Have you ever spent a one on one evening with someone who you have barely said more than ten words to? Not because you are not interested in them or that you can’t get a word in edgeways, just because you want to hear everything they have to say, drink in their knowledge, learn from them. This describes Wednesday night for me.
The person in question was Colin Stancombe. This may not be a name you recognise but he is someone that has had a fundamental effect of quick cars over the recent years. Currently he runs SVE, a race preparation company that concentrates its efforts in the Renault Clio cup, although he will fettle with pretty much anything that races, should you require. What he is perhaps more famed for, although you wouldn’t necessarily know, is the development of the Sierra Sapphire Cosworth and to a slightly lesser extent the Escort Cosworth that followed it.
Colin is a character, the sort of guy that you wouldn’t find in today’s typically politically correct car company. Anecdotes of his time at Ford show he is one of the old school, someone who works on feel, engineering knowledge and thoroughness. Simple solutions to often simple problems and because of this he still does a little consultation work for the near by Ford development centre.
I have only really got to know Colin properly recently, although I have known of him for many years, having been taken to Brands Hatch by my dad in the days when Colin himself used to race to victory in the Ford Fiesta Championship. Generally he doesn’t drive competitively now-a-days, although if you go out for a track tuition lesson with him you can see he would probably wipe the smile of many a supposed young stars face. He is a down to earth bloke, someone who will not tolerate bull s**ters, an analogue person in an age of digital people.
Looking round his study reveals the plethora of famous and infamous people he has worked with over the years. Pictures of him with the likes of Graham Hill are proudly displayed on the walls. In his Fiesta days, he ran the celebrity car for Ford, which involved Colin working with many a C list celebrity such as a bloke called Jay Kay, and a singer song writer by the name of Cathy Dennis! I could just imagine him having to do it with the current crop of clueless air headed individuals we know as stars.
Unlike other “motorsport” people I have talked to, Colin is not just a one dimensional charater. He lives his life with passion, enjoying everything including a good bottle of red wine (or two, as we did that night), good food and his other chosen sport skiing. An interesting evening, one which I hope to duplicate again in the future, even if it does mean repeating the monster hang over I had the following day.