Jim Redman: the first great champion of the Honda era

RiderHonda1960s Grand Prix

Born in London in 1931, an orphan who became the head of his family, James Albert Redman emigrated to Southern Rhodesia in 1952 and raced his entire career under those colours. Recruited by Honda in 1960 to replace Tom Phillis, he became the brand's development rider and team leader, with six world titles between 1962 and 1965 : four in 350cc, two in 250cc. Add to that six Tourist Trophy wins, around forty-five Grand Prix victories and, at Assen in 1964, three classes won on the same day. Injured at Spa in 1966, he handed the handlebars to Mike Hailwood.

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From London to Rhodesia: the making of a self-made rider

James Albert Redman, known as Jim, was born on 8 November 1931 in London. Nothing predestined him for Grand Prix racing: orphaned early, he raised his younger brothers and sisters alone beforeemigrating to Southern Rhodesia in 1952, today's Zimbabwe. It was there, under the African sun, that he discovered racing and built a reputation as a tough rider. Throughout his career he raced under Rhodesian colours, which earned him the status of the greatest champion ever to come out of that part of the world.

This unusual path partly explains his character: Redman was a methodical fighter, without the social polish of some of his European rivals. Like other riders from far-flung places who left their mark on the sport, such as the Finn Jarno Saarinen, he brought a fresh mindset to the grid. He moved to the continent to make a living from his passion and built, season after season, one of the finest chapters in the history of motorcycle Grand Prix racing.

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The spearhead of Honda's conquest

At the turn of the 1960s, Honda arrived in Grand Prix racing with the outsized ambition of a manufacturer still unknown in Europe. Fate lent a hand: during the 1960 season, the firm handed Redman a few works rides to replace the Australian rider Tom Phillis, who was injured. The trial was convincing and Redman became a contracted Honda rider from 1961. He would never leave the brand again.

Redman came to embody the methodical rise to power of the Japanese giant. While the engineers refined their engines, he racked up wins and data. His relationship of trust with Soichiro Honda himself and with chief engineer Michihiko Aika made him far more than a rider: a genuine development partner. That collaboration laid the foundations of what would become the sport's greatest winning dynasty, as our history of Honda in Grand Prix racingrecounts. Redman was, without question, the man who taught Honda how to win.

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Six world crowns between 1962 and 1965

This is where the legend lies, and the number deserves to be stated precisely: Jim Redman is a six-time world champion, with six titles won between 1962 and 1965, all on Honda machinery. The breakdown is crystal clear:

• 1962: a double title in 250cc and 350cc ;
• 1963: another double in 250cc and 350cc ;
• 1964: title in 350cc ;
• 1965: title in 350cc.

In other words, four consecutive 350cc crowns (1962, 1963, 1964, 1965) and two 250cc titles (1962 and 1963). In Grand Prix racing, his statistics are dizzying: around 45 wins for close to a hundred podiums. On the Isle of Man, he won the Tourist Trophy six times, with Lightweight (250) and Junior (350) doubles in 1963, 1964 and 1965 — a record worthy of the greatest names in this legendary race.

His wildest feat remains the 1964 Assen TT : Redman became the first man to win three Grand Prix classes on the same day, winning back to back in 125, 250 and 350cc. A tour de force pulled off on the Dutch circuit nicknamed the “Cathedral” of motorcycling. The one 250 crown that got away, in 1964, saw him beaten by the two-stroke Yamahas of a certain Phil Read after a duel for the ages.

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The fabulous Honda multi-cylinders

The secret behind this clean sweep has a name: the Honda multi-cylinders. Where the competition lined up singles and twins, Honda bet on four-stroke fours screaming at stratospheric revs. Redman thus tamed the 250 four-cylinder (the famous RC162, RC163 and then RC164) and the 350 four-cylinder, machines of a sophistication unheard of at the time, able to rev far beyond what a conventional engine could take.

But the technical high point came in September 1964, at Monza : Redman introduced the world to the Honda “Six”, the 250 six-cylinder (RC165), a masterpiece of miniaturised engineering that foreshadowed the legendary RC166. He was the development rider, the one who took the knocks and turned that mechanical extravagance into a winning machine. This Japanese obsession with the high-revving multi-cylinder would later feed into road production, right up to monuments like the Honda CBX 1000 and its six-cylinder engine or the revolutionary CB750 Four. Redman did not just win: he validated on track the technical philosophy that would make Honda's fortune.

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Professionalism, leadership and handing over to Hailwood

Inside the Honda garage, Redman was not just a fast rider: he was the team leader, the strategist, the one who organised, advised and brought people together. Renowned for his rigorous professionalism, he handled the machinery as well as the men, in a team still learning European Grand Prix culture. That quiet leadership made him, in many eyes, “the other Mr Honda”.

In 1966, Honda finally targeted the premier class and entered the 500cc. Redman opened the account in ideal fashion by winning the first two races of the season, before fate turned: badly injured at the Belgian Grand Prix, on the fearsome Spa circuit, he decided to bring his career to an end. The torch then passed to a young prodigy recruited by the brand, Mike Hailwood, who would inherit, among other things, the sublime Honda Six broken in by his elder. That handover symbolises the shift from one era to another: that of the pioneer who builds, then that of the virtuoso who perfects, in a decade that also saw giants such as John Surtees or the future king Giacomo Agostini.

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The legacy of a pioneer

What remains of Jim Redman? First of all a status as a builder : for a long time, he was the most successful rider in Honda's history, the brand that would become the most successful of all in Grand Prix racing. Without his groundwork between 1960 and 1966, the Japanese giant's later dominance would not have had the same foundation. Awarded the MBE by the British Crown, he was inducted as a Grand Prix “Legend” in 2012, official recognition of a career too often overshadowed by the stars who came after him.

Redman embodies a truth we sometimes forget: dynasties are not born out of nothing. Behind every empire there is a first great champion, the one who takes the risks when everything is still to be proven. Now in his nineties, Jim Redman remains a living witness to the golden age of motorcycle sport, the age of roaring multi-cylinders and heroes from every corner of the globe. A name that anyone passionate aboutGrand Prix history should know.

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Summary table

📖 Also read: The Honda RC166: six cylinders for 250 cm³, the acoustic masterpiece of Grand Prix racing.

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FAQ — Frequently asked questions

• How many world championship titles did Jim Redman win?
  Jim Redman won six world championship titles, all with Honda, between 1962 and 1965: four in 350cc (1962, 1963, 1964 and 1965) and two in 250cc (1962 and 1963).
• What was Jim Redman's nationality?
  Born in London on 8 November 1931, he emigrated to Southern Rhodesia in 1952, today's Zimbabwe, and raced his entire career under Rhodesian colours.
• What role did Jim Redman play in Honda's history?
  He was Honda's first great champion and its team leader in Grand Prix racing. Development rider and team leader from 1960 to 1966, he laid the foundations of the brand's future worldwide dominance and was for a long time its most successful rider.
• What is the connection between Jim Redman and Mike Hailwood?
  Redman was Honda's leader before Mike Hailwood joined the team in 1966. After Redman's injury at the Belgian Grand Prix and his retirement, Hailwood took over, inheriting in particular the Honda Six that Redman had helped develop.
• What unique feat did Jim Redman achieve in 1964?
  At the 1964 Assen TT, he became the first rider to win three Grand Prix classes on the same day, taking victory in 125cc, 250cc and 350cc.

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