Former Brooklands Trustee, Alastair Pugh Dies aged 90
11 March 2019
Brooklands Museum is sorry to report the death on 6th March of its long-standing Trustee Alastair Pugh, after a brief illness.
There will be a Thanksgiving and Celebration of Alastair's life at Brooklands Museum on Saturday 23rd March. Please email your desire to attend to [email protected]. You will receive back details on timings, how to reach the museum and parking. Giles, Marketta and all the family look forward to seeing you there.
Alastair was the very embodiment of the spirit of Brooklands, having made his mark in both aviation and motor sport, and served as a Trustee of the Museum from the early days of the Trust in 1988 up until 2016 and since then as a valued Trustee Emeritus. Alastair’s career in aviation began with De Havilland at its Technical School in Hatfield just after the Second World War, and after six years as a designer he joined the editorial staff of Flight in 1955. He moved to the airline industry in 1961 with Channel Air Bridge then British United Airways, and when BUA was taken over by Caledonian Airways in 1970 he began a journey to the top of the new British Caledonian, ending up as Managing Director and Executive Vice-Chairman until the airline was taken over by British Airways in 1988. Since then he worked as a consultant in the industry with Goldman Sachs, and was appointed CBE in 1986.
Alastair’s other great interest was the chain-drive Frazer Nash, a marque which he drove for almost his entire motoring career. He served as Captain and Patron of the Frazer Nash Section (now the Frazer Nash Car Club) of the Vintage Sports Car Club and took part in many of the famous “raids” which its members undertook to Europe and elsewhere. He raced both “Chain Gangs” and his later Fazer Nash-BMW 328 for many years, only retiring from racing the latter (as, we believe, the oldest holder of a current UK racing licence) at the end of the 2018 season. He remained as an active entrant of the 328 for his namesake Alistair Pugh (no relation) and Tim Jarrett – who won an award with it at the VSCC’s Pomeroy Trophy meeting only last month. Both Alastair and Tim (twice) were outright winners of the Brooklands Double Twelve in recent years.
Alastair remained active right till the end: he flew the Spirit of BCAL Piper Archer on his 90th birthday in September last year, and was driving his car just before he was taken ill on Sunday. Alastair was a dynamic and committed Trustee, and a valued friend and mentor to many of us, and he will be greatly missed.
Discover more about Alastair Pugh and his Frazer Nash BMW 328
Brooklands regular Alastair Pugh (right) accepting an award at the 2016 Brooklands Double Twelve Motorsport Festival