Peter Revson, the heir

Peter Revson (1939-1974) was an excellent American race driver and heir to the Revlon cosmetics family. He was a two-time Formula 1 winner (for McLaren) and had successes at the Indianapolis 500 and in the Can-Am series. Sadly, he died early 1974 at the wheel of a Formula 1 Shadow during practice on the Kyalami circuit in South-Africa.

Peter Revson was born in New York City, the son of Martin Revson and Julie (née Phelps) Hall. Martin had been a founding partner (along with his brother Charles Revson) of Revlon cosmetics, but had parted ways in 1958 and become chairman of Del Laboratories in 1963. His mother had been a nightclub singer at the time Martin met her.

Revson’s full name was Peter Jeffrey Revlon Revson, his middle name a nod to his family’s business. As a young man, newspaper articles commonly referred to him as Peter Revlon Revson.

A young, handsome bachelor described as a “free spirit”, Peter passed up an easy life for one of competition and danger, including driving in both the USAC Championship and Formula One circuits, piloting a 32-foot (9.8 m) Chris Craft boat, and courting some of the most beautiful women in the world. At the time of his death, he was engaged to the 1973 Miss World Marjorie Wallace.