Phil Remington: 1921-2013
Few men have impacted our world of motorsports like Phil Remington. From his early days on the dry lakes of Southern California, running his stripped-down Ford roadster, to his final endeavor with All American Racers, helping to fabricate the innovative Delta Wing for this past year’s 24-hour classic at Le Mans, “Rem” was always an inescapable and dynamic component of racing history.
In the seven decades that defined his professional life, Phil helped design and build some of the world’s most beautiful and successful racing equipment. Every component he ever graced with his unique talents glistened with a special sheen of engineering elegance and finish that was his unmistakable signature. Whether he was building Scarabs for Lance Reventlow in the ’50s, crewing Dan Gurney’s winners at Indy in the ’70s or engineering Carroll Shelby’s teams to numerous international successes in Europe and America, Phil was both the catalyst and irrepressible innovative force that led to victory. Without him there never would have been a Cobra or a Shelby American, as he was the inspirational core of that team’s success.
Perhaps no two words can better describe Remington than “racer” and “gentleman.” Among his peers he generated enduring admiration, awe, respect and leadership. At 92 he left us quietly during the night of Feb. 8, leaving a space in the hearts of all who knew or had the privilege of working with him. We’ll never see another like him as the world has changed, but most importantly we’ll remember Rem as the one who always made it for the better of those around him.
