Taso Mathieson
Thomas Alastair Sutherland Ogilvy ('Taso') Mathieson (25 July 1908, Glasgow – 12 October 1991, Vichy)[1][2][3] was a British racing driver. Between 1930 and 1955, he entered more than 30 races, including multiple times the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Racing career and personal life
'Taso' Mathieson started racing in 1930, when he entered a race at Brooklands restricted to Lagondas.[4] He established his first victory during an Easter Bank-Holiday BARC Open Meeting on 28 March 1932, driving a supercharged Officine Meccaniche. Over the next two years, he won three races in his Bugatti and broke the lap record for 2-litre cars at Snaefell Mountain Course on the Isle of Man, with an average speed of 72.15 mph (116.11 kph).[3]
Because of health problems, Mathieson was unable to enter any races from 1934 to 1937, so his Bugatti was driven a few times by Chris Staniland. In 1938 and 1939 he entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but both times retired before the finish.[3][5]
Mathieson was one of the first, if not the first, Briton to race again in Continental Europe after World War II after buying a 3-litre Maserati in 1946 from Henry Birkin.[6] He later bought a 2-litre Frazer Nash Le Mans in which he scored a class victory in the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans together with Richard Stoop. Mathieson also entered his English Racing Automobiles (ERA) for the 1950 British Grand Prix, so that Leslie Johnson could drive it. However, others say ERA was the entrant, because Johnson had purchased the car manufacturer three years before.[7] He continued racing until 1955, mostly entering Grands Prix in France. When he was injured in a traffic or racing accident, he was forced to retire.[8] After 25 years of racing, Mathieson concentrated on his writing and his collection of photographs, together with his wife Mila Parély, a French actress he had married in 1947. He wrote various authoritative books, including Grand Prix Racing 1906-1914, and wrote several articles in the French magazine Le Fanauto in 1979 and 1980.
Racing results
| Year | Date | Race | Entrant | Car | Teammate(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | 14 July | 1933 Mannin Moar | T. Mathieson | Bugatti Type 35C | none | DNF |
| 7 October | Donington Park Trophy | |||||
| 21 October | Mountain Championship | |||||
| 1938 | 22 May | Antwerp Grand Prix | Bugatti Type 57 | |||
| 5 June | Grand Prix des Frontières | TASO Mathieson | none | 3rd | ||
| 19 June–20 | 1938 24 Hours of Le Mans | DNA | ||||
| 19–20 June | 1938 24 Hours of Le Mans | Norbert Mahé | Talbot-Lago T150C | Freddy Clifford | DNF (17th) | |
| 10 July | 24 Hours of Spa | Talbot-Lago T150C | DNA | |||
| 3 September | RAC Tourist Trophy | TASO Mathieson | Bugatti Type 57 | none | 20th | |
| 1939 | 28 May | Grand Prix des Frontières | T. Mathieson | Maserati | none | DNA |
| 18 June–19 | 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans | Luigi Chinetti | Talbot-Lago T26 | Luigi Chinetti | DNF (24th) | |
| TASO Mathieson | Talbot 150SS Figoni | Philippe de Massa Norbert Mahé |
DNS * | |||
| 1946 | 30 May | Resistance Cup | Maserati 8C | DNF | ||
| 9 June | 1946 René le Bègue Cup | 5th | ||||
| 16 June | Brussels Grand Prix | TASO Mathieson | Talbot-Lago | none | DNS | |
| 30 June | Roussillon Grand Prix | Maserati 8C | 6th | |||
| 1947 | 13 July | National Gransden (Formula Libre) | John Wyer | HRG | none | DNA |
| 1949 | 26 June | 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans | Mrs. R.P. Hichens | Aston Martin 2-Litre Sports | Pierre Maréchal | DNF (22nd) † |
| 1950 | 25 June | 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans | H.J. Aldington | Frazer Nash Mille Miglia | Richard Stoop | Overall 9th Class 1st |
| 1951 | 17 June | Circuito do Porto | Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica | 9th | ||
| 12 August | Circuito di Senigallia | 5th | ||||
| 9 September | Targa Florio | TASO Mathieson | Jacques Pollet | DNF | ||
| 1952 | 29 June | Ferrari 195 S | Overall 6th Class 1st | |||
| 1953 | 7 June | 12 Hours of Hyères | Maserati A6GCS | |||
| 20 June | Roubaix Grand Prix | 6th | ||||
| 28 June | Circuit de Bressuire | 3rd | ||||
| 25 July | Caen Grand Prix | Scuderia della Guestella | none | 4th | ||
| Sources: | ||||||
- Mathieson was the team owner, not a driver.
† Pierre Maréchal was killed in an accident.
References
- ↑ He was the son of Thomas Ogilvie Mathieson (see Alexander Mathieson & Sons).
- 1 2 http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/dm.htm
- 1 2 3 4 http://www.historicracing.com/driver_az.cfm?type=drivers_alpha&tStartRow=1&AlphaIndex=M&driverID=2497
- ↑ http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20143/lot/226/
- ↑ http://archive.motorsportmagazine.com/article/january-1992/55/674c1a67-3dfc-44f3-b2ce-49283274d294/taso-mathieson
- 1 2 http://www.chicanef1.com/query.pl?driver=T.A.S.O.+Mathieson&nc=nc&exact=on&sh_year=on&sh_date=on&sh_gp=on&sh_carno=on&sh_driver=on&sh_entrant=on&sh_car=on&sh_eng=on&sh_qualpos=on&sh_racepos=on&action=Display
- ↑ http://www.allf1.info/teams/era.php
- ↑ http://www.lapresse.ca/arts/spectacles-et-theatre/theatre/201201/16/01-4486257-deces-de-la-comedienne-francaise-mila-parely.php
- ↑ http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/T.A.S%20O._-Mathieson-GB.html
- ↑ http://www.statsf1.com/en/taso-mathieson/engagementhc.aspx
- ↑ http://www.race-database.com/owner/owner.php?owner_id=Mathieson
- ↑ http://www.wsrp.cz/flibre1947.html
- ↑ http://forums.autosport.com/topic/89073-tnf-guide-to-former-premises-gransden-lodge-circuit/
- ↑ http://www.chicanef1.com/indiv.pl?name=Bois%20de%20Boulogne&type=I