Team story
Origins
Syd Greene had already raced Maseratis and Coopers under the name of his Gilby Engineering business when he commissioned a single-seater of his own. The new 1.5-litre regulations for 1961 offered an opportunity to small British constructors. Len Terry designed the Climax-powered car for Syd’s son Keith Greene, who already knew sports-car racing and the single-seaters purchased by the family.
The Formula 1 journey
Keith was fifteenth at Aintree in the 1961 British Grand Prix. Gilby’s calendar, however, consisted mainly of domestic and non-championship events: in 1962 there were placings at Brussels, Snetterton and Goodwood, followed by third place at Naples behind the works Ferraris. The subsequent debut of the BRM V8 at the Nürburgring ended in retirement; at Monza, the car failed to qualify.
Historical timeline
Three chapters in the story of Gilby
Three episodes to revisit the people, cars and races that shaped this journey.
First appearance · British Grand Prix
Keith Greene · British Grand Prix 1961. The recorded position is P15; this number alone does not show whether the driver completed the race distance. This is the first recorded race start, or the first entry if the team never started a race.
Sporting landmark · British Grand Prix
Keith Greene · British Grand Prix 1961. The recorded position is P15; this number alone does not show whether the driver completed the race distance. This marks the first win or podium where one exists, otherwise the highest recorded placing for this constructor.
Latest recorded appearance · British Grand Prix
Ian Raby · British Grand Prix 1963. The recorded outcome is DNF. This is the last race start attributed to this constructor in the archive, not necessarily the end of the organisation behind it.
A distinctive way of racing
The Gilby was not simply a renamed Maserati. Terry built a tubular chassis of his own, then adapted the design for the BRM V8. Late delivery of the engine forced Greene to begin 1962 still using the four-cylinder Climax.
Between component availability and the scale of the programme, the team balanced the pursuit of a more modern car with selective use of its resources.
What remains
Ian Raby bought the car and entered it in 1963, extending its presence beyond the Greenes’ direct involvement. Gilby chassis made three World Championship starts without scoring points. Keith later found a different role managing teams, including Brabham: his experience behind the wheel and in the small workshop preceded an organisational career considerably longer than the constructor’s.