Eric’s is another name perhaps somewhat lost in the mists of time, but he deserves his place in motorcycle racing history being the winner of the inaugural sidecar world championship in 1949 on his pre-war 596cc Norton and going on to win three more world championships in 1950, 1951 and 1953.
He was also a pioneer in the sport, being the first sidecar competitor to use a dustbin fairing, rear suspension and the first to adopt a semi-kneeling riding position.
Eric Staines Oliver left the circuit this day in 1980, aged 68.