Robin Montgomerie-Charrington

Robin Victor Campbell Montgomerie-Charrington (23 June 1915 - 3 April 2007): British racing driver and member of the brewing family who competed in one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix, the 1952 European Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. Born into the wealthy Charrington brewing dynasty in Mayfair, London, Montgomerie-Charrington was a gentleman racer who competed for personal satisfaction rather than professional necessity. He took up 500cc Formula Three racing in 1950, achieving modest results through 1950 and 1951 in British national events, demonstrating competence if not exceptional speed. For 1952, Montgomerie-Charrington purchased one of Bill Aston's Formula Two cars, an Aston Butterworth, with ambitions to compete in major races.

He entered the European Grand Prix (the Belgian Grand Prix) at the daunting Spa-Francorchamps circuit on 22 June 1952, which counted toward the World Championship. The Aston Butterworth was a relatively obscure British Formula Two constructor with limited development and modest performance. At Spa, Montgomerie-Charrington qualified for the race but struggled with the car's reliability and speed. He retired after just 17 laps with "engine trouble," a common affliction for Aston Butterworth cars, and scored no World Championship points.

His race was effectively anonymous, with little attention paid to his participation among the more competitive entries. Montgomerie-Charrington achieved his best result of the year with third place at the non-championship Chimay Grand Prix, but this modest success could not disguise the Aston Butterworth's fundamental lack of competitiveness. He retired from motorsport before the end of 1952, recognizing that further investment in racing was unlikely to yield better results and that his opportunities in competitive machinery were limited. After leaving motorsport, Montgomerie-Charrington returned to business interests associated with his family's brewing empire and lived a long life.

He died on 3 April 2007 at age 91, having witnessed Formula One's complete transformation from the amateur gentleman-racer era of his own brief participation to the highly professional, corporate sport of the 21st century. Montgomerie-Charrington represents the British upper-class amateur racers who competed in early Formula One, bringing enthusiasm and financial resources but often lacking the raw talent or competitive equipment necessary for success. Known for: Competing in the 1952 European Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps driving an Aston Butterworth, retiring after 17 laps with engine trouble, being a member of the wealthy Charrington brewing family, and representing the era of British gentleman amateur racers.