He was a man who listed the occupation on his passport as “Gentleman”. He was also a man who fielded an incredible array of racing cars over his life, not only in Formula One but in sports car racing as well. It all began in the late 1930s with a Delahaye that he purchased and stuck a good driver in, winning his first race as a car owner. Over the years he fielded cars that he bought from other manufacturers, he fielded cars that he built himself, and he did it all with drivers like Stirling Moss by his side. He owned and fielded the first and only all wheel drive F1 car to win an event (one built by Ferguson no less!), raced amazing Ferraris at LeMans and did it all his own way.
Rob Walker is the kind of ballsy, competitive, and driven guy that racing doesn’t really allow to exist anymore. It isn’t that it is impossible its just that it is improbable and impractical. Back in the 1930s-1950s the rules packages and regulations were so wide open that you could get away with almost anything you dreamed up. Long before there was a “right way” Rob Walker was paving the way and making tracks over the backs of factory owned and operated teams.
In today’s world, privateers exist. One is the NHRA’s top fuel champion in 2018 but they do not exist as Walker did. They exist within the framework and while they do things by themselves they do things similar to their competition. Rob Walker did not. Hell, the man hired a Ferrari transmission engineer create him an F1 car and it became the first rear engine machine to ever win an F1 race.
Even if you do not care about F1 racing, you will LOVE the story of this British original.
He was also one of the Walkers who distilled Johnny Walker whisky. He used his money to establish the career of arguably the finest racing driver of all time to never win the F1 crown. He was a boyhood hero of mine and sadly in these times of sponsorship and multi million dollar F1 teams his like will never be seen again/