Les Leston was born in December 1920 near Nottingham. His day job was in the motor accessory trade selling steering wheels, helmets and gloves etc. He briefly raced a Jaguar SS100 in 1949 before turning his attention to 500s racing in a Cooper Mk V. For 1952, Les sometimes used the Leston Special, a J.B.S. which was modified by Ray Martin to adapt the rear suspension to swing axle and rubber bands which Les ran with distinctive white wall tyres. Confusingly, his Cooper was also sometimes entered as the Leston Special.

Les had a number of wins during 1952 including Castle Combe in May, Brands in June, Prescott in July, Silverstone in September and Prescott in the same month, Brough and Silverstone in October to finish second to Don Parker in the National Formula 3 Championship.

Les in the J.B.S. based Leston Special.

More success followed in '53 with wins at Brough, Brands Hatch (three times) Crystal Palace, the Oulton Park Inaugural Meeting, and Silverstone. Nearly all were in the Leston Special for which Les earned the Light Car Trophy.

For 1954, Les Leston returned to Cooper as a works driver, alongside Stuart Lewis-Evans in the Mk VIII. He netted eight major wins, including the Earl of March Trophy plus numerous podiums and heat wins and took the British Formula 3 Championship, by a whisker, from Don Parker in his Kieft, at the final race of the year on Boxing Day at Brands Hatch.

In 1955, Les raced in a variety of formulas as works driver for Connaught and his own Cooper sports car as well as occasional Formula 3 outings.

Les continued to race into the 60s with drivers for Aston Martin, BRM, his own Cooper in Formula 2 and his own Lotus Elite plus works rallies for Rootes and Volvo.

Les in his Cooper Mk V passes a Kieft (probably Charlie Headland) at Silverstone in September 1952.

Leading Jim Russell through the Bomb Hole at Snetterton in Spring 1954.

The new Cooper Mk IX for Les to try on Boxing Day 1954. He was beaten by Ivor and Stuart in Mk VIIIs but stayed ahead of Don Parker to clinch the title.

Cartoon of Les, published by Shell in 1956

Les invites you to his Modern Motorists Store. All top quality stuff!