Mortimer Morris-Goodall

11/3/1907 - 14/5/2001

Record updated 14-May-20

Founder of the Aston Martin Owner's Club and stalwart AM racer. Raced at Le Mans ten times and also competed in the Mille Miglia and the Spa 24 hour race.

Mortimer Morris-Goodall
Mortimer Morris-Goodall started racing Aston Martins at Brooklands in 1929.

He bought an Aston Martin International that had initially been owned by A.C. Bertelli and featured a very rare and attractive 3 seater bodywork. In 1932 he entered the Junior Car Club 1,000-Mile Race over two days, May 3rd and 4th. Apparently on the second day he had trouble with the low temperatures so, in order to get the oil temperature up to make it easier to start the Aston's engine, he chopped up an official's chair and lit a small fire under the sump!    

Having been fired with enthusiasm brought about by his success with the International and by his meeting of 'Bert' Bertelli, he purchased the ex-team car LM7 and drove it at Le Mans in 1933 with works support. In the 1934 race he was lying second sharing the driving with James Elwes, when mechanical failure forced them out.

His reverence for 'Bert and his Astons' prompted the thought that almost everyone else who had the good fortune or sense to own an Aston felt the same and how nice it would be to meet some of these people. To that end he founded the Aston Martin Owners’ Club in 1935

In a career that spanned over 25 years he competed at le Mans ten times. He also raced in the Mille Miglia and the Spa 24 hour race.

In 1950, Mort became the competition manager for the Donald Healey Motor Company, and in 1953 he was the Jaguar team manager when the C-Type won the first of the marques seven triumphs at the French circuit.
 
He retired from racing at Le Sarthe in 1955, a year when he drove a ‘works’ Triumph TR2 with Leslie Brooke. They finished the race in 19th place but weren't qualified as they had only completed 214. That year he co-founded the Healey Drivers’ Club.

In 1960 he was the team manager of the Camoradi Maserati entries at Le Mans, having taking over Taruffi's job at the Nurburgring a few weeks earlier.

Father of Dame Jane Goodall DBE Ph.D., the English primatologist, ethologist and anthropologist, probably best-known for conducting a forty-five year study of chimpanzee social and family life, as director of the Jane Goodall Institute in Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania.

Mort Morris-Goodall, BRDC Club vice-president, and founder of the Aston Martin Owners’ Club, died on the 14th May at the age of 94. 



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