Peter Lumsden

Peter James Scott Lumsden, CBE (20 February 1929 – 15 October 2017), was a British motorsport competitor, primarily active during the late 1950s and early 1960s. He competed in notable endurance racing events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Nürburgring 1000 km, the RAC Tourist Trophy, as well as races at Silverstone, Goodwood, Brands Hatch, and the Goodwood TT.

Lumsden was born in 1929 as the younger son of Lieutenant-General Herbert Lumsden. His family included his brother Jack Lumsden, a modern pentathlete. He began his racing career in 1956 with a Lotus-Climax Mk IX (registration RYF 446). During his debut season, he secured a victory at Goodwood and received the Motor Sport Brooklands Memorial Trophy. Early in his career, Lumsden developed a friendship with Graham Hill, a Lotus mechanic who occasionally raced the car under Lumsden’s ownership.

In 1957 and 1958, Lumsden competed with a Lotus Eleven (ORX 556), achieving moderate results. In late 1958, he acquired the third Lotus Elite prototype (WUU2), which he driven extensively in 1959. That year, he won the 1300 cc GT class at the Nürburgring 1000 km, partnering with Peter Riley. The same year, they participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing eighth overall, first in the 1500 cc GT class, and second in the Index of Thermal Efficiency.

In 1960, Lumsden partnered with Peter Sargent. The duo finished second in the 1300 cc GT class at the Nürburgring 1000 km and Lumsden won the 1300 cc GT class at the RAC Tourist Trophy at Goodwood, finishing ninth overall. During that season, Lumsden and Sargent obtained one of the earliest Jaguar E-Type (898 BYR), which was preferentially supplied to influential drivers due to supply constraints.

In 1961, the pair placed fifth overall at Le Mans, driving another E-Type. They also competed at the Nürburgring, finishing victory in their class and eighth overall. That year, Lumsden and Sargent acquired a used Lister-Jaguar (WTM 446), which was developed into the Lister-Jaguar GT Prototype and tested at Le Mans, Brands Hatch, and Silverstone.

In 1963, Lumsden and Sargent acquired a Jaguar Lightweight E-Type (car number 49 FXN), one of only twelve built. In their first race with the car at the Nürburgring 1000 km, Lumsden crashed but survived, and the vehicle was rebuilt with extensive aerodynamic modifications. During the 1964 season, the car achieved a top speed of 168 mph on the Mulsanne Straight during the Le Mans test weekend but did not finish the race due to gearbox failure. In that year's Goodwood TT, Lumsden finished eighth overall.

Sargent retired from racing at the end of 1964, while Lumsden continued briefly, securing victories at Brands Hatch and sharing a Ferrari 250 GTO (449 1GT) with Peter Sutcliffe to win the 3-litre GT class at Nürburgring. In 1965, Lumsden retired from racing and sold 49 FXN, which gained recognition as one of the most sought-after low-drag lightweight E-types.

Professionally, Lumsden was qualified as a chartered accountant. After leaving the London Stock Exchange, he took up farming near Dover. In 1995, he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to healthcare. He passed away in 2017.