Bright spark – An Irishman’s Diary about Kenelm Lee Guinness, racing driver and pioneering engineer

A veritable giant in the motor racing world in the 1910s and 1920s, Kenelm Edward Lee Guinness, known to his friends as Bill, was an avid yachtsman, world-class motor racing driver, forward-thinking automotive engineer and member of the well-known Guinness brewing family.

Born in Great Cumberland Place, London in 1887, Lee Guinness was no stranger to the world of politics, high society or titles of nobility. His father, Benjamin Lee Guinness, was a captain in the Royal Horse Guards and his mother was a daughter of the Earl of Howth. His grandfather, Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, was a brewer and also served as lord mayor of Dublin in the 1850s and later as Conservative MP for Dublin City in the 1860s. A statue of his grandfather stands in the grounds of Dublin’s St Patrick’s Cathedral, a building which he helped to restore to its former glory.

Other close relations include uncles, Lord Ardilaun and the Earl of Iveagh, while first cousins include MPs Walter Guinness and Rupert Guinness.

After receiving a private education at home, Lee Guinness went to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, but he did not complete his studies there. Motor racing was his true passion and it seems to have succeeded in attracting his full attention.

While still at university, he served as riding mechanic for his older brother, Algernon (Algy) Lee Guinness. This marked his entry into the world of motor racing. By 1907, he was competing in races as a driver. That year, he drove a four-cylinder Darracq in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) race, but had to retire early due to mechanical trouble. More races followed, including the Belgian grand prix and the French grand prix.

Coveted titles

Lee Guinness picked up several coveted titles and prizes during his racing career, which saw him compete in races all over Europe. In 1913, he broke world records at the Brooklands motor racing circuit in Surrey. The following year, he won the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy race in a Sunbeam, travelling at an average speed of 56.44 mph. In 1922, he set an official world land speed record, again at Brooklands, when his aluminium-bodied Sunbeam reached a speed of 133.75 mph.

Also in 1922, Lee Guinness took the top spot in the Spanish Grand Prix, when he covered the 331 miles of the course at an average speed of 65.5 mph. Two years later, driving a Talbot 70, he took the top prize at the Swiss Grand Prix at Geneva. It seemed like he was unstoppable.

As Lee Guinness gained more driving experience, he grew frustrated by the inability of spark plugs to keep up with the demands of increasingly powerful cars. This led him to design a spark plug that could withstand higher temperatures. Together with his brother Algernon, he founded a company in 1912 to investigate how to improve the performance of plugs. Following extensive testing, he decided to substitute mica for porcelain as an insulator for the spark plug.

The result was a major improvement, as it meant that plugs did not have to be replaced as frequently, and that drivers could race for longer periods of time without being forced to stop. Initially, the new plugs were circulated among his circle of racing friends, but soon ordinary motorists began to look for them and mass production followed. By 1914, the factory was producing 4,000 spark plugs per week.

Lee Guinness enlisted in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve at the outbreak of the first World War. After seeing some active service at Dunkirk, he was requested to return to civilian life and serve his country by focusing on the production of spark plugs. The plugs were also being used in motorcycle and aircraft engines. By 1918, close to 1,500 people were employed manufacturing the plugs that bore his initials, KLG. These revolutionary little spark plugs had turned the automotive world on its head.

Disaster struck in September 1924 when Lee Guinness was injured while competing in the Gran Premio de San Sebastián. On lap 11, his Sunbeam struck a rut, skidded on the wet track and overturned. His riding mechanic, Tom Barrett, was killed instantly and Lee Guinness sustained heavy injuries to his head and limbs. This incident affected him greatly and ultimately led him to abandon racing altogether.

Lee Guinness died at his home in Kingston upon Thames in April 1937. He was 49 years of age. A verdict of death by suicide was recorded by the coroner at the inquest.