John Love

John Maxwell Lineham Love (7 December 1924 - 25 April 2005): Rhodesian racing driver from Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia. After leaving school he became an apprentice electrical fitter and at the start of World War II was called up and served with the Armoured Car Division in the Middle East and Italy. After the War he returned to Bulawayo and completed his apprenticeship, and in 1947 his racing career started, though on motorbikes rather than four wheels. He participated in 10 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 29 December 1962, achieving one podium and scoring six championship points total.

In the Formula One World Championship John Love recorded nine starts between 1962 and 1972, all nine in the South African Grand Prix, with his best result being second place in the 1967 South African Grand Prix. Love would dominate racing in southern Africa in the 1960s, winning the South African Formula One Championship six times in succession from 1964 to 1969, and also winning his home race, the Rhodesian Grand Prix, six times. John Love was the first non-British champion in the British Saloon Car Championship, winning the title in 1962 with Mini Cooper. Rhodesian John Love came over to the UK in 1961 at age 36 to drive in Formula Junior for Ken Tyrrell.

The following year he was back for more, also driving a works Mini in the British Saloon Championship which he won. During the Formula Junior race at Albi he had what he describes as the most serious accident of his career when he crashed into a barrier while trying to avoid a spinning Tony Maggs. From then on Love had to adopt a new driving style for the remainder of his racing career since he couldn't bend his arm properly. He owned the Jaguar dealership in Bulawayo and had his own stock car racing team in the 1980s.