Rare 1955 footage of second Macau GP goes online

Rare footage of the second Macau Grand Prix in 1955 has been published online.

Richard Delingpole, the son of racer Malcolm Delingpole who appears in the film, has uploaded the 70-year-old footage to YouTube.

Richard said in 1955 his 20-year-old father, Malcolm, was serving in the Royal Air Force in Hong Kong.

Malcolm had inherited a taste for cars and motor racing from his father Ken, which became a hobby for him at that time.

Richard also said his grandfather, Ken, together with his Works Director, Ron Lowe, were not only racing cars but building them too.

In the mid-1950s they built the Dellow Mark 5, the name of which is a conflation of the creators’ names, “Delingpole” and “Lowe.”

The two car builders immediately shipped a newly built Dellow Mk5 to Malcolm so he could compete in a new race being held for its second time, the Macau Grand Prix.

Richard said Malcolm was eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Dellow Mk2, a four-seater that was “far better suited to the lifestyle of a young serviceman in Hong Kong.”

Nevertheless, the builders’ eagerness for the new model to feature at the local GP spoke louder and the Mk5 did enter the race.

The footage narrated in a simple conversation between Richard and Malcolm (now about to turn 90) gives insights and details on how the early days of Macau GP were lived as well as offering some perspective and images of life in Macau in the mid-1950s beyond the Guia race track.

“He is 90 next year but seems to remember it all like it was yesterday,” Richard said in side comments, expressing hopes people can “enjoy this quirky piece of motor racing history.”

Made famous for its renowned touring and hill-climbing capabilities, the Dellow is still a very popular name among antique car aficionados.

The Mk5 raced in Macau in 1955 and was the penultimate of a series of six models made by the brand, but the last made by the two car builders before the company was sold.

From 1954, the MK5 featured a coil sprung beam front axle, a tuned engine and a 3-speed Ford gearbox.

According to the Dellow Register website, the Mk5 “was the last and arguably the best model produced by Dellow Motors before the original company was sold.”

“The design was based on the Lightweight although it was produced with styling changes to the nose and rear producing a slightly more stylish look.”

The 29-minute-long footage has been viewed over 1,000 time in four days and can be seen at (https://youtu.be/sQvpCqqIEHc?si=UGmM8lPyACoJhp1S).