William Raymond Amm (10 December 1927 – 11 April 1955) was a

Rhodesian Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of S ...

professional

Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...

motorcycle road racer. He competed in the

FIM FIM may refer to: Organizations and companies * Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the International Motorcycling Federation * Flint Institute of Music, in Michigan, United States * Fox Interactive Media, now News Corp. Digital Media * ...

motorcycle Grand Prix world championships from 1951 to 1954. Amm was a six-time Grand Prix race winner including three victories at the

Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...

when, he died in 1955 after an accident during a race in Italy.

Biography

Born in

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...

Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a landlocked self-governing British Crown colony in southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The region was informally kn ...

, Amm was a motorcycle dealer and managed a workshop in his hometown. He began racing when he was 17 years old. After the purchase of an AJS motorcycle shortly after the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Amm started

grasstrack Motorcycle Grasstrack is a form of track racing which typically, in its current form, takes place on a flat track consisting of two straights and two bends usually constructed in a field. It is one of the oldest types of motorcycle sports in the ...

racing near Salisbury and finished last in his first race. The next season the AJS motorcycle was replaced with a

Triumph The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...

motorcycle. The purchase of a brand new

Norton Norton may refer to: Places Norton, meaning 'north settlement' in Old English, is a common place name. Places named Norton include: Canada *Rural Municipality of Norton No. 69, Saskatchewan *Norton Parish, New Brunswick **Norton, New Brunswick, a ...

motorcycle allowed Amm to enter the prestigious 1949

Port Elizabeth Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...

200 Motor-Cycle Race in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

and despite breaking the lap-record he finished in 17th place when the clutch started to slip. Again entering the 1950 Port Elizabeth 200, Amm finished in 1st place for the 500 cc race and set a new lap record of 95.86 mph. Another win followed in the 500 cc class for the 1951 Port Elizabeth 2000 Race despite suffering carburation problems. After these successes the Salisbury Motor-Cycle Club helped with his passage to compete in Europe.''TT Special'' Page 15. 12 June 1954 edited by G.S.Davison

Racing in Europe

After ordering two

Norton Manx The Norton Manx or Manx Norton is a British racing motorcycle that was made from 1947 to 1962 by Norton Motors Ltd. Norton had contested every Isle of Man TT race from the inaugural 1907 event through into the 1970s, a feat unrivalled by any ...

motorcycles before leaving Rhodesia for the

1951 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season The 1951 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the third F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of eight Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 8 Apri ...

, Amm discovered on arriving in Europe that they would not be delivered until the start of practice for the

1951 Isle of Man TT The 1951 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Senior Results Junior TT Results Lightweight Results Ultra Lightweight Results Clubmans Senior Results Clubmans Junior Results External linksDetailed race resultsAJS motorcycle was purchased and Ray Amm won the 350 cc class at a Peveril M.C. & L.C.C. meeting in the Isle of Man. The two Manx Nortons arrived on the first day of practice for the

1951 Isle of Man TT The 1951 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Senior Results Junior TT Results Lightweight Results Ultra Lightweight Results Clubmans Senior Results Clubmans Junior Results External linksDetailed race results Junior TT The Junior TT is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1949 and 1976 this race was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. Engine c ...

Race at an average race speed of 81.59 mph. After a 20-minute delay, Amm finished in 28th place for the 1951

Senior TT The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the Blue Riband event of the festi ...

Race at an average race speed of 75.42 mph. For the

1952 Isle of Man TT The 1952 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the start of Bob McIntyre's association with the Isle of Man, when he came second in the Junior Clubman TT that year. Irishman Reg Armstrong won his first Senior TT event as well as coming in second in th ...

Race, Amm crashed at

Braddan Bridge Braddan Bridge (Irish: ''Naomh Breandán'', Saint Brendan of Clonfert, ''the Navigator'' or ''the Voyager'') is a bridge over the river Dhoo on the Douglas to Peel road, from which a halt on the Isle of Man Railway's first line to Peel took i ...

on lap 3 of the Junior Race. This was followed by a 3rd place in the 1952 Senior TT Race at an average race speed of 92.40 mph, a race that was won by

Reg Armstrong Reginald Armstrong (1 September 1928 – November 1979) was an Irish professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He was born in Dublin, grew up in Dublin and raced for the AJS, Velocette, Norton, NSU, and Gilera factory racing teams. He th ...

for Norton.

Norton Team 1952-1954

For the

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...

Dutch TT The Dutch Tourist Trophy, also known as the ''TT Assen'', is an annual Dutch motorsport event established in 1925 for road racing motorcycles held on the TT Circuit Assen, also known as the ‘Cathedral of Speed'. The event attained world champ ...

, Amm was a full member of the Norton team and was second to

Geoff Duke Geoffrey Ernest Duke (29 March 1923 – 1 May 2015) was a British multiple motorcycle Grand Prix road racing world champion. Born in St. Helens, Lancashire, after retirement from competition he was a businessman based in the Isle of Man. He r ...

in the 350cc Dutch TT and retired from the 500 cc race. At the 1952

German Grand Prix The German Grand Prix (german: Großer Preis von Deutschland) was a motor race that took place most years since 1926, with 75 races having been held. The race has been held at only three venues throughout its history; the Nürburgring in R ...

held at

Solitude Solitude is a state of seclusion or isolation, meaning lack of socialisation. Effects can be either positive or negative, depending on the situation. Short-term solitude is often valued as a time when one may work, think, or rest without distu ...

, Amm crashed and broke a leg, returning later in the

1952 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season The 1952 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the fourth F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of eight Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 18 M ...

to win the 350 cc class for the 1952 Nations Grand Prix held at

Monza Monza (, ; lmo, label=Lombard language, Lombard, Monça, locally ; lat, Modoetia) is a city and ''comune'' on the River Lambro, a tributary of the Po River, Po in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capit ...

in Italy. For the 1953 racing season, Amm debuted the controversial Norton Kneeler 350cc motorcycle at the 1953

North West 200 The International North West 200 is a Northern Irish motorsport event established in 1929 for road racing motorcycles held on a street circuit known as ''the Triangle'' between the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush in Causeway Coast ...

Race. Despite overheating problems the Norton Kneeler with the nickname the "''Amm Sandwich''" or "''Silver-Fish''", Amm finished in 9th place in the 350 cc class that was eventually won by Bob McIntyre at an average race speed of 86.86 mph. Despite testing the Norton Kneeler for practice for the 1953 Isle of Man TT Races, Amm reverted to the non-streamlined Norton motorcycles due to handling problems with cross-winds on the Mountain Section of the course and also opposition by the TT Race Scrutineers. It proved a good choice as Amm won the 1953 Junior TT Race at an average race speed of 90.52 mph from

Ken Kavanagh Thomas Kenrick Kavanagh (12 December 1923 – 26 November 2019) was an Australian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and racecar driver. In 1952, Kavanagh became the first Australian to win a motorcycle Grand Prix race when he won the 350cc ...

in 2nd place and

Fergus Anderson Fergus Kenrick Anderson (9 February 1909 – 6 May 1956) was a British professional motorcycle racer. He was a two-time Grand Prix World Champion. His name appears on the Nazis' "most wanted" list drawn up prior to their intended invasion of Br ...

in 3rd place. Another win in the 1953 Senior TT Race for Amm at an average race speed of 93.85 mph completed a prestigious Junior/Senior TT double win for the works Norton team. Following Amm during the 1953 Senior TT Race,

commented on Amm's distinctive riding style;- "After I had caught and passed Ray Amm on the Norton, he passed me at Ballugh when I missed a gearchange! Then there was the frightening experience of following him to the end of the lap, Ray could be pretty lurid when he was trying!" A fall at the 1953 French Grand Prix at

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...

in the 350cc class broke a collar-bone and brought about a premature end to championship ambitions for Amm for the

1953 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season The 1953 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the fifth F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of nine Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 12 Jun ...

. However, Amm returned to the abortive Norton Kneeler project in November 1953 to set a number of world speed records at

Montlhéry Montlhéry () is a Communes of France, commune in the Essonne Departments of France, department in Île-de-France in northern France. It is located from Paris. History Montlhéry lay on the strategically important road from Paris to Orléans. U ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

raising the hour speed endurance record to a distance of 133.70 miles. Also at Montlhéry in November 1953, Amm shared a streamlined Norton Sidecar outfit with Eric Oliver to set further speed records. Again riding for the works Norton in

1954 Isle of Man TT The 1954 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the second race in the 1954 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season and proved highly controversial for TT Course and race changes. The 1954 Junior TT was the first race where the official race distance was re ...

Races, despite leading the 1954 Junior TT a retirement on lap 5 for Amm, allowed Rod Coleman to become the first New Zealander to win a TT Race at an average race speed of 91.51 mph. The 1954 Senior TT race was delayed due to weather conditions and reduced visibility on the Mountain Section of the course. The race is held after a short delay and starts at mid-day. Despite the conditions,

riding the works

Gilera Gilera is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer founded in Arcore in 1909 by Giuseppe Gilera (1887–1971). In 1969, the company was purchased by Piaggio. History In 1935, Gilera acquired rights to the Rondine four-cylinder engine. It was, at ...

and led Amm riding for Norton by 14 seconds on lap 1. On the second lap, Duke lapped in 26 minutes and 23 seconds at an average speed of 86.97 mph and Amm lapped at an average speed of 86.49 to reduce the lead to just 2 seconds.Island Racer 2004 page 115 Further heavy rain and low cloud on the Mountain Section reduced speed further and on lap 2 and Amm used "feet-down" tactics on the slower corners. Then Duke decided to refuel on lap 3 and Amm in second place went straight through without stopping and now led Duke by 32 seconds. At the Windy Corner on lap 4, the visibility was down to 20 yards and a decision was made to stop the race because of the conditions. This allowed Amm, due to refuel at the TT Grandstand on lap 4, to win the highly controversial 1954 Senior TT Race in 1 hour, 42 minutes and 46.8 seconds at an average race speed of 88.12 mph.

1954 Isle of Man Senior TT 500 cc final standings

Friday 18 June 1954 - 4 Laps (150.92 Miles) Mountain Course. The next event after the

Races was the

Ulster Grand Prix The Ulster Grand Prix is a motorcycle race that takes place on the Dundrod Circuit made up entirely of closed-off public roads near Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first races took place in 1922 and in 1935 and 1948 the Fédération Internation ...

held at the

Dundrod Circuit Dundrod Circuit is a motorsport street circuit used for the RAC Tourist Trophy for sports cars between 1950 and 1955 and for the motorcycle Ulster Grand Prix from 1953 onwards. It is situated near the village of Dundrod in Lisburn, Norther ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. In an event that was much affected by rain, Amm won the 350 cc Ulster Grand Prix at an average race speed of 83.47 mph from

Jack Brett Jack Brett (17 June 1917 – 29 December 1982) was a British professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Brett was born in Leeds in the county of West Yorkshire, Northern England. He competed in the Grand Prix world championships from 194 ...

in 2nd place and Bob McIntyre in 3rd place. The 500 cc Ulster Grand Prix was reduced from 27 laps to 15 laps due to heavy rain and again the race was won by Amm at an average race speed of 83.87 mph, although later these result was excluded from the World Championship by the

. A further Grand Prix win in 1954 followed for Amm with another 350 cc victory at the German Grand Prix held at Solitudering. At the end of the

1954 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season The 1954 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the sixth F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of nine Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 30 Ma ...

Amm finished in 2nd place in both the 350 cc and 500 cc classifications behind world champions

and

1954 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season 500 cc Standings

1954 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season 350 cc Standings

Moving to MV Agusta Team 1955

Despite many offers Amm finally moved from the works Norton motorcycles to the factory

MV Agusta MV Agusta (, full name: MV AGUSTA Motor S.p.A., original name: Meccanica Verghera Agusta or MV) is a motorcycle manufacturer founded by Count Domenico Agusta on 19 January 1945 as one of the branches of the Agusta aircraft company near Milan in ...

racing team. The debut race for Amm and MV Agusta was to be the 1955 Easter Monday race meeting at the

Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, better known as Imola, is a motor racing circuit in the town of Imola, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, east of Bologna. It is one of the few major international circuits to run in an an ...

Imola Imola (; rgn, Jômla or ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, located on the river Santerno, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The city is traditionally considered the western entrance to the historical re ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. Riding a 350cc four-cylinder MV Agusta in the Coppa d'Oro Shell Race, Amm lost control at the Rivazza Corner as he pursued Kavanagh and crashed in slippery conditions and died of his injuries on the way to hospital.

Race results

TT Race Victories

TT Career Summary

FIM Motor-Cycle Grand Prix Results

(

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

) (Races in bold indicate pole position) † The 500 cc race was stopped by bad weather, and the FIM excluded the race from the World Championship. 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix (1st edition). Hazelton Publishing Ltd

Sources

External links

TT database rider profile
iomtt.com
TT database TT results
iomtt.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Amm, Ray 1927 births 1955 deaths Sportspeople from Harare Rhodesian people of British descent White Rhodesian people Rhodesian motorcycle racers Isle of Man TT riders 350cc World Championship riders 500cc World Championship riders Motorcycle racers who died while racing Sport deaths in Italy