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Eldred De Bracton Norman (9 January 1914 – 28 June 1971) was an Australian inventor and racing-car driver.[1]
Eldred Norman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Eldred De Bracton Norman 9 January 1914 |
| Died | 28 June 1971 (aged 57) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Known for | inventor, racing-car driver |
Norman was born in Adelaide, South Australia, the second of six children to Australian-born parents William Ashley Norman (a solicitor) and his wife Alma Janet née Matthews. He attended Scotch College, Adelaide. On 15 May 1941 Norman married Nancy Cato, then a 24-year-old journalist.[1]
Eldred was notably famous for producing sliding vane superchargers. The rare and iconic supercharger started as a base model, the Type 65 and is highly sought after in the early Holden community. The Type 65 was a bolt on performance enhancing product to suit the Holden Grey motor.
Norman built and modified cars. He contested the Australian Grand Prix several times; he was leading the 1951 Australian Grand Prix when his twin-engined V8 Ford suffered mechanical failure. He finished fourth in the 1954 Australian Grand Prix driving a supercharged Triumph TR2 sports car.
In 1956 Norman retired from motor racing and focussed on inventing, but his prototypes did not reach production. He died in Noosa Heads, Queensland.[1] Norman's son Bill would also become a successful racing driver and innovative race car constructor.
References
edit- ^ a b c Chittleborough, Jon (2000). "Norman, Eldred De Bracton (1914–1971)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
External links
edit- Memories of Eldred Norman by Bill Norman
- Supercharge a book by Eldred Norman