1953 RAC Tourist Trophy
The 1953 RAC Tourist Trophy was a sports-car race held on 5 September at the Dundrod Circuit in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was the sixth round of the World Sportscar Championship and the 20th running of the event.
The race used a handicap format, with the largest cars starting earlier. The Jaguars, the biggest cars, began four laps and around five minutes ahead of the rest. The race covered 111 laps, with two drivers per car and each driver required to complete at least one third of the distance to be classified.
Entry was delayed by a French strike, so 45 cars were registered but only 28 took part in practice. No major European works teams visited from the continent. From England, Jaguar and Aston Martin entered three cars each, Frazer Nash Le Mans Mk II and Kieft-Bristol also competed. Ferrari led the Manufacturers Championship but did not race, so Jaguar needed a strong finish to pick up points with only one race left, the Carrera Panamericana.
The race was run in foggy conditions. Aston Martin dominated, taking the first two places on the same lap. Car 20, driven by Peter Collins and Pat Griffith, won in 9 hours 37 minutes 12 seconds, at an average speed of about 81.7 mph. Second were Reg Parnell and Eric Thompson in another Aston Martin DB3S, 3 minutes 23 seconds behind. Third were Stirling Moss and Peter Walker in a Jaguar C-Type.
Prize money: the winner received £500; class winners received £200 for first and £100 for second.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 08:08 (CET).