Ray Amm was a rising star of motorbike racing in the early 1950s. He was a motorcycle dealer and managed a workshop in his hometown Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia, where he started his career in 1946 as a motocross rider. In 1951 Amm moved to Europe and joined the Continental Circus racing as a privateer, personally tuning his machine; his wife Jill worked as van driver and signaller in the boxes.
After an impressive race at the 1952 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, Ray Amm was signed up by Joe Craig of team Norton to replace Dave Bennett, who had lost his life during the Swiss Grand Prix at Bremgarten. From July, 1952 Amm participated in the World Championship as Norton works rider, scoring his first win at Monza in the Grand Prix des Nations, 350 cm3 class.
The following year Amm's team mate Geoff Duke abandoned the Norton squad and joined team Gilera. Ray then replaced him as Norton lead rider, winning both the 350 cm3 and 500 cm3 class races at Isle of Man Tourist Trophy. Amm finished third in the World Championship 350 cm3. In 1954 he was second in the 350 cm3 and 500 cm3 classes in the World Championship, achieving four Grand Prix victories in the season, in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, 500 cm3 class, in the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, 350 cm3 class, and in the Ulster Grand Prix at Dundrod, 350 cm3 and 500 cm3 classes. After a huge battle with Geoff Duke in the Solitude Grand Prix, he was nicknamed by German press as "Der Todesengel" (The Death Angel) because of his aggressive riding style.
By then a star in the sport, Ray Amm transferred to MV Agusta for the 1955 season. In his first race with that Italian manufacturer, the Coppa d'Oro Shell, a 350 cm3 non-championship event held at Imola, on Monday, 11 April, Amm was running in fourth place when he lost control of his bike and ran off the road, crashing at the exit of the Rivazza bend, the slippery second-gear final turn of the course. His helmet came loose and the unfortunate rider hit an iron fence post with his head. He was found unconsious into a ditch and transported to Imola hospital but died twenty minutes after his arrival, victim of a fractured skull. He was twenty-seven years old.
After the accident the race was not stopped and Ken Kavanagh on a Moto Guzzi eventually was the winner, from team mate Enrico Lorenzetti.
That same Easter Monday, 1955 was marked by another fatality which happened at the non championship Formula 1 Grand Prix de Pau in France, where the young Italian newcomer Mario Alborghetti lost his life. Ironically, as Ray Amm's bike, also Alborghetti's car sported the race number #28 on its plate.
R.I.P
