Cecil Charles Sandford (21 February 1928 – 28 November 2023) was a British professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.[1] He competed in the FIM motorcycle Grand Prix world championships from 1950 to 1957. Sandford was a two-time FIM road racing world champion and a two-time winner at the Isle of Man TT.[1][2]
Motorcycle racing career
Born in Blockley, Gloucestershire, Sandford began his career riding in local scramble and grass track events. In 1950 he was offered a place on the AJS factory racing team alongside the reigning world champion, Les Graham. He followed Graham to the MV Agusta team and won the 1952FIM 125cc title, bringing Agusta their first world championship, as well as their first Isle of Man TT win.[3][4]
Sandford left MV at the end of 1954, as he believed he was not getting equal treatment to his Italian team-mate Carlo Ubbiali. He raced as a privateer in 1955. In 1956, he signed a factory contract with DKW in the 350cc class, but he had a troubled time with the brand's two-stroke machines, finishing 5th in the world championship. He raced part-time for Mondial in the 125cc class in parallel, and signed a three-year factory contract with them at the end of the year. In the 1957 season, he won a second world championship, and a second Isle of Man TT race, this time in the 250cc class. Mondial announced their immediate withdrawal from Grand Prix racing in October 1957, and Sandford decided to retire from racing rather than carry on as a privateer. He later worked at a bike dealership at Shipston-on-Stour.[3]
Sandford died on 28 November 2023, aged 95.[5] He was the last surviving motorcycle Grand Prix world champion of the 1950s at the time of his death.[3]
