Celebrated car designer Len Terry has died. He was 90.
Terry was born and raised in London, and left school at the age of 14. He became a messenger for a theatre company before the war, then did his duty on fire watch in the first few years of the conflict. By 1943 he had joined the RAF – his only other option being to work the mines as a Bevin Boy.
His time in the armed forces was initially spent creating instruments and photographic equipment, leading him to Karachi for a brief period. A short time after that he became a trainee draughtsman for Ever Ready in Walthamstow and, later, Falcon Shells, which prepared him for his first stint in the world of motor sport – he joined Lotus in 1958. During his time at the firm he contributed to the design of the Lotus Seven, Eleven, 12, 15, 16 and 17.
Terry also became heavily involved in the specials movement that emerged in the 1950s after building his own Austin-Seven-based car. He moved on to a Ford Ten-powered JVT Special, which he raced with little success.
The JVT was then cannibalised to create his second car – the Terrier – which was pieced together in his front room in Tottenham, famously having to be taken out of the house via the sash windows.
