The historic paddock suffered a huge loss on 20 January, when Martin Grant-Peterkin died at home at the age of 83. Knowledgeable, kind, helpful and generous to all, Martin was a true gentleman in every sense of the word.

Nineteen years in a British Army Cavalry Regiment, by then equipped with tanks, was an excellent grounding for racing cars, both old and modern. Indeed, he claimed that the crash gearbox on a Centurion tank was little different from the gearbox of the Speed Six Bentley for which the family Mini was exchanged in the early 1960s.

Early postings to the Arabian Gulf, Africa and other exotic places meant that he had to postpone serious racing, but thereafter he enjoyed a succession of racing vehicles, starting with karts, followed by a Brabham Formula Ford and a couple of years in the British Touring Car Championship driving a VW Golf.

He began historic racing in a superb 1929 Maserati 26M, until a serious accident in a 1952 single-seat Alta finished his racing career. However, his lifelong interest in historic cars was fuelled by membership of the Vintage Sports-Car Club and subsequently the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association. After leaving the army, Martin spent four years as VSCC Competition Secretary, and he remained a committee member of the VSCC for many years. This qualified him for appointment to the Royal Automobile Club Motor Sports Association (Now Motorsport UK) Historic Committee and subsequently he became its Chairman. His involvement with international motorsport started in 1990 when, as chairman of the Events Commission of FIVA, he was nominated as a FIVA delegate to the FIA Historic Cars Commission. The transformation of the HCC to the FIA Historic Motor Sports Commission resulted in a nomination by the MSA as their delegate to the new Commission, a post he held for many years.

As a MSA registered Clerk of the Course, much of his time was spent in race control at events, but at the same time, being Competition Secretary of the HGPCA for almost two decades kept him involved in the administrative side of race events. He enjoyed his motoring with a vintage Bentley amongst other historic cars.

He leaves behind his beloved wife Bee and three sons, Christopher, Charles, and Michael and numerous grandchildren. We send them and all his many friends our sincerest condolences.