Barry Newell, 68, was trapped in a blaze at his ground-floor flat in George Moore Close, off Iffley Road, on the morning of Monday, February 2. He died later that evening at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital.
Neighbours said Mr Newell had become increasingly frail and unwell and spent most of his time alone in his flat.
During the 1960s and '70s Mr Newell worked as a mechanical fitter and engineer for various racing teams, including Formula 1.
He lived in America for a while and is believed to have an ex-wife and a daughter living in Florida.
Neighbour Joe Eustace, 63, said: "I was sorry to hear that he had died. He was very quiet and always quite friendly."
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