Bermar Sellars "Bib" Stillwell[1] (31 July 1927 – 12 June 1999) was a racing driver who was active in Australian motor racing from 1947 to 1965. He won the Australian Drivers' Championship in each of the four years from 1962 to 1965.

Bib Stillwell
NationalityAustralian
Born31 July 1927[1]
Melbourne, Australia[1]
Died12 June 1999[1]
Retired1965
Australian Drivers' Championship
Years active1957 to 1965
Best finish1st in 1962 Australian Drivers' Championship
1963 Australian Drivers' Championship
1964 Australian Drivers' Championship
1965 Australian Drivers' Championship
Previous series
1964-1965Tasman Series
Championship titles
1962
1963
1964
1965
1961
1962
1965
Australian Drivers' Championship
Australian Drivers' Championship
Australian Drivers' Championship
Australian Drivers' Championship
Australian Tourist Trophy
Australian Tourist Trophy
Australian One and a Half Litre Championship

Racing career

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Stillwell competed in his first race in 1947 at the Ballarat Airstrip circuit, driving an MG TC.[2] He won the Victorian Trials Championship with the MG in the following year and competed in his first Australian Grand Prix in 1953 at the wheel of an Austin-Healey 100.[2] Stillwell imported a new Jaguar D-Type for 1956[3] and won the Argus Cup, the SA Trophy and the News South Wales Sports Car Championship in that year.[3] He also placed fifth in the 1956 Australian Tourist Trophy against international opposition.[4] He subsequently raced Maserati, Aston Martin, Cooper and Repco Brabham cars.[2] Stillwell drove an Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato in the 1961 Le Mans 24 Hour Race with fellow Australian Lex Davison but the car did not finish.[5]

Stillwell won the 1962 Australian Drivers' Championship with a Cooper and the 1963, 1964 and 1965 Australian Drivers' Championships driving Repco Brabhams. He was also victorious in the Australian Tourist Trophy in 1961 and 1962 in a Cooper Monaco and the 1965 Australian One and a Half Litre Championship with a Repco Brabham.

Although he never won an Australian Grand Prix, he placed second in 1961 and 1964 driving a Cooper and a Repco-Brabham respectively, and third in 1960 and 1962 in Coopers.

Stillwell retired from motor racing at the end of the 1965 season.[6] He later participated in historic races in Australia and the United States.[7]

Results

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The Repco-Brabham BT11A (pictured in 2012) which Stillwell drove to win the 1965 Australian Drivers' Championship
Year Title Result Car
1947 Championship of New South Wales 12th MG L-type Magna
1956 Moomba TT 2nd Jaguar D-Type
1956 Australian Tourist Trophy 5th[4] Jaguar D-Type
1958 Australian Drivers' Championship 13th Maserati 250F
1959 Australian Drivers' Championship 7th Cooper T51 Coventry Climax
1960 Australian Drivers' Championship 2nd Cooper T51 Coventry Climax
1961 Australian Drivers' Championship 3rd Cooper T51 Coventry Climax
Cooper T53 Coventry Climax
1961 Australian Tourist Trophy 1st Cooper Monaco Coventry Climax
1962 Australian Drivers' Championship 1st Cooper T53 Coventry Climax
1962 Australian Tourist Trophy 1st Cooper Monaco Coventry Climax
1963 Australian Drivers' Championship 1st Brabham BT4 Coventry Climax
1964 Tasman Series 7th Brabham BT4 Coventry Climax
1964 Australian Drivers' Championship 1st Brabham BT4 Coventry Climax
1965 Tasman Series 8th Brabham BT11A Coventry Climax
1965 Australian Drivers' Championship 1st Brabham BT11A Coventry Climax
1965 Australian One and a Half Litre Championship 1st Brabham BT14 Ford

Complete Tasman Series results

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Year Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rank Points
1964 Brabham BT4 LEV PUK
WIG
TER
SAN
2
WAR
6
LAK
LON
4
7th 10
1965 Brabham BT11A PUK
LEV
WIG
TER
WAR
4
SAN
6
LON
6
9th 5

Business and private life

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Stillwell opened an automotive dealership selling MGs in 1949 and subsequently obtained a Jaguar franchise.[1] A Holden dealership followed, and was to become one of the largest in the Australia.[1] A switch from Holden to Ford in 1966 was followed by the establishment of Stillwell Aviation in 1967 with distribution rights for Beechcraft and later Learjet aircraft.[1] Stillwell moved to the United States in 1979 to take on the role of vice-president of the Gates Learjet Corporation and went on to become president of the company.[1] He later established luxury car dealerships including a BMW franchise and a Jaguar franchise at Doncaster.[1]

Stillwell was married with five children.[1] His son Michael followed Bib into motorsport, becoming a class front runner in the Australian Touring Car Championship in the 1970s.

Stillwell was awarded an Order of Australia Medal posthumously, in January 2001.[8] The award was bestowed for services to the motor industry, to the aviation industry, to motor sport and to the community.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Michael Lynch, OBITUARY - (Bib) Bermar S. Stillwell - Racing driver, businessman, newsstore.fairfax.com.au Retrieved on 22 October 2013
  2. ^ a b c Bib Stillwell, Australian Motor Manual, May 1964, page 37
  3. ^ a b Historic Racing cars in Australia, page 177
  4. ^ a b Moss in Walkover Win, Behra Second, Wheels (magazine), January 1957, pages 60-61
  5. ^ 1961 24 Hours of Le Mans Results and Competitors, www.experiencelemans.com Retrieved on 22 October 2013
  6. ^ Max Stahl, Stillwell’s Swansong, Racing Car News, January 1966, page 24
  7. ^ About us, bibstillwell.com.au Archived 25 October 2013 at archive.today Retrieved on 22 October 2013
  8. ^ a b Bermar Sellars (Bib) Stillwell OAM, CAMS Magazine, Autumn 2/2001, page 29
Sporting positions
Preceded by Winner of the Australian Drivers' Championship
1962, 1963, 1964 and 1965
Succeeded by