This brings back some memories. 1976 Surtees TS19, complete with its controversial livery courtesy of the London Rubber Company, so controversial that the BBC and ITV considered it unacceptable for daytime viewing. If I recall correctly, the advertising strapline at the time was ‘The small family car’.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
The August 7th Brooklands GP100 attracted a field of racing cars from the 1920s to a 1991 McClaren MP4/6. While far from complete, the selection did allow the sold-out crowd to experience the sights and sounds of the cars at Brooklands…something one can’t do at a museum or concours.
We found it easiest to split the entries into front and rear engined Grand Prix cars; we published the front engined cars a couple of weeks ago:
Which left the moderns. And since Jonathan Sharp does such a fine job of capturing the cars in photos, we wondered how they might sound. We asked him, “Do you prefer to listen to the more modern rear engined cars from the 1960s onwards or the earlier, front engined cars pre and post war?”
His reply, “Hmm, great question. Wel, from the 1920s and 30s, a straight six or eight cylinder Alfa certainly sets my heart soaring, as for that matter does anything with an aero engine. A V16 BRM, simply wow, a Maserati 250F, yes please, and any Ferrari engine, be it four, six or 12, mounted in the front or the back, is to me like a fine piece of classical music. The sound of a Cosworth DFV? Not so much, but the sound of the Honda V12 in the back of the 1991 McLaren MP4/6 was up there with the sound of a 12 cylinder Ferrari and just below that of the V16 in the BRM. So which do I prefer? probably the earlier, front engined stuff but heck I even like the sound made by the current bunch of F1 cars.”
With that, minus sound effects, Jonathan presents the best of the moderns at the Brooklands GP100.
1965 BRM P261
1966 Repco Brabham BT20.
Designed, built and raced between 1961 and 1964 by Rauten Hartman in South Africa for local Formula One and Formula Libra races, the Netaur was powered by a tuned four cylinder engine lifted from a Peugeot 403.
Yes, a McLaren M23 but a chassis that I am led to believe was not raced in period.
1970 Surtees TS7
1971-73 Surtees TS9
After the disappointing 1977 season with the Fittipaldi F5, the redesigned F5A for the 1978 season was the work of Giacomo Caliri and Luigi Marmiroli at Fly Studio in Italy and featured wide flat sidepods similar to the Lotus 78.
1977 Hesketh 308E. Designed by Frank Dernie and assisted by engineer Nigel Stroud, the 308E, as driven by Rupert Keegan, is best remembered for its Penthouse Pet livery. Not very successful in period but much more so now in historic racing.
The Maurice Phillippe-designed Tyrrell 11B from 1983.
The 1984 Toleman TG184 as made famous by Senna’s 2nd place finish at the rain soaked and shortened Monaco Grand Prix.
The Mike Coughlan-designed Yamaha 3.5 litre V10 powered Tyrell 021.
1973 Surtees TS14 in the colours of Rob Walker as driven by Mike Hailwood.
1995 Simtek S951, designed by Nick Wirth and Paul Crooks and powered by a Ford Cosworth 3.0 EDB V8, this chassis, car 11, was driven by Domenico Schiattarella.
In joint first place for the best sound at the event, 1991 McLaren MP4/6 V12 Honda, 8 wins and a third World title for Senna.
1991 McLaren MP4/6 V12 Honda
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