A Special Breed
Grand Prix sidecar racing attracts a select type of rider; brave, uncompromising; and a perfect example was Eric Oliver who gained four world titles. He was born in Sussex in 1911; began grass track racing while still a teenager, and until the outbreak of World War 2 he also rode each year in the Isle of Man. Mostly these efforts ended in retirement; until the 1939 series when he finished in 15th place in both the Junior and Senior TTs.
Bomber Command
Accepted for aircrew in the RAF, Eric went on to fly 40 missions as a flight engineer with Bomber Command. With the end of hostilities he resumed his racing activities, which included solo and sidecar events. After a successful 1948 season on the European circuits he concentrated on the sidecar category, apart from final solo entries in the 1949 TT series.
Continental Circus
Eric used Nortons exclusively during his sidecar career; receiving some support from the firm, but not as an official works rider. He did have strong sponsorship from Ron Watson with the ‘Watsonian’ brand of sidecar, but it was a Spartan, gypsy existence travelling widely to compete at the continental meetings. Any income depended on start and prize money, plus bonuses from the oil and tyre suppliers.
Two World Championships
Sidecar passengers were also a unique group; heroic characters placing their trust in their drivers’ skills. An outstanding example was the bearded journalist, Dennis Jenkinson who passengered for Eric in 1949 and 1950; with the intrepid pair winning the World’s Championship in both years. ‘Jenks’ gained further fame when he navigated for Stirling Moss on his record-breaking drive to win the 1955 Mille Miglia for Mercedes Benz.
Third World Championship
Eric’s 600cc Norton, with its girder forks and rigid frame looked somewhat dated compared to the much faster Gilera fours ranged against them. It was only Oliver’s tigerish riding and ‘never say die’ attitude that prevailed, particularly on the demanding Continental street circuits. By 1951 the spindly Norton had been replaced by an up-dated twin-cam version, featuring the latest ‘Featherbed’ frame. ‘Jenks’ had also moved on and his place taken by an Italian hero, Lorenzo Dobelli, whose presence was a key factor in their gaining a third World Championship for E.S. Oliver.
Early Season Crash
On the following year their meteoric progress was interrupted by a race crash early in the season, where the crew each suffered a broken leg. The durable Oliver turned up for the Belgian Grand Prix with his leg encased in plaster. Dobelli was still on crutches and his situation was taken over by Eric Bliss. Incredibly, Oliver was allowed to compete, but even more so when he snatched victory at the final corner after a stirring battle with the Gileras. He suffered mechanical failures at Solitude and Monza and eventually finished in fifth place in the World’s Championship. The new champion was Cyril Smith, another Norton exponent. He had suffered a fractured skull from a crash earlier in the season, but with commendable courage he returned to the fray to become a worthy champion for Great Britain.
BMW Challenge
By 1953 the BMW influence was creating even greater challenges for the British riders. With its Boxer engine, delivering turbine-like power and shaft drive the ‘Rennsport’ was ideally suited to sidecar racing and would eventually dominate that category for a further decade and beyond. Nevertheless, Eric Oliver gained his fourth World Championship in 1953. At that stage the single-cylinder Norton had reached the peak of its development, but the forward-thinking Oliver enhanced its performance with the creation of the ‘Kneeler’ layout; the styling of which continues to this day.
Isle of Man Triumph
One of the highlights of the 1954 season was the return of the Sidecar TT to the Isle of Man, after an absence of 19 years. Instead of the traditional 37 mile ‘Mountain’ circuit it was run on the abbreviated Clypse course, which used sections of the Mountain circuit, but in the reverse direction. It proved to be Oliver’s moment of fame; by sheer riding ability and assisted by Les Nutt the pair relegated the BMW stars to minor placings. But it was a BMW, driven by Wllhem Noll that eventually took the 1954 championship.
Norton’s glory days had clearly finished and having no desire to switch to a BMW, Eric Oliver retired from the Grand Prix scene; a classic example of pure skill and the bulldog spirit; surely the greatest charioteer of all time. Of all the circuits on which Eric left his indelible stamp , the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa stands supreme; it was there he won an incredible six GPs.in succession.
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