John Crosslé, who founded the Crosslé Car Company in Holywood, Co Down, in 1957, has died.
After finishing school in St Columba's College, Rathfarnham, Crosslé returned to Northern Ireland to become a successful pig farmer and part-time race-car constructor. By the mid 1960s, the Crosslé Car Company was providing up-and-coming stars such as John Watson, Brian Cullen and Ken Fildes with Formula 2 cars – but Crosslé's greatest success was in the 1600cc Formula Ford class. Starting with the 16F in 1968, by 1975 Crosslé had a world beater on his hands with the 30F.
Initially Eddie Jordan was the trailblazer but a crash at Mallory Park finished his promising season. The following year David Kennedy won the European and RAC Championships in his John Hynes-backed 30F car.
In 1977 Nigel Mansell was on the road to F1 thanks to his Crosslé-Ford 32F.
Crosslé produced many beautiful cars - most notably the Sports car 9S. The firm has operated out of the same premises in Rory's Wood, Holywood, since the beginning, but in later years Arnie Black ran the firm until Paul McMorran took it over in 2012.
John Crosslé was supported greatly by his wife Rosemary and both were present at a function in the RIAC Archive, hosted by archivist Bob Montgomery, last year. His legacy is recounted in detail in a new book by Alan Tyndell, to be launched next week in Belfast.