Freddie Dixon

Frederick William "Freddie" Dixon (born April 21, 1892 in Stockton-on-Tees , † November 4, 1956 in Reigate ) was a British motorcycle and car racer and was known as a designer of motorcycle sideboards.

Youth and family

Freddie Dixon was born in 1892 as one of eight children to John and Martha Dixon. After primary school, at the age of 13, he began training as a bicycle seller. After only a few months he broke off his training and looked for a new job in a motorcycle repair shop. Dixon did not complete any professional training; his knowledge of motorcycle construction was based on practical experience. He was married once; In 1926 he married Margaret Thew; the marriage had a daughter.

Motorcycling

In 1909, Dixon bought his first motorcycle and began to compete at sporting events. He participated in speed tests and drove hill climbs . In 1912 he started for the first time, albeit unsuccessfully, at the Isle of Man TT . During the First World War he served in the Royal Army Service Corps , a supply corps of the British Army . After four years in the war, he retired as a staff sergeant . Shortly after the war he opened a motorcycle workshop in Middlesbrough and started motorcycling again . He competed in races with solo machines and motorcycle combinations . In 1923 and 1927 he won TT. 1923 together with co-driver Walter Denny on a Douglas equipped with a sidecar . In 1927 he won a solo factory HRD . He was the first motorcycle racer to win both a solo and a team race at the Tourist Trophy. At the end of 1928 he ended his active motorcycle career and retired from racing for four years.

Automobile sport

In 1932 he started racing again, this time with automobiles. After a few successful club races, he bought three Riley TT bodies and engines from Riley . Dixon rebuilt the vehicles, replaced heavy body parts with aluminum and made the chassis overall more rigid. In 1934 he won the Brooklands 500-mile race and made his debut at the Le Mans 24 Hours . At the endurance race in western France he drove a works Riley and finished the race with teammate Cyril Paul in third overall.

In 1935 and 1936 he won the RAC Tourist Trophy and repeated his triumph in Brooklands in 1936 .

In the late 1930s, he ended his racing career and concentrated on his own company. After the Second World War he worked for British motorcycle manufacturers as a designer and constructor of motorcycle sidings.

statistics

Isle of Man TT victories

year	class	machine	Average speed
1923	Sidecar	Douglas	53.15  mph (85.54  km / h )
1927	Junior (350 cm³)	HRD	67.19 mph (108.13 km / h)

Le Mans results

year	team	vehicle	Teammate	placement	Failure reason
1934	Riley Motor Company Ltd.	Riley 6/12 MPH Racing	Cyril Paul	Rank 3
1935	Riley Motor Company Ltd.	Riley 6/12 MPH Racing	Cyril Paul	failure	Car fire during pit stop

Web links

• Freddie Dixon on the Isle of Man TT official website.
• Freddie Dixon at Racing Sports Cars

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Freddie Dixon's first Rileys
2. ^ Victory in the Brooklands 500 Mile Race in 1934
3. ↑ Victory at the RAC Tourist Trophy 1935
4. ↑ Victory at the RAC Tourist Trophy 1936