Paul Manson co-drove with Fritz Hochreuter in the 1966 Shell 4000
Inducted 2011 – Competitor – Rally Racing
When Paul Manson rolled his VW driving in only his second rally event in 1960, the Toronto resident decided he would make a better navigator than driver.
And thus began one of the most illustrious careers in Canadian rally history.
This winner of many national, regional and club rallys during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s competed in 80-plus events in the years of 1964, 1965, and 1967. His resume includes winning the Fidler Trophy in the Canadian National Rally Championship in 1967, the Wilson Trophy in 1964, 1965, and 1967, and four top-ten finishes in the prestigious Shell 4000 Rally in the 1960s.
The cars he competed in varied greatly, from Chevelles and VW 1500s in the Shell 4000 to national events in a Datsun 1300.
Not only did Manson compete in rallys, he was instrumental in their organization and marshalling. He was the National and Regional Rally Steward with the CASC in the 1960s and 1970s, and contributed to print and broadcast media on the Canadian rally scene during this time.
His passion took him outside of Canada from time to time, helping to score rallys in the United States in the 1990s. He also competed in the Total Rally in South Africa in 1974.
An accountant by trade, Manson believes this background was of benefit when working with the Heuer watches, the Curta calculators, the Tripmaster, and a large collection of topographical maps.
And as demonstrated by his winning record, Manson’s numbers added up.