John Frankenheimer

The director of the film Grand Prix died on July 6, aged 72, after a stroke brought on by complications during spinal surgery.

Starring James Gamer, the film rewrote the rules of motor-racing movies. Its script is creaky, but the acting is tolerable, even from the Formula One drivers making cameo appearances, and the on-track action is fabulous.

Also on Frankenheimer’s CV was The Bird Man of Alcatraz, and in 1998 he directed Ronin, which features some of the best car chases ever seen.