Heir to the Lec refrigeration company, this amazing man survived a whole lot of scrapes before his death in a biplane whilst performing aerobatics off the Sussex coast. After initially working as a builder, Purley spent a while in the army, surviving a near-fatal parachute jump accident and becoming the only survivor of an armed vehicle explosion in Aden. During a 16 year career in the sport, he will always be remembered for two things - trying in vain to save Roger Williamson from a needless fiery death at Zandvoort in 1973, an effort that earnt him a George Medal - and a crash at the British Grand Prix in 1977, when he went from 120 miles per hour to zero in just 26 inches, which earnt him an unwanted place in the Guinness Book of Records. Purley's heart actually stopped for a very short while, but recovered to race only a year later.

Biography last updated 16 Mar 2024