The recent purchase of a back number of the Brooklands Bulletin reminded us of the extraordinary achievements of motor cyclist Gordon Cobbold (1903-2004) #337 and taught us a few things we didn’t know.
In a nutshell Gordon set sixteen World Records at Brooklands on different bikes, and over a variety of distances, demonstrating his skill and versatility. His first win, in his first race at Brooklands in 1923, on a newly acquired Sunbeam Longstroke demonstrated the superiority of that machine, though the success is attributed in part to its WEX carburettor developed by Harry Weslake. Harry had developed expertise in the science of gas flow and John Marston Ltd who built Sunbeam motorcycles were happy to let Gordon and Harry, who had become his race tuner, act as their test bench. They made a formidable team and Harry’s expertise was sought by Bentley, Brough and Jaguar.
Gordon had to buy his first competition bike but Marstons soon supplied his engines which he and Harry developed. Between 1927 and 1929 he not only set 16 World Records but also lapped Brooklands at over 100mph for the first time ever. As Clive Hodges wrote in Cobbold & Kin ‘an average speed of 100mph was the measure that marked out the great from the good.’ That was not the only ton he cracked. On 30th December 2003 he celebrated his centenary, exactly as he had predicted to a friend on his 91st birthday.
Among his many adventures he survived catching fire during the Belgium Grand Prix; riding speedway bikes at Crystal Palace and in France where he got himself thrown out of the Folies Bergère and organising a Speedway Festival, again in France, ‘on a wing and a prayer.’ But he will be remembered most affectionately for his work, post war, in re-forming of the British Motorcycle Racing Club (BEMSEE) where he was an active and enthusiastic member becoming in 1993 the Club’s Life President.
Gordon well deserved his telegram from the Queen and died peacefully a few days after his 100th birthday.
Anthony Cobbold
