Tony Lanfranchi

Who was Tony Lanfranchi?

Tony Lanfranchi was a British racing driver. He competed in many various events throughout a long racing career, including the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans for Elva, non-championship Formula One races in 1968, and the British Formula Three Championship. Later in his career he competed in saloon car racing, including the British Touring Car Championship.

"In his early racing days in Huddersfield he raced sports cars, including a Healey Silverstone, Austin-Healey and then an Elva Courier, in which he was quite successful in 1961. Nationally he made his mark in 1963 with an Elva-Ford Mk. VI."

On September 16, 1962, Lanfranchi won the inaugural Harewood hillclimb, setting the Fastest Time of the Day at 51.61s driving an Elva Mk VI.

In 1967 Lanfranchi was due to make his Formula One debut in the BRDC Daily Express Trophy meeting at Silverstone, when the transporter of the J.A. Pearce Racing Organisation burned out in the paddock prior to first practice. Three cars were totally destroyed and Lanfranchi was sidelined.

In 1980 a biography titled Down the Hatch : the life and fast times of Tony Lanfranchi by Mark Kahn was published.