Perfect way to cross finish line as Rob's final lap brings his career full circle

Sale date Monday 26th October

A STAFFORDSHIRE auction house valuer is preparing for retirement with a ‘final lap’ which incredibly brings his career full circle.

Rob French, pictured above, ephemera specialist with Richard Winterton Auctioneers, spent more than 30 years working for Dunlop Tyres before embarking on a second career in collectables.

Now, in a remarkable twist of fate, taking pole position as one of his final projects is documenting a motor racing and Formula 1 archive discovered in the estate of a former Dunlop chief.

Among the collection are framed, signed photographs and memorabilia relating to some of the biggest names in 20th century motorsport, including legendary F1 racing drivers Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill, Lorenzo Bandini and Sir Jack Brabham.

Many of the pieces were signed for Richard ‘Dick’ Jeffrey, a motorsport manager for Dunlop Tyres during the 1960s.

A larger-than-life character who was highly regarded within the racing community, Jeffrey had a fascinating career at the heart of motorsport and was well-regarded by racing drivers and executives alike.

His collection also includes notes and press releases relating to Donald Campbell’s historic Bluebird land-speed record attempts, Ferrari desk diaries from 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1969 believed to have been gifted by Enzo Ferrari, a boxed presentation set of Jaguar place mats featuring 1950s race cars, and period thermometers.

The archive is expected to exceed £1,000 at auction.

Not only does it offer an insight into the world of motor racing during an exciting era, the collection bridges Rob’s roots with his second act as a treasure hunter, offering an emotional and nostalgic final lap to a storied professional life.

Starting at Fort Dunlop in Birmingham in 1974 with product support and moving into sales 12 years later, Tamworth-born Rob’s career at Dunlop gave him a firsthand understanding of the brand’s profound impact on global motorsport.

He joined the team at Richard Winterton Auctioneers in 2009 and since then has helped unearth many hidden treasures.

But nothing could have prepared the 69-year-old for the contents of his final consignment.

“This collection, uncovered from the estate of high-ranking 1960s Dunlop executive Dick Jeffrey, reads like a love letter to a golden age of speed.

“Cataloguing it has been part inventory and research and partly a journey through my own past.

“To have one of my last ephemera valuations be an archive from a Dunlop boss, packed with the exact history I spent my youth admiring, feels almost written in the stars.

“It’s the perfect way to cross the finish line.”

The archive is due to go under the hammer in five separate lots at The Lichfield Auction Centre on Monday, October 26.

The sale is already generating significant buzz among international motorsport collectors, vintage motoring enthusiasts, and local historians eager to secure a piece of the region's rich industrial heritage.

For Rob French, it represents a poetic conclusion to a working life split between contributing to history in a legendary Birmingham firm and preserving it for the next generation.

Catalogues go live online a week before the sale via our Auction Calendar and viewing in person at The Lichfield Auction Centre, Wood End Lane, Fradley Park, takes place between 10am and 4pm on Friday, October 23.

The auction starts at 9am and people can bid live in the room, go online or get in touch for a pre-arranged telephone bid.

To arrange a free valuation of all types of collectables and antiques, or to enquire about a home visit for large collections or house clearances, email [email protected] or call 01543 251081.