Archie Scott-Brown

This is the story of a hero who was more heroic than most. You may not have heard of Archie Scott-Brown, but that shrewd judge of racing driver talent Juan Manuel Fangio, who won the Formula One World Championship five times, called this diminutive Scot phenomenal, and said he showed uncanny car control.

Why more heroic than most? Well, he was born deformed on May 13, 1927 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, because his mother had contracted measles during her pregnancy. When she did give birth, doctors said Archie would never walk. His legs had no shin bones, both his feet were clubbed, and he had no right hand. As a child, he underwent 22 operations that partly corrected his leg problems, and was eventually able to walk. In motor racing. he became known as the “king of the four-wheel drift,” because he was one of the greatest balancers of cars with all four wheels sliding.