Bob Gerard

Frederick Roberts 'Bob' Gerard (19 January 1914, Leicester - 26 January 1990, South Croxton, Leicestershire) was a British racing driver and businessman who became a pillar of British motorsport from the 1930s through the 1980s. Born into an automotive family in Leicester, Gerard started racing in his father's Riley, participating in hillclimbs during the 1930s before progressing to club races. World War II interrupted his career, but he returned with renewed vigor after the war. In 1946, Gerard purchased an ERA from Reg Parnell and, after acquiring a second ERA, began competing in Grand Prix races.

Driving his ERA RL with considerable success from 1946, he scored three consecutive victories in the Empire Trophy and two victories in the Jersey Road Race between 1947 and 1949, establishing himself as a leading privateer. Gerard participated as a privateer in eight World Championship Grands Prix between 1950 and 1957, three in an ERA and five from 1953 with a Cooper. In 1951, he swapped his ERA for a Cooper T23-Bristol, which he continued campaigning until 1957. While he only twice finished in the top ten in Championship races with his Coopers, at the 1954 and 1957 British Grand Prix, Gerard remained a formidable force in UK national level race events throughout the 1950s.

During this decade, he won numerous races at most British circuits, earning widespread respect as a competitor who exemplified the privateer spirit. Gerard continued racing into the 1960s in a Turner sports car and used his mechanical preparation expertise to benefit other drivers by acting as entrant for many promising newcomers, continuing this role right into the 1980s. His four-decade involvement in motorsport, from the 1930s to the 1980s, made him a living link between different generations of British racing.