Why Aston Martin plans to keep an unsung Jordan F1 legend's memory alive

You’ve probably never heard of Bosco Quinn. There’s no reason why you should. Richard ‘Bosco’ Quinn liked to keep a low profile – which wasn’t particularly difficult when working with the garrulous Eddie Jordan. The two had met in the early Eighties when the telephone engineer from Dublin helped – perhaps it’s more accurate to say ‘found himself persuaded to assist’ – Jordan in his early attempts to become a racing driver.

It says much about their growing relationship – not to mention the way things worked back in the day – that Quinn, despite having no training as a mechanic, was despatched to the Ralt factory in Weybridge to build an RT3 in readiness for EJ’s 1981 F3 campaign. By this stage, Jordan had wisely decided his talent lay with managing drivers rather than being one. A hand-to-mouth existence would see Eddie Jordan Racing (EJR) foraging through the paddock waste bin for a rival’s discarded gear ratios rather than having to fork out for a new set. While EJ did the talking, Bosco kept the cars and the meagre finances together. Not to mention ensuring the boss didn’t veer too far from the straight and narrow.

“Bosco was a very private man and a deep thinker,” recalls Jordan. “He was good fun – but always in control. He would pull me aside at certain times and say: ‘I don’t think so! I don’t think so!’  It was his way of saying: ‘Forget it, EJ! We don’t want you in jail.’”

EJR had been one of many racing outfits scratching a living while operating from a warren of industrial units within the Silverstone circuit. The small team could expand no further after Jordan had persuaded his employees – including multi-tasking designer Gary Anderson – to build a mezzanine floor with accompanying offices.

When EJ surprised even himself with plans to step up from F3000 to Formula 1, Quinn wasn’t keen, mainly because he profoundly disliked the razzmatazz that came with it. Eddie found the perfect distraction for Bosco by having him oversee the construction of a new factory on a plot of land opposite the circuit’s main entrance (now part of the Aston Martin Racing campus). 

It was an ambitious project, not least the £800,000 loan facilitated through Richard O’Driscoll of Allied Irish Bank. Impressed by the work of Guy Austin on the Reynard factory (which would form the nucleus of the Mercedes-AMG F1 HQ in Brackley), Jordan hired the project manager from Ridge & Partners to take care of the design. Quinn, as client-side coordinator, formed an excellent partnership with Austin, the result being a facility that would stand the test of time as the original workforce rapidly expanded from fewer than 150 to five times that number.

From the outset, Jordan had insisted his team’s headquarters “must reflect our image as a serious player bringing rock’n’roll to F1”. That was evident the moment you stepped into the open-plan foyer. Despite a budget stretched to – and beyond – its limit, a striking sense of art deco had been created using black granite and chrome. Typically, EJ had pulled moves left, right and centre, not least with an Italian stonework company thanks to the services of Nigel Wolheim, an Italian-speaking F1 entrepreneur who was one of many to find himself assisting the Jordan enterprise whether he liked it or not.

Jordan delivered a touch of F1 glamour to its Silverstone base when it was first opened

Photo by: Sutton Images

The effect once inside was stunning, the open staircase and walkway suiting EJ as he barked commands while on his way to the suite of offices on the upper level. Floor-to-ceiling glazing enhanced the feeling of spaciousness around the oval glass table in the boss’s office, a panelled door leading to a boardroom and a massive oak table capable of seating 25 and more.

O’Driscoll (later to become financial controller for Jordan Grand Prix) had been moved by AIB to Essex in late 1991 but continued to rent a room of his Northampton house to Quinn, who was working all hours at the new headquarters to ensure everything was ready to meet the deadline of 20 December 1991.

Late at night, two days before the official opening, Quinn was killed in a road accident on his way home.

The Aston Martin team – with the blessing of Bosco’s mother – has plans to place a memento within its impressive new campus

The team was utterly devastated. Everyone knew and loved Bosco. He had put his heart and soul into the fine building that now represented their future as much as Quinn’s past. Jordan Grand Prix would do Bosco proud – and would doubtless have raised a wry smile – as it continually punched above its financial weight as EJ wheeled and dealed his way to four grand prix wins and a remarkable third in the 1999 constructors’ standings. Jordan Grand Prix was sold six years later, ending a run of 250 GPs and arguably one of the most colourful interludes in F1 history.

On the morning after this year’s British GP, a wrecking ball was taken to the remains of the former Jordan factory. It was an uncanny piece of timing. While the AMR management was busy next door dissecting their worst weekend by far in 2023, Bosco Quinn’s memory was being dusted down with the removal of a plaque from the outside wall, close by where EJ used to park.

The Aston Martin team – with the blessing of Bosco’s mother – has plans to place a memento within its impressive new campus. It will serve as a reminder, not only of what’s possible when the odds seem stacked against you, but also how the team’s heritage is rooted in relentless tenacity – driven by an infectious touch of Irish blarney.

Jordan and the F1 team's beginnings at its Silverstone home will pay tribute to Quinn when the new campus is complete

Photo by: Ercole Colombo