David Purley, the fearless hero.

Purley is mostly remembered for his futile attempts to rescue Roger Williamson from his burning car at Zandvoort in 1973. It was a tragedy caught live on TV, as Purley stopped his car, ran across the track and tried to tip the car over on his own. His efforts earned him the George Cross Medal for bravery.

The highly respected, much loved and 'tough as nails' ex soldier, had a deep routed affection for anything that went fast, and could turn his hand to almost anything. When close friend Derek Bell suggested he had a bash at motorsport, well that was it.

In the winter of 1976, beside a railway line, behind a refrigerator factory, in an old chicken shed, Purley and his small team built his own Formula 1 car, the CRP1.