Thompson was born on 4 November 1919 in Ditton Hill, Surrey. As a child he developed a keen interest in motorsport and became an admirer of Richard Seaman. After leaving school he joined Lloyd's of London as an insurance broker, a demanding role that allowed him only two weeks of annual leave and every third weekend off for racing. He saw active service during the Second World War before returning to his Lloyd's career.
Thompson began racing in 1948 at the age of 28. His first competitive outing was the 12 Heures de Paris at the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, sharing an HRG with Robin Richards and finishing fourth in the 1.5-litre class and seventeenth overall.
In 1949 he made his debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with HRG, co-driving with Jack Fairman. The pair won the 1.5-litre class and finished eighth overall. Later that season they won their class at the 24 Hours of Belgium at Spa-Francorchamps. Thompson also took class wins in the Silverstone International Trophy and a Goodwood handicap race.
In 1950 Thompson joined the Aston Martin works programme, providing support alongside Reg Parnell, Peter Collins, and Roy Salvadori. His debut for the team was a one-hour event at Silverstone where he finished fourth in class. He shared a DB2 with John Gordon at that year's Le Mans but retired after nine laps with engine failure. He continued competing nationally with HRG, winning his class at Blandford, in a Goodwood handicap, and at the Cambridge University Sprint at Bedwell Hey.
The 1951 season brought Thompson his greatest achievement. Sharing a works Aston Martin DB2 with Lance Macklin, he claimed outright victory in the 3-litre class at Le Mans and the pair finished third overall — one of the standout British sports car results of the period. He also raced in open-wheel events during 1951, contesting Formula Libre in an ERA/Delage and Delahaye, and finished third in class at the RAC Tourist Trophy.
In 1952 Thompson drove an Aston Martin DB3 alongside Reg Parnell at Le Mans but retired with transmission failure. A dramatic incident marked the Goodwood Nine Hours that year: Thompson brought the car into the pits with smoke coming from it, whereupon Parnell physically pulled him from the cockpit before the car caught fire. Away from Le Mans, Thompson drove a Peter Walker-entered DB2 to two Goodwood handicap victories and wins at Snetterton, and contested Formula Two and Libre events in an ERA/Delage.
Thompson's sole World Championship Formula One appearance came at the 1952 RAC British Grand Prix at Silverstone. He drove a works Connaught with a Lea-Francis engine, qualifying ninth on the grid. In the race he moved up one position when Robert Manzon's Gordini retired with a clutch failure and finished fifth overall — three laps behind winner Alberto Ascari but ahead of 1950 World Drivers' Champion Giuseppe Farina. His Connaught teammate Dennis Poore finished fourth.
In 1953 Thompson and Dennis Poore retired at Le Mans after 182 laps with ignition failure. He then paired with Parnell in the Goodwood Nine Hours, a race the two eventually won despite a puncture, clutch problems, and multiple driver changes throughout the night. They also finished second together in the Tourist Trophy.
In 1954 Thompson cut back his programme. He and Poore started the Le Mans race in a Lagonda DP115 but crashed out after 25 laps. His final Le Mans appearance came in 1955, ending in retirement with engine problems after 60 laps. He also ran in the 1955 Goodwood Nine Hours with Kenneth McAlpine in a Connaught-Lea-Francis pairing, finishing sixteenth. His last competitive race was at the 1956 CUAC Speed Trials, where he drove a 498cc Jason to second in class.
After stepping back from racing, Thompson concentrated on his Lloyd's career before resigning in the 1980s to open a bookshop near Guildford dealing in rare books on motor racing history. He made occasional appearances at historic motorsport festivals in later life. His recognition as the inaugural inductee into the Le Mans Drivers Hall of Fame in 2013 honoured a career conducted almost entirely in his spare time at the highest level of endurance racing. He died on 22 August 2015.
Gallery · 4 related images
