David Mason (art dealer)

David Leslie Mason OBE (born 15 March 1939) is a London art dealer and Thalidomide parent activist. He is the parent of a daughter, Louise, disabled by Thalidomide.

Mason alone refused the initial offered settlement of £3 million by Distillers Company, which was only to be awarded if all the parents agreed.[1] As a result of which he and his daughter suffered harassment and ostracism. His daughter was removed from his care, due to action by his solicitors and other parents supporting settlement, who believed he was not acting in her best interests by refusing settlement. He launched an appeal, which was successful due to evidence of a more substantial settlement in the USA ($2.7m to Shirley McCarrick in Los Angeles); finally, a Sunday Times story prompted Jack Ashley MP to take up the case in Parliament, and Ralph Nader to organise a boycott of Distillers products in the USA. Distillers increased the offer to £5m and then £20m, which was accepted. The settlement is credited with transforming the lives of British thalidomide victims.

The Thalidomide Trust is now largely funded by Diageo, who bought Distillers and its assets and liabilities.

Mason's book Thalidomide: My Fight was published in 1976. He was awarded the OBE in the 1996 Birthday Honours 'for services to health charities'.

Mason was educated at Highgate School, where he studied under Kyffin Williams. Alongside the family art business, in 1957 he began his involvement with motor racing and in the 1970s he became a sponsor of Formula One. After returning to the sport in 2010 he won the Britcar Endurance Championship in 2014, driving a Ferrari 458 with Calum Lockie.[2][3] For the 2019 Britcar season, Mason returned once again with British GT driver Ross Wylie, driving a Ferrari 488 Challenge. Mason is one of the oldest active racing drivers competing in endurance racing at 80 years old.

Racing record

24 Hours of Silverstone results
Year Team Co-Drivers Car Car No. Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2011 Tonge Sport Fred Tonge
Tim Hood
Darren Dowling
Steve Glynn
Paul Smith		 TVR Sagaris 28 2 71 DNF DNF

Complete Britcar results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position in class – 1 point awarded just in first race) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap in class – 1 point awarded all races)

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 DC CP Points
2016 FF Corse Ferrari 458 GT3 1 SILGP
Ret		 SNE DON
15		 THR
6		 CRO
3		 SILINT
4		 OUL
2		 BRH
4		 5th 107 2nd
2017 FF Corse Ferrari 458 GT3 E1 SIL
1
6		 SIL
2
EX		 SNE
1
7		 SNE
2		 SIL
1		 SIL
2		 BRH
1		 BRH
2		 DON
1		 DON
2		 OUL
1		 OUL
2		 SIL BRH
1		 BRH
2		 24th 6th 31
S1 SIL
1		 SIL
2		 SNE
1		 SNE
2
2		 SIL
1
3		 SIL
2
1		 BRH
1
5		 BRH
2
1		 DON
1
4		 DON
2
1		 OUL
1		 OUL
2		 SIL
2		 BRH
1
22		 BRH
2
1		 6th 1st 176
2018 FF Corse Ferrari 458 GT3 S1 ROC
1
2		 ROC
2
3		 SIL
1
5		 SIL
2
2		 OUL
1
4		 OUL
2
7		 DON
1
Ret		 DON
2
3		 SNE
1
2		 SNE
2
2		 SIL
1
2		 SIL
2
1		 BRH
1
2		 BRH
1
1		 4th 1st 257
2019 FF Corse Ferrari 458 Challenge 2 SIL
1
11		 SIL
2
6		 SIL
1
5		 SIL
2
3		 BRH
1
5		 BRH
2
12		 DON
1
Ret		 DON
2
DNS		 OUL
1		 OUL
2		 SNE
1		 SNE
2		 OUL
1		 OUL
2		 BRH
1		 BRH
2		 12th 4th 148

References
  1. "Thalidomide: The Fifty Year Fight". BBC. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  2. "David Mason OBE" (PDF). The Cholmeleian (Summer 2015): 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  3. Smith, Nick. "Britcar Endurance Race Report". Archived from the original on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
Further reading


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