Vice Chancellor Professor Richard Barnett with Dr John Crosslé
John Crosslé, the internationally respected racing car designer and manufacturer, was presented with a Doctor of Science degree (DSc) from the University of Ulster on Thursday 1st July 2010, for services to engineering and manufacturing.
The encomium was delivered by the Pro-Chancellor, Jeremy Harbison at a ceremony in Belfast’s Waterfront Hall.John, founded the Crosslé Car Company with his wife Rosemary in 1957, where it remains to this day on its original site at Rory’s Wood in Holywood County Down and is still producing race winning cars.Following a highly successful motorcycling grass-track, and circuit racing career in the late 50’s and early 60’s, where John rode his self-prepared bikes and drove the early cars that he had designed, John retired from competition to concentrate on his expanding business.The company’s first international success came in 1969 when their 16F Formula Ford model won the European Formula Ford Championship and many other triumphs followed in America, the UK and on the Continent.In 1997 Arnie Black took over the management of the Crosslé Car Company with John still acting as a design consultant, and the firm now heads into its second half-century of manufacture and preparation, in this highly competitive business.Crosslé cars continue to win today; while John was receiving his honour Crosslé drivers were keeping the marque alive at the Spa Summer Classic meeting held at the famous Spa Francorchamps Grand Prix Circuit in Belgium, where they finished first and second in the Ardennes Challenge.