The motorsport legend who runs an MOT centre: Autocar meets Ronnie Grant

In an interview years later, Head recalled he and Barnard “almost falling about” with laughter when they saw this 45-year-old taxi driver with an engine and dreams of competing in Super Vee. 

“They thought: ‘Here’s an old boy!’” says Ronnie, remembering the moment. 

Fast forward 50 years and the same Patrick Head, who, quite by coincidence, turns up to take him out to lunch, couldn’t be more respectful. Anxious to whisk Ronnie away for a beer, the legendary racing car designer, who, with Frank Williams, founded the Williams Formula 1 racing team for which he served as technical director for 27 years, pauses to admit only to “breathing on Ronnie’s engines”. 

“The secret was getting a decent camshaft,” he chuckles as the pair head over the road to the Falcon pub. 

Doubtless, Ronnie will bring his old mate up to speed with the latest round in the controversial decision of Network Rail, his landlord that owned the arches he operates from, to sell its commercial property portfolio last year. It included over 4500 businesses located in railway arches around the UK and, as Network Rail was preparing the sale, it told tenants they could expect their rents to rise by 54%. 

The deal went through last September when Telereal Trillium and Blackstone Property Partners purchased the portfolio on a leasehold basis. However, this May, the National Audit Office criticised the deal for the absence of any legal guarantees concerning the scale of future rent rises. 

“One thing we do know is that our annual rent will more than double over the next three years – from £33,000 to £70,000,” says George, Ronnie’s son, who now runs the family’s garage. 

Father and son aren’t taking it lying down. For the past four years, they and their fellow members of tenants’ association Guardians of the Arches have been fighting to protect their rights and interests. 

“We’re bruised but not beaten,” says George. 

Which, as it happens, neatly describes his father’s racing career – one that had its fair share of victories and incidents. Early on, of course, he faced those chuckling young sceptics at Lola. In fact, it turns out the ageing racing driver had the last laugh because a year or so later, in 1972, Head and Barnard, who had by this time left Lola – Head to build a boat and Barnard to work for McLaren – found themselves working and designing part-time for Ronnie at his garage and in the pits as he pursued his Super Vee ambitions. 

“I was racing against the likes of Jochen Mass and Keke Rosberg, and I had these young geniuses working for me!” recalls Ronnie. “I got several podium finishes as a result.” 

It wasn’t all champagne, though. One wet weekend, Ronnie was powering around Silverstone during afternoon practice when, coming off Hangar Straight into Stowe and doing around 180mph, he lost control of his car and crashed. 

“As I crawled out of the wreckage, it was hit by another driver and my leg was shattered,” he says. “Then the doctor arrived in a car driven by a marshall, who also lost control and crashed into us! 

“I arrived at Stoke Mandeville Hospital just as Dr Nigel Cobb, the surgeon who repaired Barry Sheene’s legs, was leaving. He took one look at me and rushed me into theatre, where he fixed my broken leg. I was out of action for nine months but back racing the following season.” 

In 1983, aged 58 and competing in F3, Ronnie found himself racing against drivers who included Ayrton Senna and Martin Brundle. The pair famously sparred with each other for the championship which, at the last race, was claimed by the Brazilian. The following year, Senna moved up to F1. 

Incredibly, Ronnie was still racing competitively in his 60s, only retiring in 1987, aged 62. “I remember it because it was the year Johnny Herbert became F3 champion,” he says.