Nigel Orlebar

Nigel Orlebar, who died aged 87 in September, joined the VSCC in 1936.

His mother had competed in pre-WWI hillclimbs in a Sizaire-Naudin. While still at school, Nigel bought a GN for £1, and ran it in the ’33 Lewes speed-trials. Up to ’39 he owned a further six GNs and three Frazer Nashes.

He worked for Granville Grenfell at Brooklands up to the war and was also a student at the College of Automobile Engineering there.

He competed with several specials, including the GNs ‘Rabelro’ and ‘Red Biddy’, which he drove in numerous pre-WWII events, and also at the wheel of a Brescia Bugatti.

He worked at Vickers-Armstrong during the war and afterwards raced a Ford Ten sportscar, and Velocette and Ariel motorcycles, before turning to boats and writing about them.

He brought ‘Rabelro’ to Silverstone in 2000.

An eccentric who resided in a 15th century cottage in Sussex, he will be missed by his many friends of GN and other days. WB