Bob Olthoff's Last Lap

[Trevor Legate]

During the many years I spent researching and writing a book about the Cobra, one name just kept on cropping up, a name I had heard in my youth but a name I just could not put a face to. Then in 1998 I hopped on a plane and attended the SAAC convention in Charlotte accompanied by Nigel Hulme, owner of the famous Le Mans Cobra 39PH. It was the best trip of my life since on the first day there I stood admiring the line-up of SPF 427s and was promptly introduced to - Bob Olthoff. To say I was in awe would be something of an understatement. (I was even more delighted when he went home to get a copy of my book for me to sign!) Bob spent hours of his valuable time talking to Nigel and myself and supplying us with cold drinks from his ice-box. It was worth the journey just to be driven around Charlotte by the man himself in one of his 427s, of which he was justifiably proud, and to watch him fling one of his cars around the track, still giving it everything he had with the loud pedal welded to the floor!! I spent the majority of the three days in his delightful company and knew on the trip home that I had met somebody very special.

I was even more honored to meet him one more time in the paddock at Goodwood last September. He even remembered me!
I have a photo of him standing between the two ex-Willment Cobras. May I extend sincere condolences to his family from this side of the Atlantic. He will certainly be missed but never forgotten

Trevor Legate