Tommy Wisdom
# Tommy Wisdom

Thomas Henry Wisdom (16 February 1906 – 12 November 1972) was a British motoring correspondent for the Daily Herald. He was also a racing driver who took part in numerous races and rallies.

Wisdom was born in Brighton. His wife Elsie (known as "Bill") was also a racing driver, and their daughter Ann Wisdom competed in International rallies, most notably as Pat Moss's co-driver.

Tommy Wisdom, died in Birmingham, aged 66.

## Racing, rallying and record-breaking

Wisdom specialised in endurance events and entered 52 sports car races in 33 years, including 12 Le Mans 24-hour races, 10 Mille Miglias and 4 Targa Florios. He was a class winner in the Mille Miglia in 1949, 1952 and 1957, and at Le Mans in 1950 and 1952. In 1950 he lent his Jaguar XK120 to Stirling Moss for the RAC Tourist Trophy, which brought Moss his first major international race victory.

Cars that Wisdom raced included Singer, Riley, MG, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Bristol, Nash-Healey, Austin-Healey, Jowett and Bentley, and among his co-drivers were Jack Fairman, Leslie Johnson, and Graham Whitehead.

An experienced rally driver, he competed in the Monte Carlo Rally 23 times.

In 1959 he was a member of the three-driver BMC team whose EX-219 streamliner, a purpose-built experimental Austin-Healey Sprite, broke 12 speed records at Bonneville Salt Flats. The car averaged 138.75 mph (223.30 km/h) for 12 hours.

## Sports car racing results

| No. | Date | Race | Entrant | Car | Teammate(s) | Result |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 22 August 1931 | RAC Tourist Trophy | "L.A. Cushman" | Invicta S | "J. Chilton" Donald Healey Dudley Froy | 19th |
| 2 | 20 August 1932 | RAC Tourist Trophy | Elsie Wisdom | Riley Brooklands 9 | Sammy Newsome | DNF |
| 3 | 16 September 1933 | 500 Miles of Brooklands | Alan Hess | MG L Type | Alan Hess | DNF |
| 4 | 17 June 1934 | 1934 24 Hours of Le Mans | Singer Motors | Singer Nine Le Mans | John Donald Barnes | 18th |
| 5 | 22 September 1934 | 500 Miles of Brooklands | Capt. G.E.T. Eyston | MG K3 | Bill Everitt | 4th |
| 6 | 16 June 1935 | 1935 24 Hours of Le Mans | Singer Motors | Singer Nine Le Mans | John Donald Barnes | DNF |
| 7 | 7 September 1935 | RAC Tourist Trophy | Peter Donkin | Aston Martin Ulster | Peter Donkin | DNS |
| 8 | 21 September 1935 | 500 Miles of Brooklands | "Evans" | MG R-Type | "A.L. Phipps" | NC |
| 9 | 28 June 1936 | Grand Prix de l'ACF | D.M.K. Marendaz | Marendaz Special | Earl Howe | 25th |
| 10 | 5 September 1936 | RAC Tourist Trophy | Arthur Dobson | Riley TT Sprite | Arthur Dobson | DNS |
| 11 | 19 September 1936 | 500 Miles of Brooklands | "Dixon" | Riley 6 | "G. Daybell" | 6th |
| 12 | 4 April 1937 | Mille Miglia | | MG SA | Elsie Wisdom | DNF |
| 13 | 24 July 1937 | 12 Hours of Donington | Team Autosports | Singer Nine Le Mans | Frank Stanley Barnes Alf Langley | DNA |
| 14 | 4 September 1937 | RAC Tourist Trophy | Singer Motors | Singer Nine Le Mans | none | DNF |
| 15 | 19 June 1938 | 1938 24 Hours of Le Mans | Team Autosports | Singer Nine Le Mans | John Donald Barnes | DNF |
| 16 | 3 September 1938 | RAC Tourist Trophy | Frank Stanley Barnes | Singer | none | 26th |
| 17 | 18 June 1939 | 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans | Archie Scott Brown | Singer Nine Le Mans | Archie Scott | DNF |
| 18 | 11 July 1948 | Spa 24 Hours | | Healey | Nick Haines | 8th |
| 19 | 12 September 1948 | 24 Hours of Paris | | Healey | Norman Black | DNF |
| 20 | 24 April 1949 | Mille Miglia | | Healey 2400 Westland | Geoffrey Healey | 10th (1st in class) |
| 21 | 26 June 1949 | 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans | "H.S.F. Hay" | Bentley 4 1/4 Paulin | "H.S.F. Hay" "Mrs. Hay" | 6th |
| 22 | 10 July 1949 | Spa 24 Hours | Jowett | Jowett Javelin | Anthony Hulme | 9th |
| 23 | 20 August 1949 | Silverstone International | Donald Healey | Healey Silverstone | none | 17th |
| 24 | 3 January 1950 | Palm Beach | | Healey Silverstone | "C. Swenson" | 22nd |
| 25 | 2 April 1950 | Targa Florio | | Healey Silverstone | Anthony Hulme | 15th |
| 26 | 23 April 1950 | Mille Miglia | Jaguar Cars | Jaguar XK120 | Anthony Hulme | DNF |
| 27 | 18 June 1950 | Circuito do Porto | | Jaguar XK120 | | 3rd |
| 28 | 25 June 1950 | 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans | Jowett | Jowett Jupiter | Tommy Wise | 16th (1st in class) |
| 29 | 26 August 1950 | Silverstone International | Tom Wisdom | Jaguar XK120 | none | 7th |
| 30 | 16 September 1950 | RAC Tourist Trophy | Jowett | Jowett Jupiter | none | DNF |
| 31 | 29 April 1951 | Mille Miglia | Tommy Wisdom | Aston Martin DB2 | Anthony Hulme | 11th |
| 32 | 5 May 1951 | International Production Car Race | T.H. Wisdom | Jaguar XK120 | none | 9th |
| 33 | 17 June 1951 | 1951 Portuguese Grand Prix | | Jaguar XK120 | | DNF |
| 34 | 23 June 1951 | 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans | Jowett | Jowett Jupiter | Tommy Wise | DNF |
| 35 | 15 September 1951 | RAC Tourist Trophy | Jaguar Cars | Jaguar C-Type | Stirling Moss | DNS |
| 36 | 15 September 1951 | RAC Tourist Trophy | Jowett Cars | Jowett Jupiter | none | NC |
| 37 | 4 May 1952 | Mille Miglia | Aston Martin | Aston Martin DB2 | Fred Lown | 12th (1st in class) |
| 38 | 2 June 1952 | 1952 Monaco Grand Prix | Tommy Wisdom | Jaguar C-Type | none | 6th |
| 39 | 15 June 1952 | 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans | Healey | Nash-Healey | Leslie Johnson | 3rd (1st in class) |
| 40 | 26 April 1953 | 1953 Mille Miglia | Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. | Aston Martin DB2 | Dave Halliwell Peter Bolton | DNF |
| 41 | 14 May 1953 | Targa Florio | Jaguar Cars | Jaguar C-Type | none | 17th |
| 42 | 14 June 1953 | 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans | Bristol Aeroplane Co. | Bristol 450 | Jack Fairman Maurice Wilson Graham Whitehead | DNF |
| 43 | 7 March 1954 | 12 Hours of Sebring | Donald Healey Ltd. | Austin-Healey 100 | Lance Macklin George Huntoon Thomas Johnson | DNS |
| 44 | 2 May 1954 | 1954 Mille Miglia | Donald Healey | Austin-Healey 100 | Mortimer Morris-Goodall | DNF |
| 45 | 13 June 1954 | 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans | Bristol Aeroplane Co. | Bristol 450 | Jack Fairman | 8th |
| 46 | 4 July 1954 | 12 Hours of Reims | Bristol Aeroplane Co. | Bristol 450 | Jack Fairman | 12th |
| 47 | 1 May 1955 | Mille Miglia | Aston Martin | Aston Martin DB2 | Peter Bolton | DNF |
| 48 | 12 June 1955 | 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans | Bristol Aeroplane Co. | Bristol 450 | Jack Fairman Tommy Line | 9th |
| 49 | 29 April 1956 | Mille Miglia | | Austin-Healey 100S | Walter Monaco | 77th |
| 50 | 12 May 1957 | Mille Miglia | | Austin-Healey 100S | Cecil Winby | 37th |
| 51 | 24 May 1959 | Targa Florio | Tommy Wisdom | Austin-Healey Sprite | Bernard Cahier | 18th |
| 52 | 26 April 1964 | Targa Florio | Donald Healey Motor Company | Austin-Healey Sprite | Paddy Hopkirk | DNF |
