Obituaries

Sidney Greene

It is with great sadness that we learn of the death, at the age of 76, of Sidney Greene. As a teenager, Sid lost his left arm in a road accident but that served only to whet his ambitions. For some years he raced cars successfully at club level (always without special modifications) and flew Spitfires during the war, earning the nickname “The Wingless Wonder”. Apart from building up his company, Gilby Engineering Ltd, he also invented the optic drink dispenser.

A generous man, he loved to share his enthusiasm for the sport with friends and employees and, after his own retirement from racing, gained fame as an entrant, particularly being associated with Roy Salvadori. When his son, Keith, became an age to race, he was entered under the Gilby banner and his successes led to thr commissioning of the Gilby sports and F1 machines which were Len Terry’s important designs.

Motor Sport profiled Sid and Gilby cars in June 1984 and the time spent in his company was enormously pleasurable. Sid’s fortunes had not been the best in his later years but, nobody who met him could doubt that he was a remarkable man.

Alan Southon

We also learn with sorrow of the death, 75, of Alan Southon who was the first person to import Weber carburettors into the UK back in 1948. Alan continued to sell and service Webers up to his death and will remembered for his contribution to historic car racing using his wide experience knowledge of carburation.