John Whitmore (business coach)
| Sir John Whitmore | |
|---|---|
Whitmore in 2007
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| Nationality | English |
| Born | John Henry Douglas Whitmore 16 October 1937 |
| Died | 28 April 2017 (aged 79) |
| Years active | 1959–1966 (racing) and 1979–2017 (coaching) |
| Previous series | |
| 1959–1966 1961–1963 1965 |
24 Hours of Le Mans British Saloon Car Championship European Touring Car Championship |
| Championship titles | |
| 1961 1965 |
British Saloon Car Championship European Touring Car Championship |
Sir John Henry Douglas Whitmore, 2nd Baronet (16 October 1937 – 28 April 2017) was a pioneer of the executive coaching industry, an author and British racing driver.
John Whitmore was born on 16 October 1937, the son of Sir Francis Whitmore and Ellis Johnsen. He was educated at Eton College, Sandhurst Royal Military Academy, and Cirencester Agricultural College. He inherited The Orsett Estate Company at Orsett, Essex, in 1962, on the death of his father. The inheritance included the family seat of Orsett Hall, from the grounds of which he used to take off and land his plane. In 1968, he sold the house to his friends, Tony and Val Morgan. He married twice, first to Ella Gunilla Hansson, from whom he was divorced in 1969, and later to Diana Becchetti. He had a child from each marriage. He died on 28 April 2017.
In his first year in the competition, 1961, Whitmore won the British Saloon Car Championship in his BMC Mini Minor. In 1963 he drove again in the BSCC and came second in the championship in a Mini Cooper, finishing just two points behind Jack Sears. In 1965 he won the European Touring Car Championship in a Lotus Cortina (KPU392C). He won by finishing first in his class in 8 of the 9 1965 ETCC races (and finishing first overall in 6 of the races).
Sir John drove in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for five years between 1959 and 1966. In the first year he finished second in class along with Jim Clark in a Lotus Elite. In 1965 and 1966 he raced in a works Ford GT40, but had to retire from the race both years with mechanical problems. At the end of 1966 he retired from racing. He returned later in life to driving in historic car events such as the Goodwood Revival.
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