To many of the older Members Dudley Coram was a well-known figure and certainly when I joined the AMOC in my youth he was the person that sent you a personal letter welcoming you into the Club. For newer Members he is perhaps best remembered for his magnificent volume on Aston Martin history.
Dudley, or Jerry as he was better known to his friends, started as Honorary Secretary in 1948 shortly after the Club was re-formed. Jerry was a staunch family man and proud of his son Breck (himself an AMOC Member who sadly passed away quite recently) and his wife Jenette, more widely known as Jean. Jerry was born in 1903 and his education was at Sandwich School. Jerry’s real interest in cars started when he was 23 when he went into partnership in a garage specialising in Austin 7 tuning. He worked for Gordon England and Boyd Carpenter, who were well-known Austin 7 racers both at Crystal Palace and at Brooklands. It was at these tracks that he developed an interest and great knowledge of motor sport. Thus he was to prove of immense use to the AMOC when it started its own competitions.
Jerry’s first connection with Aston Martin was in 1936 when he owned a Le Mans 2/4 seater for a short period.
During the war he was called up to serve in the RAF Reserve in what he described as the ‘wingless wonder department’. It was here that he obtained the rank of Squadron Leader. He was an excellent staff officer with superb organisational skills. After the war he settled into Fleet Street with Associated Press and his love of Astons returned with the purchase of a black International with Le Mans engine, which served as the family transport.
Jerry became Dick Stallebrass’s racing manager and Dickie's untimely end at Spa was the spur for the AMOC committee to ask Jerry to become Honorary Secretary. His job as Secretary meant he was responsible for membership as well as editing AM Quarterly and the News Sheet, including selling space in these. His earlier motor sport knowledge certainly helped the Club as he knew anybody that was anybody in the RAC and the BRDC. It was Jerry’s suggestion that the first Jock Horsfall meeting took place and he was a prime mover in making the AMOC Martini International Trophy race a reality.
Jerry’s other interests included sailing, photography, symphony music, old time jazz and a good old-fashioned pint of amber nectar. He was also an avid collector of model racing cars, which he no doubt had to remind Breck in his youth that they were not toys.
We should be truly indebted to Dudley ‘Jerry’ Coram for making the Club what it is today for all of us to enjoy. Older Members obviously thought this at the time of his death as it was Member donations that made The Dudley Coram Trophy a reality.