WE ARE CLEARING OUT OUR ARCHIVES!

A superb and rare photo of Graham Hill in his magnificent BRM P56 “Stackpipe” 578 - Formula 1 race car, seen in before action during the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, which was the first championship Grand Prix victory for the P56 engined race car.

 British Racing Motors (generally known as BRM) was a British Formula 1 motor racing team. Founded in 1945, it raced from 1950 to 1977, competing in 197 Grand Prix and winning 17. In 1962, BRM won the Constructors' Title. At the same time, its driver, Graham Hill became World Champion. In 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1971, BRM came second in the Constructors' Competition.

BRM was founded just after the Second World War by Raymond Mays, who had built several hillclimb and road racing cars under the ERA brand before the war, and Peter Berthon, a long-time associate. Mays' pre-war successes (and access to pre-war Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union design documents) inspired him to build an all-British Grand Prix car for the post-war era, as a national prestige project (which, naturally, he would drive himself!) with the backing (both financially and in kind and labour) of the British motor industry and its suppliers channeled through a trust fund. This proved to be an unwieldy way of organizing and financing the project, and as some of the backers withdrew, disappointed with the team's slow progress and early results, it fell to one of the partners in the trust, Alfred Owen of the Rubery Owen group of companies, which primarily manufactured car parts, to take over the team in its entirety. Between 1954 and 1970 the team entered its works F1 cars under the official name of the Owen Racing Organisation. Berthon and Mays continued to run the team on his behalf into the 1960s, before it was handed over to Louis Stanley, the husband of Sir Alfred's sister Jean Owen.

A factory was set up in Spalding Road, Bourne, Lincolnshire, behind Eastgate House, Mays' family home. (At this stage it was in the former ERA works, vacated in 1939 and used in 1944 as a billet for the Parachute Regiment as it regrouped before going to Arnhem.) Several people involved with ERA returned to the firm to work for BRM, including Harry Mundy and Eric Richter. The first post-war set of rules for the top level of motor racing allowed 1.5 litre supercharged or 4.5 litre unsupercharged engines. BRM's first engine design was an extremely ambitious 1.5 litre supercharged V16. Rolls-Royce was contracted to produce centrifugal superchargers, rather than the more commonly used Roots type supercharger. Since his experience on the supercharging of the ERA engines, Berthon had been doing war-time work on aero-engines at Rolls Royce, Derby. The design concept of the V16 had not been used extensively on automobiles before so that design problems were many and the engine did not fire for the first time until June of 1949. It proved to be outstandingly powerful but this output was produced over a very limited range of engine speed.

The Type 15, which was the designation for the V16 car won the first two races it actually started, the Formula Libre and Formula One events at Goodwood in September, 1950, driven by Reg Parnell. However, it was never to be so successful again. The engine proved unreliable and difficult to develop, and the team's development efforts were not up to the task of improving the situation. A string of failures caused much embarrassment, and the problems were still unsolved when the CSI announced in 1952 that for 1954, a new engine formula of 2.5 litres unsupercharged or 750cc supercharged would take effect. Meanwhile, the organisers of all the Grands Prix counting for the World Championship elected to run their races for Formula Two for the next two years, as Alfa Romeo had pulled out of racing and BRM were unable to present raceworthy cars - leaving no credible opposition to Ferrari other than ancient Lago-Talbots and the odd O.S.C.A.. The V16s continued to race in minor Formula One races and in British Formula Libre events until the mid fifties, battles with Tony Vandervell's Thin Wall Special Ferrari 375 being a particular highlight of the British scene.

This is a very nice and very rare photo that reflects a wonderful era of BRM ‘s automotive history in a wonderful way.  This is your rare chance to own this photo, therefore it is printed in a nice large format of ca. 8" x 11" (ca. 20 x 28 cm).  It makes it perfectly suitable for framing.

 

Shipping costs will only be $ 7.00 regardless of how many photos you buy.   For 5 or more photos, shipping is free!

 (Note: A. Herl, Inc. does not appear on photo, for ebay purposes only)

No copyright expressed or implied. Sold as collectable item only. We are clearing out our archives that we have gathered from various sources.

All items always sent well protected in PVC clear files and board backed envelopes.

 We have photographs that came from professional collections and/or were bought from the original photographer or press studio! They are all of professional and excellent quality.

After many decades of professionally collecting photographs and posters we are clearing out our archives. They make the perfect gift and are perfectly suited for framing. They will look gorgeous unframed and will be a true asset nicely framed with a border. They are a gorgeous and great asset in every home, workshop, workplace, restaurant, bar or club!

First come - first served. And you can always contact us for your requests. Please ask any questions before the auction ends.