Motorbooks Remembers Two Industry Leaders
The transportation industry lost two giants over the past week, and Motorbooks is remembering their contributions to the auto industry. Bruce Anderson was a leader in the Porsche community and Phil Remington was a leader in auto racing. We've asked a couple of other industry leaders to help us pay tribute.
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Bruce Anderson passed away Feb. 8
I had the pleasure of working with Porsche 911 guru Bruce Anderson on two editions of his seminal Porsche 911 Performance Handbook. Though I knew Bruce in a professional capacity and appreciated his work, I did not know him on a personal level. So I asked Pelican Parts founder and Motorbooks author Wayne Dempsey if he could share a few memories of Bruce in tribute.
- Zack Miller, Motorbooks Publisher
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They say that when a wise man dies, a library burns to the ground. A truer statement could not be spoken regarding Bruce Anderson. Bruce loved to teach and to share stories about his race-team experience at Garretson Enterprises. Whether it was a tale about failed turbos being patched back together, or the late-night/early morning post-race "celebrations," you could always count on Bruce for colorful memories of a racing history long past. His wit, charm and uncensored personality was a staple in the Porsche community and he will be missed dearly.
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 | Photo Credit:
Remington Family Collection |
Phil Remington passed away Feb. 8
On February 9, 2013, engineer Phil Remington passed away peacefully at his Southern California home. While the name may not be familiar to many, for over 60 years Remington silently shaped the world of motorsports. Born in Santa Monica, he was one of the original California Hot Rodders who chased speed records on the dry lakes. He served in the Army Air Corps during WWII and got involved in the sports car world after he left the service.
Though Remington's modesty kept his accomplishments under the radar, he pioneered the use of many technologies that are standard racing fare today-fuel injection, disc brakes, composite materials, the list goes on. The R-26 race car Rem built from scratch won the first West Coast sports car race in 1950. In 1960, Remington built the first American Formula One car for Lance Reventlow. As Carroll Shelby's chief engineer he made Shelby's Cobra into a World Champion then molded Ford's GT40 into a Ferrari-beating Le Mans winner. Remington then spent the next 40-plus years helping Dan Gurney's All-American Racers team dominate nearly every form of motorsports.
What was most amazing about Phil Remington, though, was the kind of man he was. Quiet and humble, Rem simply loved making things work. He was an engineer's engineer-an intuitive mechanical genius. In an industry where bitter rivalries rule and friendships are tenuous, everybody loved Rem. He would help anyone and ask nothing in return. He was a devoted family man who loved his wife of 50 years, Joy, daughter Kati, son-in-law Dave, and grandsons Tynan and Brady. In his spare time, Remington enjoyed carpentry, creating much of the furniture and cabinetry in his family's home, and gardening. He was a true renaissance man, and he will be greatly missed. RIP, Rem.
- Colin Comer, Author |
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