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Arthur Waite (racing driver)

Arthur Waite
Waite won the 1928 100 Miles Road Race (later known as the 1928 Australian Grand Prix) driving an Austin 7
Born(1894-04-09)9 April 1894
Adelaide, South Australia
Died26 January 1991(1991-01-26) (aged 96)
RetiredKingswood, Surrey, United Kingdom
Related toHerbert Austin (father-in-law)
Australian Grand Prix
Years active1928
TeamsA Waite
Best finish1st in 1928 Australian Grand Prix
Championship titles
1928Australian Grand Prix

Colonel Arthur Cyril Roy Waite[1] MC., OSt.J., DL., JP., (1894–1991) was an Australian racing driver.[2]

Born in Adelaide, Arthur Waite served at Gallipoli and was later hospitalised where he met his later wife, Irene Austin, who was the daughter of Herbert Austin. After World War I Colonel Waite joined his father-in-law's firm, the Austin Motor Company. While in the employ of Austin, Waite was sent back to Australia, where in Melbourne he established Austin Distributors. Prior to leaving for Australia he had established the firm's motor racing efforts, winning races himself at Brooklands and Monza.[3]

While in Australia he sent for his Austin 7 racing car in order to compete in the 100 Miles Road Race, later to become known as the 1928 Australian Grand Prix. A different car was sent however, but despite it being a relatively standard sports model it was a supercharged for racing version of the Austin 7.[4] Despite this, Waite won the Grand Prix (held at Phillip Island).[5]

References

  1. ^ "Arthur Cyril Roy WAITE MC". Virtual War Memorial Australia. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  2. ^ Waite Stamp – Austin 7 Club Inc.
  3. ^ Between the Wars Austin 50 Years of Progress
  4. ^ Bell, Ray (1986). "1928". The official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. R&T Publishing. pp. 14–24. ISBN 0-9588464-0-5.
  5. ^ CAMS Manual on the Australian Grand Prix
Preceded by
inaugural
Winner of the Australian Grand Prix
1928
Succeeded by