Cecil Sandford, the oldest surviving world champion, was the go-to rider for Italy’s famous brands
Cecil Sandford held a unique place in motorcycle grand prix racing. The Englishman gave MV Agusta its first world title. Until his death on 29 November 2023 he was also the oldest surviving world champion. Sandford was born on 21 February 1928, in Blockley, Gloucestershire. He became an apprentice carpenter straight out of school and woodworking would remain a hobby throughout his life.
Not long after World War II had ended, Cecil and his family drove past a scrambles event. Cecil’s father stopped the car to look, but Cecil wasn’t impressed. He wanted to go road racing. From that moment on he raced his Triumph in club events and, in 1950, entered his first grand prix (and his first race outside the UK). A year later he drew attention when he rode his self-prepared 50cc Velocette to second place in the Swiss GP.
In 1952 Cecil landed a factory ride with MV Agusta. This was initiated by Cecil’s mentor Les Graham, who was the first 500cc world champion. Les was a factory rider for AJS and campaigned the 500cc E90 Porcupine twin before switching to MV at the end of the 1950 racing season.
Evergreen Cecil Sanford on a Moto2 MV Agusta in 2019
Cecil’s debut race for MV was on the Isle of Man, where he won the Ultra Lightweight TT, giving MV Agusta its first Grand Prix and first TT victory. More 125cc victories at Assen and Ulster followed and, together with third places at Solitude and Montjuïc, it was enough for Cecil to win the 1952 125cc World Championship and MV’s first world title.
In 1953 MV hired Carlo Ubbiali to compete in the smaller classes alongside Sandford, but MV Agusta’s preferential treatment of Italian riders made life difficult for the Brit. On top of that Graham, his greatest ally at MV, was killed during the Senior TT. Cecil ended the 1953 125cc world championship in second place behind Werner Haasand and eighth in 1954.
Tired of the team politics, he switched to Moto Guzzi in 1955 and rode single-cylinder machinery to third place in the 250cc championship and fifth in the 350cc category. In 1956 he signed for DKW to race a 350cc, but the V3 two-strokes were prone to seizing and Sandford was more preoccupied with preventing this happening than he was with high-placed finishes. Nevertheless, he ended the 350cc season fifth overall. In 1956 he was also offered a contract to ride the Mondial 125cc single, with which he gained fourth place at Assen and sixth at Solitude.
On his way to third place in the Spanish GP at Montjuïc in 1952, the year he gave MV its first world title
Mondial was pleased, offering him a three-year contract from 1957 to 1959.
In 1956 Cecil had made a lot of suggestions for improvement, which Mondial’s engineer Alfonso Drusiani took onboard. The result was a well modified 125cc GP racer for the 1957 season and on top of that Drusiani designed a new single to compete in the 250cc GP season.
Cecil rode the new 250cc to world championship glory with victories at the Isle of Man TT and Ulster GP, with a worst finish of fourth at the remaining rounds. He also finished the 125cc world championship in sixth place,
Racing a works Moto Guzzi in the 1955 350cc Manx TT
Unfortunately, the Italian motorcycle factories decided to quit GP racing at the end of the 1957 GP season – although MV eventually came back.
Cecil was given the choice of keeping his 1957 125cc and 250cc Mondial GP racers or his 1958 salary. He choose the latter simply because of the dangers of racing.
He wanted to get out unscathed and went on to start a career as a mechanic in the motorcycle business of his long-time sponsor and friend Arthur Taylor.
A slower pace of life also beckoned because he had married his long-time girlfriend Pat in 1957. They remained together until his death late last year.
The success of Cecil Sandford
Born 21 February 1928, Blockley, Gloucestershire
Isle of Man TT debut 1948, Junior Clubmans TT: DNF (Velocette)
TT victories 1952 Ultra-Lightweight TT (MV Agusta) and 1953 Lightweight (Mondial)
Grand Prix victories five (three 125cc,
two 250cc)
1950 350cc world championship: 13th (AJS)
1951 250cc world championship: 12th (Velocette)
500cc world championship: 9th (Velocette)
1952 125cc world championship: 1st (MV Agusta)
1953 125cc world championship: 2th (MV Agusta)
500cc world championship: 15th (MV Agusta)
1954 125cc world championship: 8th (MV Agusta)
1955 250cc world championship: 3rd (Moto Guzzi)
350cc world championship: 5th (Moto Guzzi)
1956 125cc world championship: 13th (Mondial)
350cc world championship: 5th (DKW)
1957 125cc world championship: 6th (Mondial)
250cc world championship: 1st (Mondial)
WORDS: IVAR DE GIER PHOTOS ARCHIVES A.HERL