Terry Starkey
RV8 enthusiast and fellow Burbler, John Cumming, says "it is with great sadness that I have to tell you that Terry passed away at about 11pm yesterday evening, 20th April. Very recently Terry had been told that he had a tumour on one of his
kidneys and lesions on his lungs. He had a biopsy on a lung two weeks ago which caused the lung to deflate. He spent a week in hospital recovering and should have then had chemotherapy. Unfortunately the cancer was to far advanced. We, his friends, are shocked at the suddenness of his death".

Adverts for Elm burr gearknobs
Please encourage all fellow V8 members who may find a copy of Terry's advert for an Elm burr gearknob on the V8 Website, V8BB or elsewhere not to follow up the email contact to avoid Terry's wife and family receiving emails or other communications trying to order one of the knobs.

Supplies of Elm burr
Terry has been supplying these replacement gearknobs for the RV8 in Elm burr using his stock of timber which had its origins in the gales in the late 1990s which knocked down many trees in England. That stock of Elm burr was running out but Terry found a little more so more of his gearknobs could be made by a local craftsman.

Ken Clayton says "I am really sorry to hear of this sad news. My thoughts are with Terry's family and relatives. Whilst I never met Terry, he struck me as a true "Old School Gentleman". I have 3 of his 'gear knobs'. A great initiative. And one fully supported by the V8 Register".
Posted: 170424
Fellow RV8 enthusiast Warwick Gilbert in Queensland Australia has been in touch saying "I never met Terry Starkey and only knew of him through his burr elm gearknobs. I do recall very clearly, however, his detailed note on the V8 Bulletin Board of some time ago, explaining the process that he went through to locate suitable burr elm timber for his project, and then utilising a local craftsman to produce the knobs to Terry’s specifications. If the details of that note are still available to you, would it be worth considering republishing this piece as a reminder to members as a fitting memorial to Terry, as to the amount of time, effort and expertise that he put into this work, which was largely for the benefit of fellow members?"

Alongside, Terry Starkey presenting the 200th Elm burr gearknob to John Deed in 2015.
Look back at earlier news items on Starkey gearknobs:

Starkey elm burr gearknobs now available for MGBGTV8s
Terry Starkey says "now that I have a good stock of burr elm we can make gearknobs in a very dark colour to suit MGBGTV8s. They do look very good against the black crackle finish dashboard." 150220 More

John Deed wins the 200th RV8 gearknob
Terry Starkey has offered the 200th RV8 gearknob through a prize draw aimed at raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. The prize was the special 200th RV8 gearknob. A staggering sum of £2,280 was raised with the prize draw. 150215 More

Win the 200th Burr Elm RV8 gearknob
Terry Starkey is offering the 200th RV8 gearknob through a prize draw aimed at raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. The prize is this special 200th RV8 gearknob. 150209 More

Why is an Elm burr gearknob so desirable?
Angus Munro contributed an article in 2009 noting "recent advertisements for RV8s for sale have mentioned a Terry Starkey gearknob among the special features that make the car on offer even more attractive. I feel it is quite right that a Terry Starkey gearknob is mentioned as a desirable item, but why? The prospective purchaser might well ask and, partly for that reason, I would like owners and prospective owners to know a little more about these beautiful items and the charming story behind the thought that went into producing them in the first place. Angus explains. 090902 Article

The attraction of the sound of a V8 engine
Terry Starkey spotted a short video in which Robbie Coltrane sums up why the V8 inspires affection amongst motoring enthusiasts who can recognise the subtle qualities and pleasures of the engine - magical comments, wonderful sounds. 070907 More