Polished Johnson

Sir,

May I say how very much I enjoyed Bill Boddy’s article ‘Businesslike Performer’ in the June issue on that fine driver Leslie Johnson. Having been a spectator at Jersey in 1947, including the practice sessions, I can well recall and affirm the favourable impression he made in this, his first road race.

To say, as Mr Boddy does, that Johnson ‘went fast in practice’ is something of an understatement In fact, his Talbot started 12th from a grid of 25, ahead of most of the ERAs and well ahead of all the other `unblown’ opposition, notably a Delage D6 trio entered by the Ecurie Gersac.

He finished fifth in the race, less than 13 miles (in a race of 160 miles) behind Parnell’s winning Maserati 4CL. A creditable performance.

Motor Sport chose to adorn the cover of its June 1947 issue with a splendid photograph of LGJ exiting the West Park hairpin, tail of the Talbot hanging well out A pity that this photograph could not have been reproduced to illustrate the article in place, perhaps, of that sad one of the great old car covered in extinguisher foam at Douglas.

I am, Yours etc, Gordon Maitland, Bristol