David Hampshire

29/12/1917 - 25/8/1990

Record updated 24-Aug-06

A company director who business funded his racing in an ERA and Maserati. He raced before and after the Second World War.

David Hampshire was born in Mickleover, Derby, England. He was a company director who started racing a Maserati before the war.

After the war he enjoyed some success with his ERA. In 1948 he finished second in the British Empire Trophy on the Isle of Man and sharing the car with band leader Billy Cotton, he finished fourth in the British GP in 1949.

In 1950 with the ERA was getting a bit long in the tooth, his friend Reg Parnell offered him a drive in one of the Scuderia Ambrosiana semi-works Maserati 4CLT/48s at a couple of Grands Prix. At the British Grand Prix he qualified in 16th and in the race drove steadily to finish ninth all be it six laps down on the winner, Giuseppe Farina. At the French Grand Prix in July he qualified 18th but went out with engine problems after six laps. He competed in a number of non-championship races during the year finishing fifth in the British Empire Trophy on the Isle of Man and he won the Nottingham Trophy F1 race in August, coming home ahead of Reg Parnell and Geoff Richardson.

He raced the Maserati again in 1951, as well as his ERA, though his results were nothing to write home about. He also shared a works Aston Martin DB2 with Reg Parnell at the Mans, the pair finishing seventh.

From then on Hampshire raced very little though he reappeared in 1955 for a couple of outings in a Lister-Bristol, taking ninth overall and a class win with Scott-Russell in the BARC 9-hour race at Goodwood.

He died in Newton Solney, Burton upon Trent on 25 August 1990.