The remarkable story of Argentina-born race mechanic Martin Middleton who chased the driving dream before becoming chauffeur and friend to the legendary Fangio.
Watch the full chat with Martin Middleton below:
For more than 50 years mechanic Martin Middleton has run a garage in Warwickshire, but Middleton Motor Services is far from the extent of his exploits. Middleton was an Austin Apprentice, later moved into motor racing with David Prophet as a mechanic and was a racing driver himself.
The serendipity of birth created the opportunity for some of Middleton’s most magical memories though. Whilst Middleton is a very English name, he was born and raised in Rosario, Argentina – Lionel Messi’s home city. And here he grew up fluent in Spanish.
Being fluent in Spanish, particularly the Argentinian dialect, set up a wonderful opportunity later in life. The opportunity to form a lasting friendship with a Formula One legend – who by that time in the 1970s was long since retired.
“I was asked ‘can you speak the lingo? Can you translate and host Fangio?’ Which I did, which meant fetching him, going to Heathrow,” Middleton recalled to Sport and Life.
“And I became very friendly with him. I spent a huge amount of time with Fangio and became very close. And I was sort of his chauffeur, if you like. And we used to drive like maniacs in those days. And he never batted an eyelid. You know, he loved it.”
You might imagine a five-time F1 champ, who won all his titles between 1951 and 1957 in a highly fast, highly dangerous era, might be a bit braggadocios. Might have a bit of an ego.
But Middleton says Argentina hero Juan Manuel Fangio was the picture of humility and always keen to emphasise that his success had hinged on other people’s contributions.
“A lovely man. Humble as you could get them. I’ll tell you an example. There was a signing, an autograph session. I get a tap on my left shoulder. And there’s Nigel Mansell tapping me on the shoulder. And he said ‘Martin, can you ask the old man what advice he he’s got for a new Formula One driver?’”
“Nigel had just signed for Lotus, his first Formula One drive. And Fangio looks up, he’s sitting down. He looks at him in the face and says ‘don’t forget the people that got you here… especially your mechanics.’ That explains how humble Fangio was.”
While we think of Argentina as a football nation, Middleton, born into a British ex pat family, mainly played rugby at boarding school. But his lifetime love affair with cars began in childhood when race drivers stopped by his house.
“There were two races, Buenos Aires and Rosario. And they would come to Rosario and my grandfather would put on a barbecue for these drivers and racers, among them was Jean Behra and Reg Parnell.”
And so a remarkable relationship with cars and motorsport began. Middleton and his brother still refurb classic cars and regular cars alike at Middleton Motor Services.
Expertise, experience and some wonderful anecdotes guaranteed.
