Richard Stallebrass, or ‘Dick’ as he was more widely known at the time, was one of the principal people who started up the AMOC again after the War, and some 12 years after it had originally been formed by Mort Goodall.
Under Dick’s chairmanship the AMOC reformed at a meeting of 30 people held at The RAC Club in Pall Mall on the 5 March 1948. Dick had many great ideas for the Club and whilst many Members had not met him he was well known for his witty contributions to the news sheets.
Sadly Dick lost his life at Malmedy corner during the 1948 Spa 24 Hour race. Dick had just taken over the car from Jack Fairman following refuelling in the pits. On his approach downhill to the fast Malmedy corner on his first lap out of the pits, he got into a slide that he failed to control and hit the left bank then the right bank, at which point the car somersaulted several times into a nearby field. He was rescued and taken to hospital and died several hours later having never regained consciousness. In the pits it was thought he had a minor accident and Jack Fairman, his co-driver, set off to walk 4 miles to recover the car and re-join the race. When he arrived at the scene of the accident and saw the serious nature of it he knew Dick must be severely injured. Dick was racing an Ulster bodied 2-litre Aston at the event. His death was overshadowed by Jock Horsfall and Leslie Johnson winning the event in the newly developed 2-litre ‘Blue Car’.
As a mark of respect the Club decided to create a trophy as a memorial to Dick: The Richard Stallebrass Trophy. It was funded at the time by generous donations from Club Members.