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Mary Davis (1928–2014)
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Bob Drake (left) campaigned Astons for wealthy-sportsman Joe Lubin (right) during the late fifties on the West Coast. DrakeÕs wife at the time, Mary Davis (center) usually won the ladiesÕ races in the same car. Photo: Art Evans
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Mary Davis (1928–2014)

 VR Staff
Bob Drake (left) campaigned Astons for wealthy-sportsman Joe Lubin (right) during the late fifties on the West Coast. DrakeÕs wife at the time, Mary Davis (center) usually won the ladiesÕ races in the same car.   Photo: Art Evans
Bob Drake (left) campaigned Astons for wealthy-sportsman Joe Lubin (right) during the late fifties on the West Coast. Drake’s wife at the time, Mary Davis (center) usually won the ladies’ races in the same car.
Photo: Art Evans

One of America’s earliest female racing drivers has passed away at the age of 86 from heart failure. Mary Davis raced during the 1950s, the sport’s formative years in America, and the long blond hair streaming out the back of her helmet quickly became her trademark. She drove a variety of Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz and Triumph racecars, winning a number of ladies races as well as the 1957 Mobilgas Economy Run.

Apart from being a pioneer for women in racing, she also broke new ground in her business career, which was at least as noteworthy as her racing. In 1957 she opened a restaurant called The Grand Prix on Beverly Boulevard in L.A., which quickly became the watering hole of choice for most of the Southern California racing community. That was just the beginning for her, though, as she jumped into the development of the harbor in Redondo Beach with both feet, building the fabled Portofino Inn that would itself gain fame as the western terminus of Brock Yates’ famed Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. She would eventually serve as president of the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce.

She was a longtime advocate for women’s rights, encouraging young girls to pursue their dreams and build careers for themselves. To all her many friends in and out of the sport, Vintage Racecar extends its sincerest condolences.

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VR Staff
Steve Natale has been playing with cars ever since he was old enough to first hold a matchbox car in his hand. A lifelong enthusiast of anything old with an engine in it or wheels on it, Steve has been active in the hobby for over 35 years. Currently he owns a successful marketing company with his wife Mary, is an automotive photographer, blogger and writer for several automotive magazines and regular contributor to various automotive websites. Steve has attended vintage car events and visited car museums and collections around the world.
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