Tom Cole (racing driver) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tom Cole
Nationality	British American
Born	Thomas Lionel Howard Cole, Jr. (1922-06-11)11 June 1922 Llandaff, South Glamorgan, Wales
Died	14 June 1953(1953-06-14) (aged 31) Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, Pays de la Loire, France
24 Hours of Le Mans career Years 1950–1953 Teams S. H. Allard, Scuderia Ferrari and Luigi Chinetti Best finish 3rd (1950) Class wins 1 (1950)

Tom Cole and navigator Mario Vandelli, in Cole's Ferrari 340 MM at the 1953 Mille Miglia.

Thomas Lionel Howard Cole, Jr. (born June 11, 1922 – died June 14, 1953), known as Tom Cole, was a British-American racing driver. He helped create the famous Cadillac-Allard sports car. As a child, he had polio, but he still served in World War II. After the war, he became a full-time racer. Tom sadly died at age 31 in a crash during the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

Early Life and Early Career

Tom Cole was born in Llandaff, Wales, on June 11, 1922. When he was a child, he got polio. He mostly recovered, but it left him with small physical challenges.

When he was 17, his family moved to America in 1939. He studied at Harvard University for a year. During World War II, he served in the United States Merchant Marine and drove an ambulance.

After the war, he started helping out at races. He volunteered for a famous racing team. The team owner, Bill Frick, said Tom was very helpful. He started as a "pit stooge," someone who just wanted to be around racing.

Tom Cole's Racing Journey

After the war, Tom spent time in both the US and the UK.

First Races and Hillclimbs

In 1947, Tom joined a rally in England. He drove a Buick. Later, he prepared his Jaguar SS100 car for hillclimbing and sports car racing. In July, his car broke down during a race. But in September, he finished second in his class at the Brighton Speed Trials. He also raced for the first time at the Prescott Speed Hill Climb.

Tom returned to Prescott in 1948 and set the fastest time in his class twice. He also finished second in class at the Boscombe Speed Trials.

In 1949, Tom brought his Jaguar and an HRG 1500 to the US. At the Bridgehampton Sports Car Races, he drove his Jaguar to second place. He even held his car's battery in place with one hand while driving! He also raced his HRG at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix. He finished fifth and fourth in different races, winning his class in both.

The Cad-Allard Years

The Cadillac-Allard J2 in which Cole finished third at the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans, photographed at the 2006 Monterey Historics, Laguna Seca.

Tom's Jaguar was not fast enough for his skills. He decided to put a powerful Cadillac engine into an Allard J2 car. This new car, called the Cadillac-Allard J2 or Cad-Allard, was very successful. It combined a light car body with a big engine. Tom is given credit for creating this car.

The Cad-Allard's first race was in January 1950. Tom led for a while but finished seventh. In May, he won a heat race and finished second in another. In June, he won his first big race at Bridgehampton. The same month, he raced a Cad-Allard at the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans with Sydney Allard. They finished third overall, even though their car only had top gear for most of the race!

In December, Tom raced the Cad-Allard at the first 12 Hours of Sebring race. His co-driver said the Cad-Allard was one of the best sports cars of 1950.

Tom crashed his Cad-Allard. A friend lent him a new Allard with a Chrysler Hemi engine. In 1951, he raced this car in Argentina. He even survived a plane crash in the jungle there!

Back in the US, he won two more races at Bridgehampton in his Chrysler-Allard. He returned to Le Mans with Sydney Allard but had to stop due to clutch problems. He won a sports car race in Ireland and set a new lap record.

Racing in Europe

Cole (left), standing next to the Ferrari 225 S owned by his co-driver "Pagnibon" at the 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In March 1952, Tom finished second in a 12-hour race in Florida. That summer, he started racing in Europe. At Le Mans, he drove a Ferrari 225 S. They had to stop the race because of engine problems. Soon after, he bought his own Ferrari 225 S. He raced it in two Italian road races, finishing 11th and 15th.

In August, Tom returned to Britain with his Ferrari. He finished fifth in a race despite his brakes fading. Two weeks later, he finished second in the Goodwood Nine Hours race. His Ferrari was even on the cover of Motor Sport magazine! He then finished second at the Bari Grand Prix.

Cole leaves the Ferrari factory in Modena in his Ferrari 340 MM, restyled in North American racing colours, 20 May 1953.

In 1953, Tom bought a new car, a 340 MM Vignale. In April, he raced in the 1953 Mille Miglia, a 1,000-mile race. Even though he had never driven the course before, he finished fourth. He also finished second in a sports car race in early May.

Tom also tried single-seater racing (cars with open wheels). In March, his car crashed and caught fire during a race. He later finished seventh in another single-seater race, even with a broken gear-change.

In June, Tom went back to sports car racing. He won the rainy French International 12 Hours of Hyères race with Peter Whitehead. Sadly, his former Le Mans co-driver died in an accident at the same event.

Death at Le Mans

Tom Cole's grave in Le Mans Cimettiere De L'Ouest.

On June 13, 1953, Tom started his fourth Le Mans race. He was driving his Ferrari 340 MM with Luigi Chinetti. The race started well, and his car was in third place. But by morning, it had dropped to sixth.

Tom started driving very fast to catch up. At 6:14 a.m., he lost control of his car while passing another car. The Ferrari crashed into a bank and a wooden hut. Tom was thrown from the car and died instantly from his injuries. He was 31 years old.

Tom had said that if he died during a race, he wanted to be buried near the track. He was buried at the Le Mans West Cemetery, just as he wished.

Nationality

Tom Cole was born in Britain. He was also applying to become a US citizen when he died. He had an American racing license. His Ferrari was even painted in North American racing colors for a race. People often called him "Anglo-American" because he felt at home in both countries.

Legacy

Since 2016, a racing club called the VSCC has held an annual race for sports cars from the 1950s. This race is called the Tom Cole Trophy, honoring his memory.

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