Reg Parnell participated in seven Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, achieving one podium, and scoring a total of nine championship points.
39 Facts About Reg Parnell
2.
Reg Parnell raced at Brooklands and was banned following an accident with Kay Petre which ended her racing career.
3.
Reg Parnell later raced a whole host of cars before turning to management and taking Aston Martin into Formula 1.
4.
Reg Parnell went on to run the Yeoman Credit Racing team with the help of his son Tim who later raced in Formula 1 himself.
5.
Reg Parnell came from a family which ran a garage business in Derby.
6.
Reg Parnell had secured wins at both Brooklands and Donington Park, but in 1937 he lost his licence following a practice accident for the 500 Mile race, at Brooklands.
7.
Reg Parnell misjudged an overtaking move on Kay Petre, when he lost control of the MG, crashing into her Austin 7 from behind, causing it to roll.
8.
The ban meant in effect that, during 1938, Reg Parnell found himself unable to race his cars, he soon discovered that lending the cars to other drivers was an excellent way of being involved in racing.
9.
Reg Parnell was particularly successful with this BHW at Donington Park.
10.
Reg Parnell sold race cars, with many famous and less famous racing machines passing through his hands, whilst making a name for himself in the business.
11.
Reg Parnell returned to racing as soon as he could in 1946 in a variety of machinery, most notably a Maserati 4CLT, then an ERA A-type alongside several Delages and Rileys.
12.
In 1947, Reg Parnell was Britain's most successful racing driver, for which he won the BRDC's Gold Star.
13.
Reg Parnell began the year by winning two ice races in Sweden, with his ERA A-type, the earlier of these being the first Formula 1 race.
14.
Reg Parnell then returned to Britain, to win the Jersey Road Race in the Maserati 4CLT.
15.
Reg Parnell would have won in Ulster, had his recently acquired ERA E-type not broken a de Dion tube.
16.
Reg Parnell won the Goodwood Trophy at the first-ever meeting at Sussex circuit, was second in the Penya Rhin Grand Prix and fifth in the Gran Premio d'Italia.
17.
Reg Parnell maintained this success into 1949 with the Maserati, gaining many successes at Goodwood, earning him the nickname, "Emperor of Goodwood", and raced at almost every major circuit across Europe.
18.
Reg Parnell competed in the early-season races in South America.
19.
Reg Parnell was there for the 1947 Swedish Winter Grand Prix at Rommehed, the first race run for cars complying with the newly-introduced Formula 1.
20.
Reg Parnell duly won, thus becoming the first winner of a Formula 1 race.
21.
Reg Parnell led an ERA clean sweep of the podium, as the only three cars to finish.
22.
Meanwhile, between the two races Reg Parnell had the idea of fitting twin rear wheels to his ERA to improve its road-holding on the ice.
23.
When he arrived at the race, the lead French driver, Raymond Sommer immediately objected but Reg Parnell had checked the rules beforehand and found that there was nothing to preclude twin rear wheels.
24.
Reg Parnell would be the only British driver even to be selected to race with the all-conquering factory.
25.
Reg Parnell remained under contract to BRM for 1951, but raced his Maserati because BRM could never get him a car, first with a win in the Chichester Cup at Goodwood, then having to retire in the Gran Premio di San Remo.
26.
Reg Parnell left a star-studded field standing in conditions so bad that the BRDC International Trophy final raced through hail, lightning and heavy rain.
27.
Reg Parnell won the first heat, breaking the outright lap record on his first lap, from a standing start, from Farina and his 4CLT.
28.
Reg Parnell would go on and win the final, after a tremendous battle with Farina.
29.
Reg Parnell was back in the 4CLT at Dundrod for the Ulster Trophy.
30.
However, as the BRM failed to show up, and Shawe-Taylor was clearly at the same level as Reg Parnell, Vandervell offered the Thinwall to Reg Parnell, who finished fourth.
31.
Reg Parnell followed this up with a class win in the RAC Tourist Trophy, held around the narrow lanes of Dundrod.
32.
In 1952, Reg Parnell enjoyed more class success with the DB2, taking wins at Silverstone and Boreham; at Goodwood, he unhesitatingly assumed duties as team manager for Aston Martin, following a pit fire seriously injured John Wyer.
33.
Reg Parnell was second at the RAC Tourist Trophy, and victorious in the Goodwood Nine Hours.
34.
In 1954, in addition to his commitments for Aston Martin, Reg Parnell continued to drive his own Ferrari 625 in numerous Formula One events, winning at Goodwood, Snetterton and Crystal Palace.
35.
Reg Parnell was successful in other formulae but at the end of 1957 he decided to retire at the age of just 45.
36.
Reg Parnell then decided to enter Formula One and Parnell led the team but at the end of 1960 the programme was abandoned.
37.
In 1961 the Samengo-Turner brothers asked Parnell to take over the management of the Yeoman Credit Racing Team sponsorship deal from Ken Gregory of the British Racing Partnership.
38.
Reg Parnell Racing was still in the early stages of development in its premises in Hounslow, running a car of the young driver, Chris Amon.
39.
Dr Bartrip wrote that Reg Parnell "could prepare a car meticulously and was as astute judge of a driver, identifying the potential of such talented prospects as John Surtees, Chris Amon, and Mike Hailwood".