The Sears family hailed from Northamptonshire where Jack’s grandfather made his fortune in the shoe business. His father, Stanley, was an avid car collector and President of the Veteran Car Club.

The man whose sartorial elegance earned him the name of Gentleman Jack made his competition debut in 1950, at the wheel of an MG TC. In the following years, Sears raced up and down the country, notably in a Jaguar XK 120, Cooper MG and Lister-Bristol, before winning the inaugural British Saloon Car Championship with an Austin. From 1963, his name became linked with Ford, his eclecticism perfectly suited to cars as different as the Cortina, the Galaxie, the Cobras and the Shelby Daytona Coupe.

He competed four times in the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1960 and 1965, coming fifth in 1963 at the wheel of a Ferrari 330 LMB, entered by British team Maranello Concessionaires, shared with Mike Salmon who died earlier this year.

In 1964, Sears and the splendid AC Cobra Coupe, built at the AC factory in Thames Ditton, made headline news in the run-up to Le Mans. Ten days before the race, the car needed to be tested under the same conditions as the famous Mulsanne Straight. As the Le Mans circuit and its 5-kilometre straight are unique, Britain’s first motorway – the M1 – was chosen as the setting for the test. Dressed in his customary blazer and tie, Sears set off from Toddington services shortly after 4.00am and made several runs with different tyres. Traffic at the time not being what it is today, he managed to clock a speed of 290 kph – on an open road. Although there were no speed limits then, the shakedown made the front page of the Daily Mirror and the Ministry of Transport ordered an inquiry.

The car had a short-lived career as the 1964 Le Mans 24 Hours proved to be its one-and-only race. A burst tyre caused Sears’s teammate Peter Bolton to come off the track at Maison Blanche, killing three youngsters who were watching the race from an unauthorised area.

After being restored by an enthusiastic collector from Scotland, this Cobra Coupe returned to Le Mans in 1989 where it took part in the pre-race cavalcade. It was more recently seen at Goodwood in 2012 with Sears during an AC parade.

Sears’s son David also enjoyed a racing career. In addition to two successive appearances at the 24 Hours, culminating in an overall third place in 1990, he became the owner of Argo and founded the Super Nova team that helped Sébastien Bourdais to F3000 championship success in 2002. David Sears was also Bourdais’ manager when he dominated the American Champ Car championship from 2004 to 2007.

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest extends its deepest sympathy to Gentleman Jack’s family and loved ones, and especially to his son, David.

Author: Louis Monnier

Photo: 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans. The AC Cobra Coupe driven by Jack Sears and Peter Bolton.