BRM A mechanics Tale
by Richard Salmon
This is the story as told by a man who was both a devoted fan and a loyal team member of British Racing Motors. Who saw and was involved in the repeated failures and humiliating times of the 1950 s, through the gradual progress of winning minor races to Jo Bonnier winning the first World Championship Grand Prix in Holland in 1959. Culminating in the ultimate honour in 1962, when, in East London, South Africa, Graham Hill drove the BRM to victory to win both the drivers World Championship and the Constructors Championship for the BRM team.
Thereby making a considerable contribution to British motor racing history. British Racing Motors (generally known as BRM) was a British Formula 1 motor racing team often described as Britain’s Ferrari as it built its own cars. Founded in 1945, the team raced from 1950 to 1977, competing in 197 Grand Prix and winning 17.
This is the BRM story told by a man who was both a devoted fan and a loyal member of the British Racing Motors team. Seen purely from a mechanic’s point of view this account of BRM is generally complimentary, but at times is critical of personnel and procedures. Dick Salmon was involved in the repeated failures and humiliations of the 1950s, through the gradual progress of winning minor races to the excitement of Jo Bonnier winning the first World Championship Grand Prix in Holland in 1959.
BRM’s glory culminated in the ultimate honor in 1962, when in East London, South Africa, Graham Hill drove a BRM to victory to win both the Driver’s World Championship and in doing so brought the Constructor’s Championship to the BRM team, thereby making a considerable contribution to international motor racing history. Probably for the first time, criticism is levelled at both Louis Stanley and the introduction of the H16 engine as contributory factors to the ultimate failure of British Racing Motors: Louis Stanley for his freeloading extravagance, and the rather foolish decision by BRM’s management to build such a complicated and bulky power unit.
The book reads as a personal account of Dick Salmon’s life with BRM in a scrap book style format packed with photos from the workshops, back rooms and candid pics of paddock life in the 50s and early 60s. Not all of it being glory and good times! But all the same it is a fascinating read and insight from the era through good times and bad!
Publisher: Veloce Publishing Ltd
ISBN: 9781845840822 £30 UK
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