire which engulfed the speeding car. He loved the old brown Frazer Nash, which he always referred to as ‘The Nash’ and one of the highlights of his year was the Annual Frazer Nash Dinner in the UK. Tony’s racing exploits also included driving David Dunn’s 4.5 litre Bentley in the classic event at Le Mans in France in 2003, and competing with his friend and mentor ‘Daithi’ in a 1936 Lagonda. Daithi and Tony teamed up to compete in the Killarney Historic Rally in a ‘Jagnette’ (the Daithi creation was an MG powered by a Jaguar engine), and won two class awards!

He drove his 1911 Renault in veteran cars events at home and on the Continent. Last year he took the little Renault to France where it ran troublefree and literally like clockwork. Also last year he fulfilled an ambition by competing as a co-driver on the famous London-Brighton run. His favourite event was the Gordon Bennett Rally, which he always enjoyed in the company of his many friends in the Irish Veteran and Vintage Car Club. Whilst his first love was old cars, Tony thoroughly enjoyed test driving the latest new cars at home and abroad, and writing about them. He travelled far and wide to Grand Prix races, and especially enjoyed the historic car races at Monaco,. When money was scarce he once travelled to Monaco on the back of a motorcycle.

He was quite a colourful character, always game for the craic whilst remaining the quintessential cultured gentleman. He reveled in the James Joyce culture of old Dublin, and was a regular participant in the famous Bloomsday celebrations. He equally enjoyed the folklore of Kerry, where he had a holiday home. He was multi-talented, gifted in mimickery, a born raconteur, a delightful rascal and great company.

Tony Colley was a true gent, with a laisser-faire attitude to life which carried him through difficult times. He consiered himself blessed that he had made a wonderful group of friends and had many unforgettable adventures. In the final lines of his re-published “Wheel Patter” he aptly summed up his all too short life: “Whereas I am not at all wealthy, I believe I am very rich”. Those who knew and loved Tony Colley are much the poorer for his passing, yet rich in memories of a very special friend and fellow motoring enthusiast. A motoring legend in his own lifetime.

He is sadly missed by his family, a huge circle of friends and his much loved partner Marie