John Bolster
John Vary Bolster, né Oldfield was a British racing driver and journalist.
Motor racing career
Bolster was successful in hillclimbing in the 1930s, with his Bloody Mary specials, built with his brother Richard. The first - Bloody Mary 1, powered by twin 1,000cc J. A. P. engines - first appeared in 1929 and was confined to sprints, while the more complex Bloody Mary 2 made its first appearance at Shelsley Walsh in 1938, and Bolster raced it at circuits such as Brooklands and Crystal Palace.After the War, Bolster abandoned Bloody Mary 2, putting two of the engines back into Bloody Mary 1, and was once more competitive in sprints and hillclimbs. For circuit racing, entrant Peter Bell recruited Bolster to drive Bell's ERA model R5B "Remus"; he took part in the British Grand Prix in both 1948 and 1949, in the former year finishing 6th after a comparatively trouble-free race, but in the latter he suffered a serious accident after clipping a straw bale.
He took part in the London to Brighton Run every year from 1934 to 1983, driving his 1903 Panhard.
Journalism
While recovering from his British Grand Prix accident, Bolster was visited in hospital by journalist Gregor Grant, who suggested that the two found a weekly magazine to cover motor sport; the resulting publication, Autosport, was first published in August 1950, and Bolster worked for the magazine until his death in 1984. His last contribution - a road-test of a Renault Fuego - was published after his funeral. His contribution to the magazine was honoured by the creation in 1985 of the John Bolster Award for Technical Achievement, one of the regular prizes handed out at the Autosport Awards.Instantly recognizable by his handlebar moustache and deerstalker, Bolster was a regular reporter for the British Broadcasting Corporation for its motor racing broadcasts.