Michael Bowler 1939-2025

We are sad to report the death at the age of 85 of Michael Bowler, magazine journalist and editor, prominent historic racer and engineering chief of Aston Martin.

Guild vice-president Ray Hutton was Michael’s friend and one-time rival (in print, not on track) and provides the following appreciation:

Michael’s early life sounds like something from Chariots of Fire. In his schooldays, his father, Harry Bowler, who had raced a Bentley at Brooklands, fired his enthusiasm for cars and took him to Vintage Sports Car Club events. Then, as a dashing, handsome young man, he went to Pembroke College, Cambridge to read mechanical sciences, gained a reputation as an all-round sportsman, was awarded a rackets half-blue and became a Royal (Real) tennis champion. At the same time he won VSCC races driving a 1925 Frazer Nash and was a part of a team from the Cambridge University Car Club to set some long distance speed records at Monza in an Austin A35. 

Michael had never intended to be a journalist. A career in engineering beckoned – after graduation he had joined English Electric in Rugby – but cars and motor racing were his real interest and in 1963, through family friends Dick Benstead-Smith and Harold Nockolds, editor and publisher of The Motor, he was offered a job as road tester. Modern cars became his business, old cars his hobby.

Michael acquired a famous 1955 Frazer Nash Sebring with which he had several seasons of success in historic racing, while he also owned and raced a rare 1940 Mille Miglia BMW 328. At Motor, as it was from 1964, his natural driving skill was appreciated, even if was sometimes exercised rather too enthusiastically; hence the soubriquet ‘Roller Bowler’. 

In 1971, Michael became Sports Editor of Motor and enjoyed following the Grand Prix circus for a couple of years but during this time he fell into discussion with Lionel Burrell about the possibility of a magazine about cars that were 25-40 years old and were not covered by existing titles. Publisher IPC took up their idea and Classic Car was born. The magazine is credited with starting a new movement in the car world and the Guild recognised this by awarding the Pemberton Trophy to Michael and Lionel in 1977.

As the founding Editor, Michael stayed with Classic Car for eight years during which time historic racing started to take off internationally. He became involved with the RAC and FIA Historic Commissions and for his own racing exchanged the Frazer Nash for a 1959 Lister-Jaguar.

He enjoyed great success with the Cambridge-blue Lister and was to win the FIA Coupe d’Europe in 1979, 1980 and 1981. As far as I can establish, Michael was the first and only Guild member to win an FIA international racing championship. He was awarded the Guild’s Rootes Gold Cup (predecessor of the Prodrive Motorsport Cup) in 1979.

In 1981, Michael left journalism, and the Guild, to become Victor Gauntlett’s right-hand man. The founder of Pace Petroleum was soon to take control of Aston Martin and in due course Michael was appointed Engineering Director of the company. Then, as now, there were frequent changes in Aston Martin management and Michael found himself in Milan as Managing Director of Zagato, of which Aston Martin then owned 50 per cent.

Ford took over Aston Martin in 1987 and Gauntlett resigned in 1991 by which time Michael had joined Yamaha’s fledgling car operation in Britain. He was one of the very few to drive the F1-engined OX-99 supercar. No customer cars were ever built, so Michael left and returned to journalism.

As a freelance he wrote a number of books and his career turned full circle: he was appointed Editor of The Automobile, which brought him back into contact with many of the cars that were classics in the 1970s. 

Golf was Michael’s main activity in retirement and it was a cruel twist of fate that he was unable to play after a long illness that resulted in a leg amputation. He continued to attend events, including the Guild AGM, in a wheelchair (carbon fibre, of course), tended by his loving wife Jane. The Guild sends sincere condolences to Jane and their three sons Simon, James and Andrew.

Michael Bowler’s funeral will be held on Friday 5 September at 12.15 at the Hampden Chapel, Chilterns Crematorium, Whielden Lane, Amersham HP7 0ND with a gathering afterwards at Chorleywood Golf Club, Common Lane, Chorleywood WD3 5LN. All Guild members are welcome.