The name behind the race: S.F. Edge

S.F. Edge had a knack for creating publicity, and in the pioneering days of motoring and motorsport, that was a skill that could make all the difference. Yet for all his moving and shaking at the time, not to mention his propensity for setting records, his name isn’t as widely known today as his achievements would suggest.

Born in Sydney in 1868, S.F. – as he was most commonly known – came to the UK with his parents when he was three years old. The first evidence of his competitive streak was shown when, at 19 years old, he won the North Road Cycling Club’s 100-mile road race and the Westerham Hillclimb

With youth still on his side, S.F. entered into a partnership with motoring pioneers Charles Jarrott and Herbert Duncan. They formed De Dion-Bouton British and Colonial Ltd as an importer of cars. Edge also worked with Monague Napier (another keen cyclist) to help sell improved versions of his eponymous cars. 

S.F. cut a distinctive dash with his appearance. ‘Bentley Boy’ S.C.H. ‘Sammy’ Davis famously said: “His keen grey eyes, the bushy eyebrows and the hawk-like face made him a notable figure in any assembly.” He was not shy of publicity and knew that motorsport could be a valuable marketing tool.

Success on his bicycle followed him to cars. S.F. won the 1,000-mile race from Newbury, Berkshire, to Edinburgh. Of 64 starters, he was one of just 35 finishers, only 12 of whom averaged the requisite average 12mph to be classified. His riding mechanic, incidentally, was 14-year-old St John Nixon.

Two years later, S.F. entered the Gordon Bennett Trophy in France using a 17-litre Napier with his cousin, Cecil Edge and riding mechanic. Late preparation saw parts being fitted to the car on the train to Paris, while second gear hadn’t been hardened. S.F. borrowed factory facilities from a friend to harden the component and re-assemble the gearbox. The effort paid off: as the sole British entrant, they won covering the 565km in just over 11 hours.

In 1903, S.F. found an equally publicity-hungry ally in Dorothy Levitt. She had been working as a secretary in his company, and he promoted her to personal assistant before teaching her to drive and entering her into a motor race. She was the first female to do so, which generated much publicity.

He also entered her into the British International Hansworth Trophy for Speedboats, which she won. However, because he was the entrant, it was his name that was engraved on the trophy. Levitt’s high profile in the early 20^th century faltered, and from 1910 onwards there are no public records of her life. She died in 1922 aged 40.

After Levitt’s success, S.F. continued to chalk up victories of his own. In 1907, he broke the 24-Hour distance record at the newly-opened Brooklands circuit, covering 1,581 miles, a record that stood for 18 years. Moreover, he was heavily involved in the opening of the banked Surrey circuit.

In 1912, he sold his eponymous S.F. Edge Ltd to Napier for £120,000 (equivalent to £11.6million in 2024, adjusted for inflation). The contract excluded him from being involved in the car industry for 12 years, so he instead concentrated on farming his land in Ditchling, East Sussex. His influence persisted: in 1917, he became the Controller of Agricultural Machinery at the Ministry of Transport. 

When S.F.’s contractual exclusion with Napier expired, he started buying shares in AC Cars and eventually took full control in 1922. The same year, he set a new ‘Double 12’ record. Over two 12-hour driving shifts across two days, S.F. covered 1,782 miles at an average speed of 74.27mph. The record was set at Brooklands, scene of his 24-Hour record 15 years earlier.

When AC went out of business, S.F. ended his involvement in the motor industry. Similarly, his final contribution to motorsport came with the introduction of the Campbell Circuit at Brooklands in 1937. From De Dion Bouton, Napier and AC, to his numerous motorsport victories, S.F. Edge was at the forefront of British motoring at the dawn of the motor car. As well as being an industrialist, he was among the first to recognise the PR benefits associated with motorsport. Arguably his influence is still felt today, even if his name is not widely known.

At the 82^nd Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport, S.F. is immortalised by the race that bears his name. The incredible Edwardian machines that make up the grid are in the spirit of the pioneering motoring figure that was S.F. Edge.

The 82^nd Members' Meeting is live now! You can watch every moment of the action on our live stream right here on GRR.

Tickets for the 83^rd Members’ Meeting will be available for a limited time immediately after this year’s event for Members and Fellows of the GRRC. Admission and Grandstand tickets will go on sale on Monday 14^th April for Members, and Wednesday 16^th April for Fellows.

Images courtesy of Getty Images.