Gillian Harris (later Stillwell) in a works DB3S shortly after she arrived at the Aston Martin competitions department in late 1956. At this stage, she did not yet have a driving licence
In times long gone, in the English town of Staines, Lagonda built automobiles that challenged Rolls-Royce in the prestige stakes and Bentley in the sporting arena, winning Le Mans in 1935, before collapsing soon after.
These days, Staines’ best-known export is Ali G. But there is another notable ex-Staines resident who worked during the golden age of sports car racing and with some greats in Formula 1. And it all started when they glimpsed a handsome racing driver.
Spotting the Romeo-cum-racer and determining they would follow him into motor sport is an uncommon pathway into the automotive industry but, for Gillian Stillwell, it proved true.
“I was about 17 when I went with some friends to a race meeting at Crystal Palace. I knew nothing about racing, but I enjoyed the day and was particularly impressed by the chance sighting of Peter Collins near the pit counters,” Gillian said.
“He walked by very close and I thought he was such a handsome young man. I was extremely impressed and thought I would really like to find a job that gave me access to such interesting people.”
And so it went.
Gillian had planned to study English, French, and history at university. But, wanting to make a living for herself, she left school after achieving her Advanced Level and complete a secretarial course instead.
“My sister Julie was living in France and, on a holiday back home, advised me to do some special secretarial training in English and French. She told me that would provide me with some tremendously interesting possibilities.”
Big sister spoke the truth.
Gillian Stillwell and Aston Martin competitions manager Reg Parnell do their best to ignore the admiring onlookers as they head to the racetrack in a works DBR1
“I did a one-year bi-lingual secretarial course at the Institut Francais du Royaume University in South Kensington. It was really hard work. I was taught Spanish in French,” Gillian said.
After completing the course, Gillian applied for a job at Standard Triumph in London. In the early ’50s, many Standard Triumphs were being sold to demobbed US soldiers who could avoid UK tax by exporting their cars to America within 12 months. This involved getting ‘carnets de passage’ – the necessary export document – which required a thorough knowledge of French. This is where Gillian came in.
“I also did some outside business work for one of the Standard Triumph salesmen. He had started his own side business tuning cars, improving performance and conducting repairs on racing cars.”
He asked Gillian to follow him into business full time, and this she agreed to do but, at the last moment, he abandoned the idea. Feeling guilty, he told Gillian he had seen an advertisement: the David Brown Company needed a Competitions Secretary for their Aston Martin racing team. Gillian liked the idea.
“The essential qualification was for the applicant to speak French since the basic regulations were controlled by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).”
Interviewed by Aston Martin’s formidable Managing Director John Wyer and Team Manager Reg Parnell, they appointed Gillian to the job.
Gillian Stillwell performs pitstop duties for works driver Tony Brooks in 1957
“I began working for Aston Martin in November 1956. Their racing and service department was located on a big block of land in Feltham – a former airport. I lived not far away with my parents in Staines, so it was conveniently located.
“My duties included communication with the racing drivers and mechanics, preparing movement schedules for the race meetings, correspondence, making reservations, writing programs and writing reports after every race. I also used to handle all the cash to pay for all the costs of the hotels, fuel and food.
“We used to travel a lot. There were races in France, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Spain, and Sicily. Then, of course, there were all the races in the UK – Silverstone, Goodwood, Oulton Park, and Aintree.
“Every time we raced in Europe I had had to apply for ‘carnets de passage’ for the racing cars, trucks and road cars in which we travelled. The trucks, loaded with racing cars, would go across the English Channel on a boat; we would drive down to Lympne in various types of cars, often one or two Lagonda Shooting Brakes and fly across to France with the cars in the aircraft. In 1957, we had so many race cars that one actually had to be driven on the road and then taken on the plane.”
Gillian worked for Aston Martin during their most successful racing years, winning against Ferrari, Jaguar, and Maserati – including three victories at the Nurburgring – with Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, and Tony Brooks amongst the drivers. In 1959, Aston Martin won its only outright Le Mans victory at the hands of Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby. For a small company, the win proved a mighty effort.
Gillian Stillwell watches as Aston Martin competitions manager Reg Parnell barks orders through a megaphone and Stirling Moss whispers into the ear of his DBR1 co-driver Jack Fairman at the 1959 Le Mans 24-Hour Race. Although Moss and Fairman bowed out at the six-hour mark, Aston Martin went on to outright victory with Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby at the wheel of a DBR1
“The RAC Tourist Trophy at Goodwood in September 1959 was a spectacular event,” remembers Gillian. “Three Aston Martins were entered, driven by Moss and Salvadori, Shelby and Jack Fairman and (Le Mans-winners) Maurice Trintignant and Paul Frere. When in the lead, the Moss/Salvadori car entered the pits for refueling after 94 laps,’ Gillian said.
“The fuel nozzle swung open as the mechanics began their work. The jet of petrol hit the hot exhaust pipe. Flames leapt over the back of the car; they flared so high that the fuel tank located above the pit exploded. Salvadori was slightly burnt. Luckily, no one else was severely injured, and the fire was extinguished.
“A few laps later, the Shelby/Fairman car was brought into the pits and Moss took over. He drove extraordinarily well, regained the lead on lap 153 and finished first. This win confirmed Aston Martin had won the 1959 World Sports Car Championship.”
Job done; the victory ended Aston Martin’s official sports car racing days. But David Brown wanted to compete in Formula 1. During 1959, the F1 team – with Shelby, Salvadori and Trintignant among the drivers – had some promising early results but the rear-engine revolution had already begun, and Aston Martin’s entries were obsolete before they even started. The foray into F1 continued into 1960, after which it Aston Martin abandoned the category.
John Wyer offered Gillian a less exciting job at the company with the advertising department, but by now racing coursed through her veins. However, Aston Martin’s Team Manager, Reg Parnell, by this time, had moved to running the Bowmaker/Yeoman Credit Formula 1 team – one of the first forays into F1 team sponsor branding rights. A talented driver and team manager, Parnell needed Gillian’s calming hand and sharp organisational skills, so he asked her to follow him over to the world of Formula 1. She agreed.
Gillian Stillwell discusses tactics with French driver Maurice Trintignant during her Formula 1 days at Yeoman Credit, Bowmaker and Reg Parnell Racing
Working out of Hounslow and running Cooper and Lola chassis, the junior team attracted a name that would go on to greatness in the sport, 1964 Ferrari World Champion and motorcycle ace John Surtees. Later, Reg Parnell – and after his death in 1964, his son Tim – ran his own team, Reg Parnell Racing, and worked with driving luminaries such as Chris Amon, Innes Ireland, and Mike Hailwood.
“They were tremendously exciting days travelling around the world – including New Zealand and Australia. Working with and socialising with some of the world’s greatest drivers was a tremendous thrill and honour for a young woman like myself.”
Motor racing would soon take Gillian to other places, however.
“Not long before the 1961 Le Mans 24-hour race, I was asked by a close friend of Stirling Moss if I could act as a stewardess on a charter flight from Gatwick to Tours, near Le Mans. We arrived on race day and there were lots of people around the pits who I knew, so that was very nice.
“John Ogier had entered two Aston Martin DB4GT Zagatos – one of which was driven by the Australian drivers Bib Stillwell and Lex Davison. Unfortunately, (head gasket) problems meant their race was over after only a few hours. Anxious to get back to the UK quickly, Bib asked if he could join our flight and that’s how we met.”
Gillian’s future husband, Bib Stillwell campaigning his Aston Martin DBR4 at a wet 1962 New Zealand Grand Prix, where he finished in tenth place
Bib and Gillian married in 1965, with Jack Brabham acting as best man. But the union ended Gillian’s days in the pits. Bib wanted to live in Australia where he ran successful car dealerships – still run in his name by the family.
In the 1970s, he began distributing Learjets – Niki Lauda became a customer – and the couple moved to Tucson, Arizona in 1979, where Gillian renewed her friendship with ‘neighbour’ John Wyer. Bib became Learjet’s President the following year.
In the United States, Bib involved himself in the historic racing scene, driving his D-Type Jaguar and Ford GT40, so once again Gillian lived and breathed racing fuel. Returning to Australia in 1989, Bib continued with his motor dealerships while taking an active part in the local historic racing scene.
“Finally,” said Gillian, “I can think about what it was like to be a young woman working in a male-dominated business/sport. I think I was the only female Team Secretary who attended so many races. Very rarely did I ever experience being rejected because I was a woman in this type of business.
Gillian Stillwell at her Melbourne home in 2002. Photo by Ern matters
“I now look back and think that, because I was so totally concentrated on my work, there was hardly any time when I relaxed or took the opportunity to explore the country or city where we were located. Most of our racing was in Europe and we would drive to the various locations and I therefore saw a lot of places where I had never been before. All the people at Aston Martin, Bowmaker/Yeoman Credit and Reg Parnell Racing were very kind, very friendly and all of us worked well together.”