Geoff Crossley

11/5/1921 - 7/1/2002

Record updated 11-May-20

Amateur pre WWII racer who in 1949, after the war and with little previous experience with his Rilly, entered an Alta GP2 in the Belgian Grand Prix. He also entered the 1950 British GP at Silverstone, his only World Championship race.

Born in Baslow, Derbyshire, Geoffrey Crossley started racing with a Riley pre WWII. With the end of hostilities he ordered the second Alta (GP2) from Geoffrey Taylor and upon delivery took it to compete in the 1949 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa. This may have seemed an ambitious step for someone with only a little previous experience with his Riley, but wisely he took things easily and finished seventh, five laps behind Louis Rosier’s winning Lago-Talbot.

Crossley then entered the 1950 British GP at Silverstone, his first world championship race. He retired with transmission failure but enjoyed slightly better fortune when returning to Spa for the Belgian Grand Prix, qualifying 12th and finishing ninth once again five laps off the pace. He also entered a couple of non-championship events that year picking up sixth place in the Jersey Road Race.

It seems he was unhappy with the costs of running and maintaining this machine and dropped out of the racing scene, apart from a brief reappearance at Goodwood’s 1955 Easter meeting, entering his home-made Berkshire Special in the Richmond Trophy and Chichester Cup. However the car performed so poorly it was immediately withdrawn and never raced again.

Crossley worked in the furniture business thereafter but died in Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital after suffering a stroke.

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