Saxon

Mackson

"Mac" McGee and Gordon Bedson created their 500 in the later part of 1951, the name being derived from a combination of their names. Gordon Bedson having worked as a mechanic for Alan Brown for several years previously.

It has a tubular chassis with wishbone front suspension and a swing axle at the rear and was lower and sleeker than most cars of the time. Norton double knocker engines were specified. Arthur Gill, who had previously raced a Cooper Mk IV, took over the team at the beginning of 1952 and ran two cars for himself and Alan Scoble. Arthur made the car's debut at Caste Combe in April taking second in his heat and fifth in the Final, with Moss winning in the Kieft. The writing was already on the wall as the small concern was up against the Kiefts of Moss and Parker and the Cooper Mk VI so, while respectable results were achieved throughout the year, there were no race wins.

First test of the Mackson, March 1952. Arthur Gill is the young lad in the flying jacket to the right but who are the others? Please get in touch if you know. Photo Courtesy Jonathan Gill.

As reviewed in Iota

At the end of 1952, Gordon Bedson left the Mackson concern, and became a director of Kieft cars. Peter Braid soon sold his car and only two appeared in 1953, Gill struggling on before giving up mid-season, and another car for newcomer Ian Burgess.

In 1954, the cars had passed to BA Manning and Maurice Thomas. Manning would replace his with a Staride for 1955, with Cyril Scott-MacArthur taking over the Mackson. After three good years of use, Scott-MacArthur would rebuild the car, first as the Saxon Formula III car, then again as the Saxon Formula Junior. Thomas stuck with his chassis, unchanged, until 1958, at which point the third car reappeared for Alan Scoble. One of these surviving chassis, probably Thomas'car, ended up on the East Coast of America with James Merget at the end of the decade.

Gordon Russell's Mackson at Cadwell Park in 2005

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Allan Scoble in his Mackson

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