BRM V16 By Karl Ludvigsen Hardback. 250mm x 250mm. Over 150 pictures. ISBN: 1845840372
£ 17.99

 

Features

If a racing car could disappoint an entire nation, that was the dramatic fate of Britain's BRM. Conceived in 1946 as a world-beating Formula 1 car, the BRM V16 was built by the nation's leading auto companies and suppliers to put Britain at the forefront in Grand Prix racing. Yet it failed so publicly and sensationally that the V16 BRM has gone down in history as one of motor racing's most spectacular flops. Award-winning author Karl Ludvigsen brings to life the travails and triumphs of this exotic Formula 1 car, whose amazing engine was the first in history to rev above 10,000 rpm — with a shrill scream from its exhausts that captivated all who saw, heard and drove her.

Description

A bright beacon of hope and promise for Britain's motor-sports enthusiasts during the drab and rationed post-war years was their knowledge that the country's leading auto companies and suppliers were banding together to create an amazing new car that promised to put Britain at the forefront in Grand Prix racing.
Declaring its intent with its name, British Racing Motor or BRM, the car was a veritable wonder machine shot through with fascinating and revolutionary features. Yet it failed so publicly and sensationally that the V16 BRM has gone down in history as one of motor racing's most spectacular flops.

Synopsis

Few cars of any kind have a more exotic and exciting reputation among enthusiasts than the first BRM, a 16-cylinder wonder machine that was a bright beacon of promise in Britain's drab post-war years. Heralded as a certain race winner and backed by the nation's motor industry, exploiting the seized secrets of the 1930s Germans, the British Racing Motors bid fair to put the UK at the top of the Grand Prix tree. It did come good — producing more than 500 horsepower from 1.5 litres — but only after the Formula 1 for which it was built had expired. From the files of the Ludvigsen Library come more than 150 rare photos of the BRM, one of the handsomest, indeed sexiest, racing cars of all time. Related articles and ephemera round out the story of a bold but ultimately misguided British venture that delivered too much too late.

Independent Reviews

BRM BOOK REVIEW by Mark Holman NZ Classic Car

BRM V16: How Britain's auto makers built a Grand Prix car to beat the world, by Karl Ludvigsen. Published October 2006 by Veloce. ISBN 1-84584-037-2 £17.99

Well, it patently didn't beat the world, but top writer Ludvigsen has written a slim (96 page) but fascinating book on the 1.5 litre supercharged V16 produced by BRM very soon after WW2. Over the top in terms of specification, supported by much of Britain's motor industry and public subscriptions; diverted from success by a mix of ego, bad luck, inadequate tyre technology, and an over-complex design which proved extremely difficult for top drivers to tame. But what a concept! BRM didn't win a championship GP until 1959, and that was with a far simpler 4-cylinder car, but it's hard not to be impressed that The Mays Project even got off the ground in a time of past-war austerity.

I have seen a static example but would love to hear one running. There are great tales of the sound made by the car that came to NZ and took 2nd place in the 1954 GP (surprisingly, that trip isn't mentioned in this book) but that was before my time in motor sport terms.

Ludvigsen pays due, but critical tribute to Raymond Mays who, with Peter Berthon, fathered the V16. The concept was an incredibly bold one at a time of material shortages, though Ludvigsen shows that other marques- like Alfa Romeo with its 1512 - had been looking at some equally radical designs.

The initial support of motor industry firms such as Rolls-Royce and Commer helped get the car off the ground but its development took a great deal of time and too many of its race entries were either premature or cancelled. BRM suffered from being situated in a part of England remote from good circuits to test and the mainstream of the motor industry. Endless reliability problems were found with the motor, and its lack of low-end torque and problematic handling made it a real handful. Early public support turned sour when its debut (thought to be too soon by many team members) at the 1950 Daily Express Trophy resulted in a broken transmission on the line.

There were highlights, at the 1951 British GP when Parnell and Walker soldiered on though the cockpit was frying their feet. Fangio and Gonzales starred at the fast Albi circuit in 1953. But they weren't GP race victories: too many of the successes came in short national meetings at circuits like Goodwood and Ibsley- and even then they didn't always win.

And too often, the cars were ‘no-shows'. When the 4.5/1.5 litre GP formula's life hung in the balance at the end of 1951, there wasn't enough trust in BRM's ability to put reliable cars consistently on the starting grid so the 2 litre unsupercharged cars became the de facto GP formula. The V16s raced on in Formula Libre and there was even a shorter and lighter Mk 2 version. But even with Alfred Owen's backing (Tony Vandervell had got tired of the lack of success and supported what would become the Vanwall) the cars couldn't be regarded as a success.


Illustrated by 160 excellent b&w photos and some fascinating technical drawings, Ludvigsen's book details the painstaking and often frustrating technical development of the cars, their drivers like Wharton, Parnell and Collins, and the ‘joys' of running them in historic racing now. A fascinating story and well worth a look.