RACING DRIVER
Ken Downing
1917 - 2004

Ken Downing
Kenneth Henry Downing (5 December 1917 – 3 May 2004) was a British racing driver. From a wealthy family connected to G.H. Downing & Co., he began racing as a privateer in the late 1940s, and with Connaught in 1951, winning 17 races throughout the year. He then competed in the 1952 Formula One championship. Downing switched to single seaters in 1952, racing a Connaught A-Type, and won the Madgwick Cup at Goodwood and second place at the Grand Prix des Frontières at Chimay, where he lost the lead at the end of the race several metres before the finish line. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in 15 different languages on Wikipedia. Ken Downing is the 855th most popular racing driver (up from 896th in 2024), the 6,372nd most popular biography from United Kingdom (up from 6,527th in 2019) and the 159th most popular British Racing Driver.
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Among RACING DRIVERS
Among racing drivers, Ken Downing ranks 855 out of 1,080. Before him are Jorge Martín, Tony Bettenhausen, Allan Simonsen, Dirk Raudies, Toranosuke Takagi, and Tony Shelly. After him are Gus Hutchison, Pascal Wehrlein, Roberta Cowell, Rodger Ward, Henning Solberg, and Travis Pastrana.
Most Popular Racing Drivers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsJorge Martín
1998 - Present
HPI: 48.06
Rank: 849
Tony Bettenhausen
1916 - 1961
HPI: 48.04
Rank: 850
Allan Simonsen
1978 - 2013
HPI: 48.03
Rank: 851
Dirk Raudies
1964 - Present
HPI: 48.01
Rank: 852
Toranosuke Takagi
1974 - Present
HPI: 47.96
Rank: 853
Tony Shelly
1937 - 1998
HPI: 47.94
Rank: 854
Ken Downing
1917 - 2004
HPI: 47.92
Rank: 855
Gus Hutchison
1937 - Present
HPI: 47.87
Rank: 856
Pascal Wehrlein
1994 - Present
HPI: 47.86
Rank: 857
Roberta Cowell
1918 - 2011
HPI: 47.85
Rank: 858
Rodger Ward
1921 - 2004
HPI: 47.67
Rank: 859
Henning Solberg
1973 - Present
HPI: 47.64
Rank: 860
Travis Pastrana
1983 - Present
HPI: 47.63
Rank: 861
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1917, Ken Downing ranks 345. Before him are Jacob Lawrence, John Fitch, Anton Coppola, Hans Conried, Leonard Jimmie Savage, and Graham Higman. After him are Buddy Jeannette, Kay Aldridge, Virginia Field, Cahal Daly, Bill Clements, and Claudia McNeil. Among people deceased in 2004, Ken Downing ranks 327. Before him are Suraiya, Raja Ramanna, Brenda Fassie, Dennis Wilshaw, Pacita Abad, and Virginia Capers. After him are Munir Said Thalib, Rodger Ward, Max Abramovitz, Richard Biggs, Yash Johar, and Hugh Shearer.
Others Born in 1917
Go to all RankingsJacob Lawrence
PAINTER
1917 - 2000
HPI: 48.63
Rank: 339
John Fitch
RACING DRIVER
1917 - 2012
HPI: 48.55
Rank: 340
Anton Coppola
CONDUCTOR
1917 - 2020
HPI: 48.02
Rank: 341
Hans Conried
ACTOR
1917 - 1982
HPI: 47.98
Rank: 342
Leonard Jimmie Savage
MATHEMATICIAN
1917 - 1971
HPI: 47.96
Rank: 343
Graham Higman
MATHEMATICIAN
1917 - 2008
HPI: 47.94
Rank: 344
Ken Downing
RACING DRIVER
1917 - 2004
HPI: 47.92
Rank: 345
Buddy Jeannette
BASKETBALL PLAYER
1917 - 1998
HPI: 47.87
Rank: 346
Kay Aldridge
ACTOR
1917 - 1995
HPI: 46.85
Rank: 347
Virginia Field
ACTOR
1917 - 1992
HPI: 46.74
Rank: 348
Cahal Daly
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1917 - 2009
HPI: 46.66
Rank: 349
Bill Clements
POLITICIAN
1917 - 2011
HPI: 46.54
Rank: 350
Claudia McNeil
ACTOR
1917 - 1993
HPI: 46.52
Rank: 351
Others Deceased in 2004
Go to all RankingsSuraiya
ACTOR
1929 - 2004
HPI: 49.28
Rank: 321
Raja Ramanna
PHYSICIST
1925 - 2004
HPI: 49.20
Rank: 322
Brenda Fassie
SINGER
1964 - 2004
HPI: 48.71
Rank: 323
Dennis Wilshaw
SOCCER PLAYER
1926 - 2004
HPI: 48.63
Rank: 324
Pacita Abad
PAINTER
1946 - 2004
HPI: 48.21
Rank: 325
Virginia Capers
ACTOR
1925 - 2004
HPI: 48.17
Rank: 326
Ken Downing
RACING DRIVER
1917 - 2004
HPI: 47.92
Rank: 327
Munir Said Thalib
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1965 - 2004
HPI: 47.84
Rank: 328
Rodger Ward
RACING DRIVER
1921 - 2004
HPI: 47.67
Rank: 329
Max Abramovitz
ARCHITECT
1908 - 2004
HPI: 47.67
Rank: 330
Richard Biggs
ACTOR
1960 - 2004
HPI: 47.44
Rank: 331
Yash Johar
PRODUCER
1929 - 2004
HPI: 47.14
Rank: 332
Hugh Shearer
POLITICIAN
1923 - 2004
HPI: 47.01
Rank: 333
In United Kingdom
Among people born in United Kingdom, Ken Downing ranks 6,374 out of 8,785. Before him are Nicholas Monsarrat (1910), Graham Higman (1917), Karima Adebibe (1985), Button Gwinnett (1735), Herbert Beerbohm Tree (1852), and June Brown (1927). After him are James Key (1972), Douglas Henshall (1965), Taio Cruz (1980), Stan Cullis (1916), Nicholas Parsons (1923), and Steve Coppell (1955).
Others born in United Kingdom
Go to all RankingsNicholas Monsarrat
WRITER
1910 - 1979
HPI: 47.95
Rank: 6,368
Graham Higman
MATHEMATICIAN
1917 - 2008
HPI: 47.94
Rank: 6,369
Karima Adebibe
MODEL
1985 - Present
HPI: 47.94
Rank: 6,370
Button Gwinnett
POLITICIAN
1735 - 1777
HPI: 47.93
Rank: 6,371
Herbert Beerbohm Tree
ACTOR
1852 - 1917
HPI: 47.93
Rank: 6,372
June Brown
ACTOR
1927 - 2022
HPI: 47.93
Rank: 6,373
Ken Downing
RACING DRIVER
1917 - 2004
HPI: 47.92
Rank: 6,374
James Key
ENGINEER
1972 - Present
HPI: 47.92
Rank: 6,375
Douglas Henshall
ACTOR
1965 - Present
HPI: 47.92
Rank: 6,376
Taio Cruz
SINGER
1980 - Present
HPI: 47.91
Rank: 6,377
Stan Cullis
SOCCER PLAYER
1916 - 2001
HPI: 47.90
Rank: 6,378
Nicholas Parsons
ACTOR
1923 - 2020
HPI: 47.89
Rank: 6,379
Steve Coppell
SOCCER PLAYER
1955 - Present
HPI: 47.89
Rank: 6,380
Among RACING DRIVERS In United Kingdom
Among racing drivers born in United Kingdom, Ken Downing ranks 159. Before him are Ian Stewart (1929), Henry Banks (1913), Graham Whitehead (1922), Damien Magee (1945), Jim Crawford (1948), and John Cannon (1933). After him are Roberta Cowell (1918), Tiff Needell (1951), Dario Franchitti (1973), Jonathan Rea (1987), Carl Fogarty (1965), and Paul di Resta (1986).
Ian Stewart
1929 - 2017
HPI: 48.60
Rank: 153
Henry Banks
1913 - 1994
HPI: 48.54
Rank: 154
Graham Whitehead
1922 - 1981
HPI: 48.50
Rank: 155
Damien Magee
1945 - Present
HPI: 48.48
Rank: 156
Jim Crawford
1948 - 2002
HPI: 48.15
Rank: 157
John Cannon
1933 - 1999
HPI: 48.14
Rank: 158
Ken Downing
1917 - 2004
HPI: 47.92
Rank: 159
Roberta Cowell
1918 - 2011
HPI: 47.85
Rank: 160
Tiff Needell
1951 - Present
HPI: 47.46
Rank: 161
Dario Franchitti
1973 - Present
HPI: 47.28
Rank: 162
Jonathan Rea
1987 - Present
HPI: 47.16
Rank: 163
Carl Fogarty
1965 - Present
HPI: 46.96
Rank: 164
Paul di Resta
1986 - Present
HPI: 46.83
Rank: 165

























































