Monday 2 October 2017

Peter Butt, Fairthorpe Race Team driver & enthusiast has passed away.


Fairthorpe `Works` Race Team Silverstone 6 Hour relay race 1959, Peter`s car was 100 UMY

Another of the men whose lives were heavily intertwined with those of Fairthorpe Sports Cars has passed away, Peter Butt was not only one of the original Fairthorpe race team drivers but also one of the Fairthorpe dealers back in the early days. Peter along with my father Frank Collins, Fairthorpe works manager John Green and Gerald Golding were the original `Works` Race Team for Fairthorpe. All were driving their own cars but given cut price tuning parts, Twin SU carbs, Hot camshaft and tubular exhaust manifolds and during the late 50`s and early 60`s won a lot of club races helping to promote the Fairthorpe name. Peter was also a Fairthorpe dealer, starting Butts Motors at 9 Pindock Mews in London where he sold and assembled kits and repaired those that had been damaged, many Fairthorpes passed through Peter`s hands over the years. Peter retained his original Fairthorpe which he built in 1958 100 UMY in which he gained many wins and top 3 finishes, it was actually the first Fairthorpe i drove. Peter offered me a drive in it at the Fairthorpe Sports Car Club annual Grass Autotest at Denham, i soon realised how well these cars went when i picked up the trophy for BTD for a Fairthorpe. Peter always retained his love of our cars and would always be more than pleased to talk about them.

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