Letters from readers, September 1998

When winning wasn’t everything

Sir,

I beg to ask the question “Who won Le Mans in 1927?”

In July you credit Dr Benjafield and Sammy Davis, and this misconception is certainly supported by the British press at the time, but not by the French press who correctly credit Salmson with victory, as do the ACO.

Le Mans in 1927 was the final of the Rudge Whitworth Triennial Cup. It was not until 1928 that the race was reformatted, with the winner being judged by total distance covered. Bentley therefore did not win in 1927, although they covered the greatest distance.

The relative importance of the achievements is demonstrated by the prize money. Salmson received 60,000 francs, with a further 40,000 francs for the Prix St Didier for their second car. The Prix St Didier was awarded to the car which beat its Rudge Whitworth target speed by the greatest amount, but which was not qualified for the Triennial Cup. By contrast Bentley won 1200 francs for covering the greatest distance hardly enough to cover the petrol bill.

Mr Petit said the Salmsons could easily have speeded up to catch the Bentley, and their performance at other events supports this, but as he said “Why risk 100,000 francs to gain a further 1200?”

It would be nice to think the English claimed victory because they did not understand the regulations, but the subsequent reluctance of Bentley followers even to this day makes this seem unlikely. Please can you set history straight: Salmson won Le Mans in 1927, and Bentley covered the greatest distance.

I am, yours, etc.

Chris Draper, Köln, Germany

(When you say a Bendtley did not win Le Mans in 1927 you do have a point of sorts. Under the rules prevailing at the time, there was no official winner of Le Mans in 192Z a fact which has been acknowledged in this magazine on many occasions in the past. This is because each of the early Le Mans races was effectively a heat of the Rudge-Whitworth Triennial Cup, which was awarded just once, to Chenard et Walker.

Given this, I think it more relevant to focus on the fact that the Bentley travelled further and faster than any other car in the race, hence giving it a rather better claim to outright, if unofficial, victory than any other car in the race.

I am interested to note your contention that the Salmsons could have breezed into the lead any time they liked, given that the damaged Bentley crossed the line somewhere the far side 200 miles ahead of the nearest Salmon, a distance which would have taken over three hours even for the Bentley to cover. I am interested too to learn that the Automobile Club de l’Ouest supports your claim. In the most recent edition of the official ACO Le Mans 24 Hours book, the winner of the 1927 Le Mans is listed as a Bentley a judgement with which I concur. AF)

Birth of a legend

Sir,

What a magnificent surprise awaited me today when I collected a parcel marked ‘too large for delivery’.

Birth of a Legend is the sort of motorsport video that will be appreciated by a non-motorsport person. Where on earth today would you see such a driver leap out during a pitstop to try and locate a mechanical fault? To see the cars fly (literally) at the ‘Ring, and huge powerslides at many of the other tracks is goosebump stuff.

Our tinpot currency makes me feel guilty about subscribing to Motor Sport, for a few moments then I turn to the first page and am blissfully lost to the real world for ages. Keep up the good work.

I am, yours, etc.

Tony Ball, South Africa

Early days

Sir,

Having worked with Mercedes-Benz for many years on their rally projects, I was interested to see the photograph in your July edition of the Mercedes service halt. I am not sure whether you have realised, but the gentleman standing second from the left, with his arm resting on the door, has gone on to much greater things it’s Jean Todt.

Jean was co-driving for Timo Makinen (third from left, standing just in front of the door). They had just rolled in the Amazon and were trying to get the car back to being roadworthy (they succeeded!).

I am, yours, etc.

Jonathan Ashman (Director of major events and marketing of RAC), Slough

The unfair advantage

Sir,

Thank you so much for Sam Posey’s essay on one of my heroes, Mark Donohue, In 1974 I was the chairman of an SCCA advanced race drivers clinic at Lime Rock, and Mark Donohue was our chief instructor.

I remember sitting in on Mark’s presentation of his friction circle theory. Sitting next to me was an SCCA National Competition-licensed, fee-paying student, scribbling intently on a large notepad. I glanced down at his notes and saw written across the top of the page “The Gospel According to St Mark”. Such was the awe and respect accorded Mark by his contemporaries.

Many people were baffled as to why, if Mark was such a great driver, it was not unusual on a race weekend for him to spin out at almost every corner of the track during practice. When asked about this, he would explain you can’t find 10/10ths without knowing where 11/10ths is.

Rumours surrounding Mark’s retirement from racing in 1973 had it that Mark was going to manage the Penske F1 project and that Peter Revson had been signed to drive for the 1975 season. Revson’s death at Kyalami in the UOP shadow in 1974 is said to have seriously comprised Penske’s plans and caused Donohue to reluctantly agree to not only develop the F1 car through 1974, but to race it in 1975.

For further reading I highly recommend Donohue’s autobiography, The Unfair Advantage. It is perhaps the best racing book I’ve ever read, filled with great anecdotes. The title refers to the level of perfection achieved by the partnership of Mark Donohue and Roger Penske.

I am, yours, etc.

Craig Thornton, New Jersey, USA

Industrial relations

Sir,

In response to B Wylie and his distress at the disposal of Rolls-Royce Motors to VW, I am in complete agreement with all of his sentiments but would like to focus the grievance more precisely. The relentless and seemingly inevitable disposal of old British (sic) manufacturing and industrial concerns is caused by the accountancy profession. This body concerns all of British commerce and enterprise and has representatives on every board in the land.

Their modus operandi is short-term profit regardless of the long-term consequences, and consequences, their motto is “cheapest is best”. Manufacturing of any sort is always expensive, so the easy sale of an expensive overhead which generates a big profit for the major shareholders cannot be ignored. Investment, quality, loyalty, continuity are all too expensive, indeed anathema to this august profession. As for the customers, they can go whistle. The whole disgraceful betrayal is made even more inevitable by previous financial mismanagement and Jack of investment. This in turn means reliance on the City, British banks and lenders which is invariably final.

Obviously fiscal prudence is necessary, but it should not be the only priority. If you stand back and look at the shabby, third rate philosophies which characterise so much of this country the end results are hardly surprising.

I am, yours, etc.

Paul Parker, Hertfordshire

Goodwood marshals reunion

Sir,

As one who marshalled at Goodwood in the 1950s and ’60s I am, with the organisers’ blessing, hoping to have a get-together at the September Revival Meeting of those of us who are still about.

If any reader is, or knows of, one of those who wore a BARC marshal’s or observer’s armband back in those clays, they can contact me on tel/fax: 01225-420832, or by E-mail at [email protected].

I am, yours, etc.

Derry Cook-Radmore, by e-mail

A dentist and a gentleman

Sir,

Thank you for your warm observation of CAS Brooks (May 1998). Fangio once asked Brooks whether he was as good a dentist as he was a driver! I was thrilled when Tony won the Syracuse GP and saw the winning Connaught at a Boxing Day Brands driven by “sideways” Archie Scott Brown.

CAS Brooks is a motor racing genius and a gentleman on and off the circuit.

I am, yours, etc.

Graham White, Johannesburg, South Africa

Question of proportion

Sir,

I did appreciate June’s article by Andrew Frankel about the Straker Squire and am rather sorry that it wasn’t just a little more technical in its nature. I am, however, mystified by the car’s proportions. When I looked at the original photographs, were the drivers all midgets, or is Andrew a large fellow and tall with it? Or maybe the drivers of that time had the seat squabs removed and ran on the floorboards?

In the picture on page 49, both of the drivers must have had to look through the steering wheel to see where they were going, whereas Andrew’s head is at least 9in higher. On the original model the back of the tailcone was level with the driver’s collar (both pictures show this) where Andrew is driving the cone lines up with his shoulder blades. I wonder why?

On an entirely different matter, I see that Bill Boddy is unhappy about the loss of Rolls-Royce to the Germans. Could I gently and respectfully, remind him that when I first started taking Motor Sport (and it was 1/6d a copy then) Bill Boddy was always banging on about this wonderful little German car that had its air-cooled flat-four engine at the back, and how it was the way for all of us to go!

What goes around comes around as they say, Bill; now we are stuck with them. But we must be cheerful about it: they are, according to one report I read recently, buying up Lamborghini and the Bugatti name as well, so some of the class may rub off on the people’s car after all.

I am, yours, etc.

Clive Dickinson, Findon, West Sussex

(You are, sir, correct to describe me as a large fellow and tall with it. Kind too. AF)

Straker socks

Sir,

I was delighted to read your article on the Straker Squire which I owned, raced and loved fur a long time. I think she gave me more pleasure and fun than any car I have ever owned. The only sadness I have is that Mr Howell did not know that she should have a red roundel on the tail. The story goes (and I had it first hand from Mr Kensington-Moir) that his fiancé, later Mrs Kensington-Moir, knitted and presented Bertie K-M a pair of black and white striped socks with a red heel for his birthday, and after dinner that night he went out and painted the Straker to match the socks.

I can confirm that she is well capable of 100mph and that I used to see it up once a lap when entering Woodcote just before braking.

I am, yours, etc.

Adrian Liddell, Uzes, France

Records at Reims

Sir,

I thoroughly enjoyed your article on the old circuit of Reims and, like you, lament the fact that the circuit is not used any longer.

As a matter of interest, you noted that Bandini set the last lap record in a Ferrari, during the final Grand Prix of 1996, at a speed of 145.3mph. In fact, the final lap record was taken by Paul Hawkins at the last Reims 12-Hour race in 1967, at somewhere over 147mph. This was in the dark and on full tanks, in a Lola T70 coupe! Hawkins reported that he was taking the bend just after the pits at somewhere just over 180mph.

I am, yours, etc.

John Starkey, San Diego, California

Redman and Roebuck

Sir,

Many thanks for the latest superb edition of Motor Sport, which improves with each issue.

May I say how much I enjoyed Nigel Roebuck’s article on the legendary Brian Redman, who happily chatted to all and sundry about anything and everything perhaps you could persuade Nigel to pay him the ultimate accolade and co-operate in a biography on the great man, as it is unlikely he will actually ever announce his retirement!

What a wonderful story he could tell of Porsche 917s, long-distance races, drivers like Siffert, Rodriguez, Ickx, and Peterson, in that wonderful Lancastrian way it would be so much more interesting than anything currently in circulation but don’t leave it too long, the great man is already 61!

I am, yours, etc.

Julian Nowell, Brentford

Hospital visit

Sir,

Your recent article on Brian Redman brings back memories of Oulton Park, watching Red Rose Motor’s lightweight E-type piloted by one young Brian Redman. Later as a technician at Christie Hospital in Manchester I had the chance to meet him when he was undergoing surgery on his Targa Florio burns. I cut up my Motor Sport and stuck the pictures in scrapbooks and I left these with Brian; he very kindly autographed pictures of himself. He must have also had a visit from Richard Attwood as when I retrieved my scrapbooks his pictures were also autographed. As a youngster I was thrilled to bits.

I am, yours, etc.

Peter K Nelson, Thurnham, Lancaster

Bitter taste

Sir,

I regret that I cannot direct Baron de Graffenried to the Cornhill Hotel to revive old memories at Silverstone, but if he wants a glass of good English beer I would suggest that he steers clear of the circuit, where on the day of the 50th anniversary British GP a pint of that essential beverage was unavailable. All that chain-link fencing is had enough, but to be forced to drink Australian imitation beer is adding insult to injury.

I am, yours, etc.

WM Greenwood, Warwickshire