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Robin Herd

Robin Herd in 1971

Robert John "Robin" Herd CBE (23 March 1939 – 4 June 2019[1]) was an English engineer, designer and businessman.[2]

Herd studied at St Peter's College, Oxford, having turned down an offer to play cricket for Worcestershire at the age of 18. He initially entered Oxford with a scholarship to study mathematics, however he switched subjects and graduated with a double first in physics and engineering,[3][4] before joining the Royal Aircraft Establishment in 1961 as a design engineer on the Concorde supersonic aircraft project, focussing on computational fluid dynamics.[4] He worked on the Concorde project for four years and was eventually promoted to senior scientific officer at the age of 24.[3]

He was recruited by McLaren in 1965, having been alerted to an engineering vacancy with the constructor by former school friend and racing driver Alan Rees,[4] and worked on cars, such as the Mallite-bodied M2A test car for the Firestone tire company. The M2A subsequently evolved into the Formula One M2B car. Herd stayed with McLaren until 1968 — during which time he designed their M4B, M5A and M7 Formula One cars, as well as the successful M6A Can-Am car[4] — before moving to Cosworth to design a four-wheel drive F1 car. He also carried out work for Frank Williams in late 1969, modifying Williams' Brabham BT26 to take a Ford Cosworth DFV to enter Piers Courage in Formula One.[4] He co-founded March Engineering with Max Mosley, Alan Rees and Graham Coaker in 1969.[5] The team completed 207 Formula One Grand Prix races between 1970 and 1992,[6] winning three with four pole positions. In addition they enjoyed a great deal of success in Formula Two, and in the 1980s they made a successful foray into Indy car racing, with March cars winning the Indianapolis 500 for five successive years from 1983 to 1987.[4]

From 1995 to 1998, he served as Chairman of Oxford United F.C., with the team winning promotion to Football League Division One during his first season at the helm.[7][8]

Herd was appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1986 New Year Honours, as managing director of March.[9] He died from cancer in 2019, aged 80.[7][8]

  1. ^ Robin Herd: 1939-2019
  2. ^ "Robin Herd CBE | BRDC Members". British Racing Drivers' Club. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  3. ^ a b Taylor, Simon (2 October 1969). "Enter the March". Autosport: 18–19.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Taylor, Simon (March 2010). "Porridge with... Robin Herd". Motor Sport. p. 74. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  5. ^ "March Engineering". grandprix.com. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  6. ^ "March". statsf1.com. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Former Chairman Robin Herd Passes Away". Oxford United FC. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  8. ^ a b Pritchard, David (6 June 2019). "Former Oxford United owner Robin Herd dies aged 80". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  9. ^ "No. 50361". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1985. p. 8.

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