Bob Anderson

Robert Hugh Fearon Anderson (19 May 1931, Hendon, London - 14 August 1967, Northampton) was a British racing driver who competed in both motorcycle and automobile racing before becoming one of Formula One's last successful independent privateer drivers. Born in Hendon in north London and later living in Haynes, Bedfordshire, Anderson trained as an agricultural engineer but left after a year to work as a mechanic at a local machinery dealer. He began his motorcycle racing career in 1953 competing on a 500cc Triumph Special at Cadwell Park, progressing to Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1958 to 1960. He achieved notable success in motorcycle racing, becoming a two-time winner of the prestigious North West 200 race in Northern Ireland.

Anderson entered Formula One in 1963 with his own Lola Mk4 car under the banner of DW Racing Enterprises, named after Dudley Ward, a bike tuner who had supported him during his motorcycle racing days. DW Racing was actually only composed of Anderson and a small team of mechanics, making it a truly independent operation compared to other private outfits. Despite this limitation, he took the nimble Lola to victory in the non-Championship Rome Grand Prix in that first year. In subsequent years, he ran private Brabham cars under the same DW Racing banner, achieving his best World Championship result of third place at the 1964 Austrian Grand Prix.

He was awarded the Von Trips Memorial Trophy as the most successful private entrant of 1964, recognizing his achievements as an independent competitor. Anderson was one of the last independent privateer drivers in Formula One before escalating costs made it impossible to compete without major sponsorship. Tragically, on 14 August 1967, Anderson was killed testing at Silverstone in wet conditions when he slid off the track and hit a marshal's post, suffering serious chest and neck injuries. He died later at Northampton General Hospital, ending the career of one of the era's most respected privateer racers.