AssonPublishing UK CYRIL KIEFT OBITUARY

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Cyril Kieft died on 10 May 2004, aged 92 years old.

On 9th July 2004 a Memorial Service was held for Cyril Kieft at St Joseph’s Church, Merry Hill, Wolverhampton. The eulogy was prepared and given by long time family friend Merrick Taylor.

C. W. Kieft
“He was a remarkable man! Born in Wales in 1911 and educated at Wellington Public School it was perhaps natural that young Cyril should follow his father into the steel industry, though it was his mother’s opposition to his close friendship with his girlfriend Megan, because she felt they were too young for a serious relationship, that caused him to be banished to Scunthorpe to train at Richard Thomas & Baldwins Ltd under the watchful eye of his father. Determination, a trait manifest in later years, prevailed and Cyril not only rose to become one of the youngest managers in the steel industry at the age of 22 but he also married Megan and so started a lifelong partnership. They became a great team with Megan often steadying Cyril’s ambitions and overly adventurous ideas. Cyril’s affection and respect for Megan was always there and marked by the 24 red roses which arrived at Megan’s every birthday.

When the war started, being in a preserved occupation, Cyril joined the Home Guard with his chum from school days Stuart Johns, his wicked sense of humour and love of pranks soon was evident when the sergeant tried in vain to teach these two, as he was lead to believe, completely incompetent townies how to manage a rifle only to find to his astonishment, when later at the range, that Cyril – a brilliant shot and winner at Bisley – totally demolished the bull’s eye.

After the war whilst retaining his interest and growing influence in the soon to be privatised steel industry Cyril started to develop his amazing talents as an entrepreneur and one such unlikely venture gave him an international reputation which is remembered to this day – motor racing. Having bought a 500cc Marwyn and found his first efforts as a driver rather scary and incompatible with his responsibilities as a husband and father, which by the way he was taking very seriously, he decided to build his own cars believing he could do better than those he saw around. The team soon stared to make an impact with the little Kieft racing cars and after gaining 14 world’s records at Montlhéry he was approached by Ken Gregory, Stirling Moss’ manager to help with the funding of a revolutionary new car for Stirling Moss developed by John A. Cooper, Dean Delamont and constructor Ray Martin. This little Kieft racing car was stunningly successful right from the word go with later versions winning the Formula Three Championship three years running.

However, and this is for the racing car enthusiasts, the little Kieft racing car team were not content and went on to further innovations with central-seater MG and Bristol engined sports cars as well as a very pretty sports car-the first to use the ubiquitous 1100cc Coventry Climax engine – and later the first sports to use fuel injection with the 1500cc Turner engine. Their early use of fibreglass for the bodies was not greeted with great enthusiasm by Megan when Cyril and his colleagues ruined her new Kenwood mixer trying to make a new fibreglass mix.

Cyril and his team led by Gordon Bedson were always ambitious to try for even greater things and built a flat-four engine using the four double  knocker Norton heads pre-dating the famous Vanwall engine concept by some years. Then finally came the construction of the Grand Prix cars which sadly were not run in their day but, thanks to the marvellous re-construction by Bill Morris and Greg Snape, Cyril was able to see his car perform at Silverstone and at the age of 92 the years rolled away and he was a young man again with his delight evident from the quiet enthusiasm that was so characteristic of him. The innovations of the Kieft team often pre-dated Cooper and Lotus and it can be truly said that he was one of the really significant people who contributed so much to that rich period of innovation in the 1950’s which very successfully re-established the British motor racing industry after the war. He remained immensely interested in his cars and kept in touch with the owners around the world who benefited from his remarkably detailed memory. Only a year or so ago many of us received from Cyril a beautiful ‘Kieft’ hat to wear at race meetings.

Cyril’s other interests were now growing apace major appointments in the steel industry were complemented by his own zest for new ventures and building his forging and pressing business. How well I remember as a young manager of one of his companies, every Friday I used to report to his loyal secretary Madge with that week’s output figures and always on time I would be ushered into the great man’s office. After a short discussion on the week’s performance, he had a photographic memory for figures and detail, I would then be given the treat of gaining a glimpse of the incredible world of C.W.K. the industrial entrepreneur, the steel industry, making scooters, the Kieft oil business, pioneering the manufacture of thermostats, the mining of haematite ore, mining for emeralds in Madagascar and much, much more as he recounted some experience that appeared to be relevant at the time.

Cyril was one of the most stimulating and positive men I have ever met, but he was in many ways a modest, quiet, unassuming man yet possessing immense style in everything, always dressed immaculately he loved to see Megan beautifully turned out as she always was. He adored Christmas with his family, every detail of the festive season had to be perfect, once when invited to stay over Christmas he was heard to say ‘well Megan must make the turkey stuffing because no-one makes stuffing like Megan’.

He had so many interests, his family, his love of boats, he was a member of the Royal Motor Yacht club, his love of sport – for many years a Wolverhampton Wanderers supporter. Cyril always followed England for soccer and cricket, Wales for rugby, he never missed a FI Grand Prix. His collection of Welsh china was legendary. His love of wild life in all forms was rather less well known and he had a very fine collection of books on birds that would have been the envy of David Attenborough. He was also a great collector of stamps.

I won’t attempt to summarise Cyril’s remarkable life suffice to say that I am proud to join you all in celebrating the life of Cyril Kieft for he was a real gentleman, a very generous and positive man, with a wonderful attitude to family, friends and staff. Immensely well informed and with international contacts to match his wide interests he was a great contributor in everything he did and every association he made. He ‘touched’ everyone he met and without doubt we were all the better for knowing this remarkable man.”

Merrick Taylor
 9th July 2004

 

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