John Tojeiro
John Tojeiro | |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 December 1923 |
| Died | 16 March 2005 (aged 81) |
| Occupation(s) | Engineer, Racing car designer |
| Employer(s) | Shelvoke and Drury, Dax Cars |
John Tojeiro (3 December 1923, Estoril, Portugal – 16 March 2005, Cambridge, England), affectionately known as Toj, was an engineer and racing car designer whose innovations helped to revolutionise car design in the 1950s and 1960s.[1]
Born in Estoril, Portugal, the son of a Portuguese father and English mother, the young John was brought to England in 1924 after the death of his father.[2] Following service as an engineer in the Fleet Air Arm during World War II, he made his name in automotive engineering. Best known as a chassis engineer, he produced a long line of successful racing cars, most famously in conjunction with the Ecurie Ecosse team, using engines supplied by Jaguar, Buick, Bristol, Scirocco-Powell and Climax, among many. The Ecurie Ecosse Tojeiro EE was one of the first sports racing cars to use a mid-engine layout to enhance handling and traction. Perhaps his lasting legacy was in producing a design which AC Cars developed into the AC Ace. From the Ace, Carroll Shelby in turn developed the AC Cobra, marrying a thunderous American V8 engine with the lightweight British chassis.[2][3][4]
References
- ^ "Magazine Issue Archive". Motor Sport Magazine. 29 March 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ^ a b ML (May 1985). "Tojeiro". Motor Sport. 61 (5): 474–479.
- ^ "Tojeiro". Motor Sport Magazine. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ^ "Bonhams Cars : 1962-63 Tojeiro EE-Buick Endurance Racing Coupe Registration no. TSU 719". cars.bonhams.com. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
Further reading
- Gauld, Graham (2005). Toj: John Tojeiro and His Cars. Havelock Publishing. ISBN 0954916719.
External links
- Foster, Ed (2 October 2017). "No small feat: The John Tojeiro story". goodwood.com. Goodwood Estate.
- Lawrence, Mike (13 April 2005). "John Tojeiro (1924 - 2005)". pitpass.com.