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BRM, the Inside Story
#1

We have a new and fairly substantial motor racing history section which we've added to the site. It could be encapsulated by just three letters, BRM, but in truth the full story would make a decent sized  book.

       

The inspiration for our new section came from a British Racing Motors team mechanic, Dennis 'Sheriff' Perkins who worked for the team for well over a decade from the mid 1950s onwards, and who took photos throughout his time with the team.

       


Of course Perkins wasn't a professional photographer, he was first and foremost a BRM  mechanic. In fact he was so good at his job that he was elected to membership of the BRDC, being proposed by Graham Hill and seconded by Jackie Stewart.

       

But he took photos of some important motor racing events, and he took his photos from a different angle to the press, or the spectators. He snapped his pics from behind the scenes, from the oil stained pit boxes, from the workshops, or even from the team transporter which he drove across the continent in his slippers.

       

Through his photos we will tell the story of British Racing Motors, from the disastrous and all too obvious failings in the early days, through to being world champions and one of the most consistently successful teams in Formula One at their peak, before they were brought back down to earth with a bump, as the team declined.

       

BRM had always set out to match and beat the best in Formula One. To do that, they absolutely insisted that they should build their own engines as well as the chassis. They wanted to take Ferrari's approach, and when it worked, it really worked, but when it didn't, it really didn't.

       

We have to thank our very own Brian Rogers for unearthing this priceless hoard of original photos. Many thanks also to John Perkins, son of Dennis, for his kind permission to use the photos. Most of all though we have to thank Dennis Perkins himself, not just for his sterling work for BRM, but also for recording his time with the team.

Nowadays of course, we can expect a netflix documentary for every F1 race, no matter how insignificant. But in those days there were a very limited cohort of press reporters and photographers. So this little treasure trove of photos from the pit lanes and paddocks of the 1950s and 1960s are important.

We've tried our best to tell the stories of not just BRM, but of the individual races for which we have photos, many of which have their own fascinating tales to tell.

       

We've also tried to tell the story of the BRM drivers and the BRM cars. We've used a wide variety of sources for all of the information, including contemporary reports.

       

We've also included slot track plans for every circuit, and a comprehensive list of BRM slot cars.

       

So there you go, that's a rough outline of what we've got for you, hope you enjoy having a look and a read.

BRM, the Inside Story
[+] 9 members Like JasonB's post
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#2

Wow, that's a great report! Thanks for all the effort you've put in. Thumbup
[+] 1 member Likes rallyhub's post
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#3

           
I have a booklet published by the daily express in the early 50s. It shows the development of the V16 car. I am willing to let Brian borrow it if he wishes to add it to the archive. It shows early photos of the car without any louvres. The book has 62 pages with some interesting photos for the scratch builders. Brian lives only a few miles from me.
[+] 3 members Like Mazda's post
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#4

Thank you hub. 

Mazda, yes please that would be great, assuming Brian can be sweet talked into scanning it.
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#5

Jason and Brian - just OUTSTANDING work - I know how long you have been working on this and all the effort it has taken. A HUGE thank you Thumbup Thumbup Thumbup
[+] 2 members Like Anthony B's post
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#6

Thanks Anthony. Thumbup
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#7

It's only sound...but what a sound...the hair on your neck will tingle...


Life is like a box of Slot cars... Cool Drinkingcheers
[+] 1 member Likes Kevan's post
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#8

A huge thank you goes to Brian and Jason for this amazing article!

I love my Rover BRM. I finally sourced some proper wheel inserts. Now I can throw the black Slot.It turbines away (err, in the parts drawer).

Cheers,
Ken
[+] 2 members Like KensRedZed's post
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#9

We've now added a new section to the BRM inside Story.

Published in 1950 by the Daily Express, 'BRM Ambassador for Britain' is 'The Story of Britain's Greatest Racing Car'.

It is a fantastic period piece, and encapsulates the optimism of the early days of BRM development.

       
       

Many thanks to Mazda for supplying the original publication, and to Brian for scanning it.
[+] 3 members Like JasonB's post
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