Leslie Marr

Sir Leslie Lynn Marr of Sunderland, 2nd Baronet (14 August 1922 - 4 May 2021): British racing driver, baronet, and landscape artist from Durham, England who participated in two Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, the 1954 and 1955 British Grands Prix, achieving a best finish of seventh in 1954 but scoring no championship points. Marr is notable both for his motorsport career and his later success as a renowned landscape painter, living to the remarkable age of 98. Born in Durham, Marr was the son of Lieutenant Colonel and brevet Colonel John Lynn Marr, OBE, TD, of the Royal Garrison Artillery, who directed two shipbuilding firms and the Sunderland Forge and Engineering Company. Marr's grandfather was Sir James Marr, 1st Baronet, a prominent shipbuilder.

When Marr's father died in 1931, ten-year-old Leslie inherited the baronetcy, becoming the 2nd Baronet, though he rarely used the title throughout his life, preferring to be known simply as Leslie Marr. Marr was educated at Shrewsbury School and Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he studied engineering, graduating in 1942. During World War II, he served in the Royal Air Force as a technician, gaining valuable mechanical knowledge that would later inform his racing and engineering interests. After the war, Marr pursued his passion for motorsport, beginning with motorcycle racing before transitioning to cars in the early 1950s.

He initially raced a Cooper-Bristol in British national races, showing competitive pace. He later acquired Connaughts, the British constructor struggling to compete against the dominant Italian manufacturers. Marr made his Formula One debut at the 1954 British Grand Prix at Silverstone on 17 July, driving his private Connaught-Alta. Starting from 20th position on the grid, Marr drove a careful, steady race and brought the car home in seventh place, though outside the points which at the time only extended to the first five finishers (later expanded to six).

While not a points-scoring result, finishing a Grand Prix in the 1950s was an achievement given the high attrition rates. Marr returned to the British Grand Prix in 1955, again driving a Connaught. However, his race ended after 36 laps when a damaged brake pipe caused him to spin off the circuit. He retired from the race and from Formula One, his World Championship career consisting of two starts, one finish, and zero points.

Beyond his two World Championship appearances, Marr competed in several non-championship Formula One races during the mid-1950s. His most notable success came when he won the 1955 Cornwall MRC Formula 1 Race, demonstrating that he possessed genuine speed. He also finished fourth at the 1956 New Zealand Grand Prix, showing competitiveness against international competition. After retiring from racing in the late 1950s, Marr pursued his other great passion—painting.

He developed into an accomplished landscape artist, creating works that captured the British countryside, particularly scenes from the North East of England and Scotland. His paintings were exhibited widely and collected by enthusiasts of British landscape art. Marr's artistic career ultimately brought him greater recognition than his motorsport achievements. Marr married three times. In 1948, he married artist Dinora Mendelson, daughter of London art dealer Jacob Mendelson and artist Lilian Holt.

The marriage lasted only two years, and they divorced in 1956. In 1962, Marr married Lynn Moynihan; they had two daughters, though tragically the elder daughter predeceased him. His third wife was Maureen Monk, who survived him. Throughout his life, Marr maintained connections to both the motorsport and art worlds, occasionally attending classic racing events and art exhibitions. He rarely gave interviews, preferring a private life focused on his family and painting.

As he aged, Marr became one of the oldest living Formula One drivers, a distinction that drew occasional attention from motorsport historians. Marr passed away on 4 May 2021 at the age of 98, having lived through nearly a century of extraordinary change. His death prompted tributes from both the motorsport community and the art world, celebrating a life that encompassed competitive racing, service in World War II, aristocratic heritage, and artistic achievement. Known for his gentlemanly conduct, smooth driving style, artistic talent, and modesty despite his baronetcy, Sir Leslie Marr represents the era of gentleman racers who competed for love of the sport rather than financial reward.

While his Formula One career was brief, his longevity and diverse achievements across motorsport, art, and business make him a unique figure in racing history.