Archie Scott Brown

William Archibald Scott Brown, known as Archie, (13 May 1927, Paisley, Renfrewshire – 19 May 1958, Heusy, Belgium) was a British Formula One and sports car racing driver from Scotland. He participated in one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix on 14 July 1956 scoring no championship points. He also attempted to qualify for the Italian Grand Prix in the same year, but was excluded due to his lack of the required International Licence, his disability precluding the granting of such a licence at the time. Away from F1, in his short career Scott Brown scored 71 wins, 15 of which came in international competition.

Archie Scott Brown (although often shown as Scott-Brown, the name is not hyphenated) was born in 1927. As a result of German Measles during his mother's pregnancy, Archie was born with severe disablement to his legs and right arm. Tremendous determination and several operations meant that Archie was able to lead a normal life, although he never grew over 5'0" tall.

He took up motor sport early in life after his father built him a small car to aid his mobility. His first competitive race was in 1951, in his own MG roadster, bought using a small legacy. As his reputation grew, his name became closely linked with that of Brian Lister, initially driving Lister's Tojeiro special, and later in sports racing cars built by Lister himself, and bearing his name. Archie enjoyed much success driving Lister – the famous Knobblies. Known for his courageous driving style, he was often to be seen in corners getting his Lister very sideways indeed. Asked about the possibility of the Lister's notoriously poor brakes failing completely, he responded that he would "carry on without them, old boy". Over the few years he was in the sport he developed a fierce but good-natured rivalry with rising American driving talent Masten Gregory.

He was mortally injured on 18 May 1958 during an accident in a sports car race at Spa-Francorchamps, driving a Lister Knobbly and duelling for the lead with Gregory. Battling hard with Mastern Gregory driving the Ecurie Ecosse Lister, they swapped the lead between them inches apart. The competition was so fierce that Archie dented his car's nose on the rear of the Ecosse car on lap three. With Archie leading on lap six they arrived at Blanchimont, then in the Clubhouse bend (where Richard Seaman died in 1939) to find the track slick with rain, the right hand front wheel of the Lister hit a road sign snapping the track rod causing a disastrous accident. Archie Scott Brown died in hospital (Heusy) on the 19th May 1958, less than a week after his 31st birthday.