The British Racing Motors (unofficial) information centre.
The People
Peter Lorraine
Ashton Berthon
Born 20 September 1906 - Maymo, Burma (Republic
of the Union of Myanmar)
Educated at Christ's Hospital Bluecoat School, Southwater, West
Sussex
Entered RAF College, Cranwell in 1924
1926 became involved in Raymond Mays' racing activities
via a mutual friend and fellow RAF cadet. By the end of 1926 was
commissioned as a Flying Officer.
1927 suffered a flying accident and had resigned his
commission by the end of the year.
1928-1933 engaged in the engineering side of Mays' racing
career.
1934 As Chief Designer, with Mays and Humphrey Cook formed
English Racing Automobiles (ERA).
1939 Berthon and Mays resigned from the ERA company that
then moved out of Mays' Bourne home.
1939-1945 ran a company producing specialist equipment for
the armed forces.
1945 At the close of WWII Mays proposed a British Grand
Prix project with Berthon again as Chief Designer. The start of
British Racing Motors (BRM)
1962 BRM won Manufacturers and Drivers F1 World
Championships with Berthon as Head of Design.
1971 died off the coast of Durban, South Africa on 15
January
Spencer Flack 17 June
1942 - 23 February 2002
Spencer ran his Flack Air airline from Southend Airport in the
1980s. He flew vintage aircraft in air displays, including
escaping from a crash in his Hawker Sea Fury fighter.
Spencer became a member of the Historic Grand Prix Car
Association and raced Bentley, Cooper-Bristol, Maserati 250F and
Brabham BT7. In 2001 he bought BRM P258, the car previously owned
by the late The Hon. Amschel Rothschild at a reported cost of one
and a half million pounds. Fittingly he won the VSCC Rothschild
Memorial race at Silverstone, April 2001.
Spencer Flack died driving BRM P258 at the Penrite Scratch Race
at the Shannon's Phillip Island Classic Festival. (Phillip Island,
Australia Saturday 23 February 2002). During the last lap of the
historic car race, as the leading pack swept past a back-marker,
the third placed BRM and the slower car touched. In the ensuing
crash Mr Flack was thrown out and died of head injuries.
Some may say that the only completely original P25 was too
valuable to be risked on the track. Some may say that a man
approaching retirement age should not have been driving a
powerful Grand Prix car. I would respond that both car and man
were built to race. Spencer risked his one and a half million
pounds investment and his own life while giving pleasure to race
fans around the world - battling for victory in the best BRM
tradition.
Hall & Hall (previously Hall & Fowler) are experts in BRM restoration.
Raymond Mays , the son
of a wool merchant and fertiliser manufacturer, was born on 1st
August 1899. The family home was Eastgate House, Bourne and is
marked by a plaque on the front wall stating that he was born
there and that it was his lifetime home. He was a successful
racing driver and hillclimb champion and ran English Racing
Automobiles (ERA) during the 1930s and 1940s from workshops built
on the orchard adjoining his home. After gaining support from
many areas of British industry he launched British Racing Motors
(BRM) on the long road to the 1962 World Championship. Mays was
awarded with a CBE for his services to motor racing in 1978. He
died at the age of 81 in 1980 as one of the "elder statesmen"
of British motor racing.
For more details, visit the ...Raymond Mays timeline.
The Raymond Mays Room at the Heritage Centre in Baldock's Mill in Bourne is a particularly noteworthy enterprise because it has been financed and executed entirely by volunteers anxious to preserve the name of someone who brought fame to the town. Its main funding comes from the publication of an illustrated booklet "Raymond Mays of Bourne" written in 1994 by Dr. Michael McGregor, a retired local general practitioner, and comprises almost 200 early photographs from Raymond Mays' career which were found in a trunk in the attic of his home after he died. Sales of the booklet have already raised more than £10,000 for the project and copies are still available at weekends from Baldock's Mill, price £6, and from the local bookshop Bourne Book World at 19 North Street, Bourne, Lincs. PE10 9AE, United Kingdom.
Mike Pilbeam worked for BRM from 1963 originally as a stress engineer then moving on to work on the 1.5 litre four wheel drive project. He was involved in its success in the RAC British Hillclimb Championship before leaving the team. Mike rejoined BRM in 1973 and went on to design the P201 before setting up Pilbeam Racing Designs during 1974 that is still making racing cars in Bourne.
Tony Rudd worked for Rolls-Royce in Derby and was shortly involved in aero-engine development during the Second World War. When Rolls-Royce supplied the superchargers for the BRM V-16 engine Tony was sent to oversee there use. He was soon a permanent employee of BRM. As Chief Engineer and Team Manager he saw the team score its World Championship. After leaving BRM, the third of September 1969 was Rudd's first day of work, for their great rival - Lotus !
Jean Stanley, sister of Sir Alfred and Ernest Owen, was closely involved with the team from the 1950s. With her husband Louis they were team principals for BRM from the 1960s and as Stanley-BRM from 1974 until the team's closure in 1977. Jean died in June 2002.
Louis T Stanley, with wife Jean, were team principals for BRM from the 1960s and Stanley-BRM from 1974 until the teams closure in 1977. Big Lou other activities also included being managing director of London's Dorchester Hotel, a prolific book writer and one time honorary secretary of the Grand Prix Drivers Association. One of the driving forces for greater safety in a deadly age of Formula One and Director General of the Grand Prix Medical Service active from 1967. One of the first to bring overt sponsorship into F1 with the 1972/3 Marlboro cigarette livery.
Stewart Tresilian
1904..............Born 9th January 1904.
1917-1925....Qualified in engineering via Wellington
College and Cambridge University. While at university took part
in racing and hill-climbs.
1925-1927....Worked for JAP motor-cycle engine
manufacturers.
1927-1936....Worked for Rolls-Royce in Derby. Thought to
have done consultancy work for ERA.
1936-1938....Worked for Lagonda Cars. Chief designer- The
V12 Lagonda similar to his unused design at Rolls-Royce.
1938-1939....At Templewood Engineering at Slough. Worked
on using aircraft technology and light alloys for Hawker Aircraft
outside of the aircraft industry. Designed a car with a monocoque
and independent suspension. Designed a disc transmission brake (the
P25 BRM of the mid 1950s used the same layout).
1939-1945....War work in the aero industry with Armstrong
Siddeley and the RAF as liaison with the US air force.
1945-1948....Worked for Rolls-Royce aero engines. Also did
outside work for ERA, and later BRM. Tresilian also did a design
of a very over-square 4 cylinder 21/2 litre car engine (the P25
BRM of the mid 1950s used the same layout).
1948-1953....Worked as an independent Consultant. Worked
closely with BRM. The P25 was the work of Peter Berthon based on
the original Tresilian design
1953-1962....Worked for Bristol Aircraft. Did consultancy
work for Coventry Climax on their racing engines.
1962..............Died on 20th May 1962.
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