Book Review: Colin Chapman, The man and his cars by Jabby Crombac
Great artists sometimes have complicated legacies, making it hard for us to unconditionally accept the brilliance of their work. And sometimes, there are attempts after their deaths (well-meaning, or cynical) to restore a reputation – or worse, whitewash the truth. A recent, wildly successful biopic about a celebrated but suspect pop star comes to mind, but there are plenty of other examples throughout history.
Jabby Crombac’s authorized biography of Colin Chapman was published six years before a judge said that the Lotus founder had been party to a “massive fraud” involving UK government money intended for the failed DeLorean Motor Company – and would have been jailed had he still been alive. As it was, Fred Bushell, longtime Lotus financial director and a prominent voice in the book, did serve time for the crime.
At the time of writing, Crombac clearly had no knowledge of what had happened and his comment on the end of DeLorean – “a number of questions relating to this contract are still unanswered, and may remain so for a long time to come” – is amusing in its naivety, given what we now know.
Nevertheless, what subsequently came to light does make you pause before marveling unconditionally at Chapman’s technical innovations, ambition and chutzpah, numerous examples of which are well detailed in the text. Not that the author takes a particularly hagiographic tone, despite the book being written with the cooperation of Lotus and the Chapman family. Alongside admiration for the fruits of Chapman’s astonishingly fertile brain, undoubted work ethic and singlemindedness (in a positive, determined way), are multiple episodes that illustrate his impatience, temper and singlemindedness (in a damagingly stubborn way).
What made the book special for me were the largely unvarnished insights and unique anecdotes of someone who was around Chapman for so long: Crombac, the co-founder and long-time editor of Sport Auto, bought an early Lotus in 1953, occasionally worked as a fixer for the race team (for example, he was present when Chapman fell out with the ACO for good, after Le Mans in 1962), and remained friends with him until Chapman’s sudden death from a heart attack, in 1982.
It’s testament to Crombac’s obvious labour of love that this very personal volume, in updated form, remains the go-to biography of Colin Chapman, 40 years after its publication. My copy – signed by Crombac and Hazel Chapman, who rightly features prominently in the early chapters – has a cherished place on the shelf.
Colin Chapman – The man and his cars
by Gerard (‘Jabby’) Crombac
Patrick Stephens Ltd, 1986. ISBN 0-85059-733-1
Find it on eBay
Jabby Crombac’s authorized biography of Colin Chapman was published six years before a judge said that the Lotus founder had been party to a “massive fraud” involving UK government money intended for the failed DeLorean Motor Company – and would have been jailed had he still been alive. As it was, Fred Bushell, longtime Lotus financial director and a prominent voice in the book, did serve time for the crime.
At the time of writing, Crombac clearly had no knowledge of what had happened and his comment on the end of DeLorean – “a number of questions relating to this contract are still unanswered, and may remain so for a long time to come” – is amusing in its naivety, given what we now know.
Nevertheless, what subsequently came to light does make you pause before marveling unconditionally at Chapman’s technical innovations, ambition and chutzpah, numerous examples of which are well detailed in the text. Not that the author takes a particularly hagiographic tone, despite the book being written with the cooperation of Lotus and the Chapman family. Alongside admiration for the fruits of Chapman’s astonishingly fertile brain, undoubted work ethic and singlemindedness (in a positive, determined way), are multiple episodes that illustrate his impatience, temper and singlemindedness (in a damagingly stubborn way).
What made the book special for me were the largely unvarnished insights and unique anecdotes of someone who was around Chapman for so long: Crombac, the co-founder and long-time editor of Sport Auto, bought an early Lotus in 1953, occasionally worked as a fixer for the race team (for example, he was present when Chapman fell out with the ACO for good, after Le Mans in 1962), and remained friends with him until Chapman’s sudden death from a heart attack, in 1982.
It’s testament to Crombac’s obvious labour of love that this very personal volume, in updated form, remains the go-to biography of Colin Chapman, 40 years after its publication. My copy – signed by Crombac and Hazel Chapman, who rightly features prominently in the early chapters – has a cherished place on the shelf.
Colin Chapman – The man and his cars
by Gerard (‘Jabby’) Crombac
Patrick Stephens Ltd, 1986. ISBN 0-85059-733-1
Find it on eBay