John Anthony Ambrose was a
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rally driver who, as
co-driverCo-driver is the term given to the navigator of rally car in the sport of rally racing, who sits in the front passenger seat. The co-driver's job is to navigate, by reading off a set of pacenotes to the driver, often over a radio headset, due to the high level of noise in the car...
, twice won the
RAC RallyWales Rally GB is the largest and most high profile motor rally in the United Kingdom. It is a round of the FIA World Rally Championship and was formerly a round of the MSA British Rally Championship and is based in and around the city of Cardiff in Wales...
, in 1956 and 1965.
Early life and Oxford University
Ambrose was born in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, where his father owned a farm machinery business, and attended the local grammar school. This business entitled his father to a supplementary allowance for fuel, which was rationed during the Second World War. Ambrose learnt to drive by accompanying his father on his visits to farms, initially sitting on his father's lap to steer whilst his father operated the pedals, and learning map-reading skills (signposts having been removed from roads for fear of invasion).
His father promised to buy him a car if he obtained a
scholarshipA scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
to Oxford University. Ambrose won a scholarship in 1951 to read Engineering at
Jesus College, OxfordJesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
, and he was given a red MG TC car by his father as promised. However, he was not permitted by university rules to keep a car in Oxford whilst he was in his first academic year. Nevertheless, he made friends with other university motor sports enthusiasts and competed in events and rallies outside the university, sometimes in partnership with his elder brother Norman (who had read Physics at Jesus College from 1943 to 1945). In 1952, the brothers were part of the Oxford team for the Annual Varsity Rally, but lost to a Cambridge University team that included Archie Scott Brown.
In the
Trinity termTrinity term is the name of the third and final term of Oxford University's and the University of Dublin's academic year. It runs from about mid April to about the end of June and is named after Trinity Sunday, which falls eight weeks after Easter, in May or June.At the University of Sydney, it was...
of 1952, Ambrose and another Oxford driver, David Hamilton, approached the Proctors for permission to reactivate the University's Motor Drivers' Club, which had been banned before Ambrose started at Oxford for organising a race on public roads between Oxford and
Marble ArchMarble Arch is a white Carrara marble monument that now stands on a large traffic island at the junction of Oxford Street, Park Lane, and Edgware Road, almost directly opposite Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park in London, England...
in London. He obtained support from
Earl HoweFrancis Richard Henry Penn Curzon, 5th Earl Howe, CBE, PC, VD was a British naval officer, Member of Parliament, motor racing driver and promotor. In the 1918 UK General Election he won the Battersea South seat as the candidate of the Conservative Party, which he held until 1929...
and
Sir Miles Thomas Miles Webster Thomas, Baron Thomas, Lord Thomas of Remenham, known as Sir Miles Thomas, or Lord Thomas, DFC was Managing Director of the Morris Motor Company, 1940–1947, Chairman of the British Overseas Airways Corporation , 1949–1956, Chairman of the merger...
, both former members of the club. The Proctors gave their permission for the club to be refounded, and it went on to be a source of strength for British rally driving in the 1960s. Ambrose became Secretary, and later President; Earl Howe and Sir Miles Thomas became honorary Vice Presidents.
Rally driving career and later life
After leaving Oxford, Ambrose joined the
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
but continued to drive in rallies. In 1956, he won the RAC Rally with Lyndon Sims in an
Aston Martin DB2The Aston Martin DB2 is a sports car sold by Aston Martin from May 1950 through to April 1953. It was a major advancement over the 2-Litre Sports model it replaced, with a dual overhead cam straight-6 in place of the previously-used pushrod straight-4. The car featured a 2.6 L engine, and was...
. He joined the BMC rally team in 1960, with further successes following. These included victory on the Tulip (Holland, Belgium and eastern France) in 1961 (class victory) and 1964 (outright victory). He also co-drove with
Rauno AaltonenRauno August Aaltonen , also known as "The Rally Professor", is a Finnish former professional rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship throughout the 1970s. Before WRC was established Aaltonen competed in the European Rally Championship. He won the championship in 1965, with Tony...
in an
Austin-Healey 3000The Austin-Healey 3000 is a British sports car built from 1959 to 1967, and is the best known of the "big" Healey models. The car's bodywork was made by Jensen Motors, and the vehicles were assembled at the BMC Abingdon works....
to win the Spa-Sofia-Liege event in 1964, an event lasting four days and nights with no scheduled sleep time. Aaltonen later recalled how Ambrose had driven 77 miles (124 km) at night in just 52 minutes, reaching speeds of 150 miles (241 km) per hour over
cobblestoneCobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
roads whilst Aaltonen slept in the car. Ambrose also co-drove with Aaltonen as Aaltonen took the 1965
European Rally ChampionshipThe European Rally Championship is the European continental championship series in rallying. It is organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile .-History:...
title, including victory at the RAC Rally. The 1965 RAC Rally victory was the first time that a
MiniThe Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
had won the event.
Ambrose left the BMC team in 1966 to spend more time with his family and his business. His last rally was the 1966 RAC Rally, with
Simo LampinenSimo Lampinen is a Finnish former rally driver, and one of the first of the "Flying Finns" who came to dominate the sport.-Biography:...
, although an accident meant that they had to stop. After giving up racing, Ambrose helped with the organisation for the 1968
London-Sydney MarathonThe London–Sydney Marathon was a car rally from the United Kingdom to Australia. It was first run in 1968, a second event was organised in 1977 and a third in 1993 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original. Two further rallies have subsequently been contested in 2000 and 2004.The original...
and the 1970
London-Mexico RallyThe 1970 London-Mexico World Cup Rally was the first of two World Cup Rallies to be held and the second of four marathon rallies to be held in a nine-year period beginning with the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon...
. Businesses that he was involved with included a family-run decorating firm and a pub in Wales. Ambrose died in
Newbury, BerkshireNewbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
on 5 January 2008.