(c) 'Who is Who' by Steve Small, 2000

Родился: 21.03.1916 Сметвик, Уорчестершир Умер: 12.01.1957 трасса Ардмор, Новая Зеландия Сезонов в Ф1: 4 Лет в Ф1: 4 Гран При: 16 Старты: 15* *не стартовал: 1 Победы: - подряд: Подиумы: - подряд: Поул-позиции: - подряд: Первый ряд: - подряд: Быстрые круги: - подряд: Лучший финиш: 4 Лучший старт: 7 Дубли: Хет-трики: Лидирование старт/финиш: Большие шлемы: Круги: 750 - лидирования: Километры: 4521.88 - лидирования: Очки: 3 - за один сезон: 3 - подряд:

Ф1: 1952-1955

Год	Команда	Шасси
1952	Scuderia Franera	Cooper T20
		Frazer-Nash 421
		Frazer-Nash FN48
1953	Cooper Car Co	Cooper T23
	Ken Wharton	Cooper T23
1954	Owen Racing Organisation	Maserati 250F
1955	Vandervell Products Ltd	Vanwall VW (55)

A Smethwick garage owner, Wharton was a versatile all-rounder who began racing immediately before the war in an Austin Seven special, but it was not until the late forties that he began to make his mark in a number of motor sport arenas. In trials he won successive RAC championships, and his special was much copied by his competitors, while in rallies he campaigned a Ford Pilot, winning the Tulip Rally on three occasions.

In 1950 Wharton won at Zandvoort with a Cooper-JAP, while in 1951 he went hill-climbing, winning the first of four successive championships. Meanwhile he had taken up circuit racing in a big way, initially competing in Grands Prix with a large and old-fashioned Frazer-Nash. It ran reliably on its debut at Bremgarten in 1952, and Wharton took it to fourth place, his best-ever World Championship finish. This car was replaced by a more competitive Cooper-Bristol by the end of the season, but he could gain no major success with it the following season. He was kept busy by BRM, who were still racing their V16 car in Libre events, and joined the Owen team for 1954 to handle their Maserati 250F in Grands Prix and their V16 in Libre races, winning the Glover Trophy.

As if he wasn't already sufficiently stretched by his commitments, Wharton also tried his hand at sports car racing with the works Jaguar, winning the 1954 Reims 12 Hours with Peter Whitehead. For 1955, Ken joined the Vanwall team, suffering a nasty accident in the International Trophy at Silverstone which resulted in burns to his arms and neck. It was generally an unproductive year, and Wharton freelanced in 1956, taking a third place in the Australian Tourist Trophy in Melbourne with a Ferrari Monza. However, early in 1957 he was killed after crashing this car in a sports car race at Ardmore, New Zealand.

(c) 'Who is Who' by Steve Small, 2000