RE: PH Heroes: Baby Bertha
Discussion
I remember being at Thruxton in 76 at the age of 16 working for Vic Lee (of British Touring Car notoriety) when ha was racing a special saloon mini at the same meeting as Baby Bertha and Jerry. I will never forget Jerry and Baby Bertha all over the back of Vince Woodman in his Cosworth DFV powered Ford Capri and coming out of the last chicane before the start finish line and holding Bertha on a full power slide down the long curve that constituted the start finish straight. He was just playing with him until with one lap to go, overtook him on the outside on the start finish straight and beat Vince by 3 seconds! Absolutely awesome! Bertha was an extension of Jerry's personality. So sadly missed..
Does anybody remember a red and white Mzda RX3 from this era? Driven by Geoff Clements and powered by an F5000 Chevy. Would have been 1975 and I helped a bit with it - just cleaning it and pushing really but at 17 I though it was heaven. We went to a couple of races (Brands and Lydden Hill where Geoff put it on the outside of the front row next to Nick Whiting and then spun off on his own water from a leaking radiator) but then it dropped a valve and lack of money ended up with it being sold...
Would love to know what happened to the car and driver.
Would love to know what happened to the car and driver.
The VX490 Drivers Club www.vx490driversclub.co.uk had a feature on Big Bertha in the club magazine a while back.
There's a pdf available here if you want to take a look.
There's a pdf available here if you want to take a look.
An awesome machine with an equally awesome driver. I had the great honour to get to know Gerry when I raced in the intermarque championship back in 1998 and 1999. He was running the marsh plant aston in class 1 and I was running a 911 turbo in class 2. We often shared the podium together. In 1999 at donington park I had to do the treble to win the individual class and overall championship. I qualified on pole (class 2) remember. When we lined up on the grid I was behind win percy in the XJ220. Bloody nightmare as he could never get it of the line and I knew I'd be baulked. Anyway I got fastest lap and won my class so got the championship. Gerry came over, shook my hand and congratulated me. That has always meant an awful lot to me and always will.
I found this by accident just now on you tube. It's not great footage as it was taken from the stands.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kKjNt-ToDw
Mines the dark blue 911 with a red diagonal flash on its rear wings. You can pick it out more easily as there is an obvious mint green 911 with a big wing on the back. Out brakes me into redgate runs wide and I undertake him on the way out and I'm gone. From memory this was Sunday the 10th October. The 11th was my Birthday and by early afternoon I was in hospital having my apendicts removed.
I found this by accident just now on you tube. It's not great footage as it was taken from the stands.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kKjNt-ToDw
Mines the dark blue 911 with a red diagonal flash on its rear wings. You can pick it out more easily as there is an obvious mint green 911 with a big wing on the back. Out brakes me into redgate runs wide and I undertake him on the way out and I'm gone. From memory this was Sunday the 10th October. The 11th was my Birthday and by early afternoon I was in hospital having my apendicts removed.
As a schoolboy in the rather remote town of Barrow-in-Furness I never got to see Gerry and Baby Bertha live at a racetrack but between Grandstand and articles in CCC I often dreamed of them and they are probably part of the reason that so much of my income has been invested over the years in noisy sideways machinery such as my Cobra replica.
I followed the exploits of Gerry and DTV over the years in the vauxhall Viva, Magnum, Firenza and of course Bertha. I don't think one could convey the excitement of this type of racing to todays saloon and touring car fans.
I remember travelling from Kent to Thruxton with my brother in my road going Vauxhall which had a stage 2 Blydenstein conversion done at the Shepreth works by Gerry Johnson the team race wrench. To watch Gerry Marshall take part in a televised (Grandstand)race meeting. It rained very hard the whole weekend and was really cold.
Gerry arrived at the circuit late, missing practice as their van and trailer had stopped on the route from the Shepreth works to provide witness statements to a fatal RTA.
Gerry was made to start on the back row of the grid. ( championship points were at stake )
At the drop of the flag, Gerry's headlights blazed on and he set about the cars between him and the podium on a track running with water and blinded by plumes of spray. I forget which corner we stood on watching, but I do remember rain water was running out or our backsides the whole day . We got soaked, Gerry finished 2nd after what can only be described as a Purple Patch Drive. Apparently Murry Walkers commentry on the box was nearly unintelligable !! ( no change there, some would say )
I wrote to Bill Blydenstein at the Shepreth works to say I thought it was Gerry,s finest race.( well thats as well the as Crystal Palace one, which is on Youtube) I still have the letter reply to this day, Bill agreed and said at some stages he had to look away from the TV as Gerry took a thin layer of paint off most the cars he passed ( going sideways in the wet ) VERY SADLY MISSED.
Often asked why do'nt you stay at home in the dry and watch it on the box? " youll see all of it" ?
Nah ! you just have to be there , Phenumonia and all.. That's what motor race fans do !!
I remember travelling from Kent to Thruxton with my brother in my road going Vauxhall which had a stage 2 Blydenstein conversion done at the Shepreth works by Gerry Johnson the team race wrench. To watch Gerry Marshall take part in a televised (Grandstand)race meeting. It rained very hard the whole weekend and was really cold.
Gerry arrived at the circuit late, missing practice as their van and trailer had stopped on the route from the Shepreth works to provide witness statements to a fatal RTA.
Gerry was made to start on the back row of the grid. ( championship points were at stake )
At the drop of the flag, Gerry's headlights blazed on and he set about the cars between him and the podium on a track running with water and blinded by plumes of spray. I forget which corner we stood on watching, but I do remember rain water was running out or our backsides the whole day . We got soaked, Gerry finished 2nd after what can only be described as a Purple Patch Drive. Apparently Murry Walkers commentry on the box was nearly unintelligable !! ( no change there, some would say )
I wrote to Bill Blydenstein at the Shepreth works to say I thought it was Gerry,s finest race.( well thats as well the as Crystal Palace one, which is on Youtube) I still have the letter reply to this day, Bill agreed and said at some stages he had to look away from the TV as Gerry took a thin layer of paint off most the cars he passed ( going sideways in the wet ) VERY SADLY MISSED.
Often asked why do'nt you stay at home in the dry and watch it on the box? " youll see all of it" ?
Nah ! you just have to be there , Phenumonia and all.. That's what motor race fans do !!
John_S4x4 said:
Baby Bertha - What a great car and a great article.
I have always had a soft spot for Baby Betha. Does anybody have any photo's of the other colours Baby Bertha ran and any photo's of Big Bertha ?
I was always quite facinated with the aerodynamics of Baby Bertha and reckon that alot of thought had gone into getting the airflow right, both over, through and under the car. Perhaps somebody more knowledgeble would like to comment about Baby Bertha's body design.
Was any of the suspension on Baby Bertha 'trick' (not normal) ? There seemed to be a lot of borrowing Formula 5000 components, back then.
In fact all of Berthas suspension was trick,it was all fabricated at Shepreth. Front end was by Rocker Type Coil overs. Rear was heavily 'linked' using C Os obviously.Very good article and great toknow that Joe will be racing it.During my 12odd years at Cambridge Motorsport,I was fortunate enough for Joe to entrust me with a little redesigning of the Cut out box above the Transmission tunnel and also making another panel for the rear of the engine bay [above the G box,interior] Apart from the many other tasks over the years we stored it for Joe,who has always been a perfect gentleman since i first met him back in the seventies.I have always had a soft spot for Baby Betha. Does anybody have any photo's of the other colours Baby Bertha ran and any photo's of Big Bertha ?
I was always quite facinated with the aerodynamics of Baby Bertha and reckon that alot of thought had gone into getting the airflow right, both over, through and under the car. Perhaps somebody more knowledgeble would like to comment about Baby Bertha's body design.
Was any of the suspension on Baby Bertha 'trick' (not normal) ? There seemed to be a lot of borrowing Formula 5000 components, back then.
Gregor Marshall said:
Yes it is:- http://www.haynes.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...
If you're after a copy of Only Here for the Beer then I have a few originals (1978).
Hi Gregor, do you remember the late John Burbidge (modsport champion in E Type) who was offered driving lessons by Gerry everytime we bumped into him, JB was a good mate and got the hump at the offer which amused Gerry even more. RIP x 2.If you're after a copy of Only Here for the Beer then I have a few originals (1978).
lodgy said:
so its definately the monday that bertha is racing? my girlfriend text me this morning to ask if we could go 
Real motorsport again !!, hope everyone goes, supports it and it can grow into a carnival series around uk tracks, well done who ever put this plan into reality.;)lodgy said:
andy97 said:
You can see these cars in acton (Baby Bertha, the DAF V8, the ex Mick Hill Chevy V8 VW Beetle, the "Stars & Stripes" Manta, Vince Woodman in his Capri, Peter Stevens ex John Clelkand Thundersaloon Carlton, Peter baldwin in a re-creation of his Shell Oils mini and various Special Saloons imps, minis, escorts & Skodas etc etc) on Auguust Bank Holiday Monday at Mallory Park, where the CSCC are putting on 3 Revival races for these iconic cars, amongst a full programmes of the clubs normal racing ("Swinging Sixties" etc etc). There are already 40 cars interested.
It is hoped that there will be a series of 4 or 5 races for these ex Special Saloons, Modsports, Thundesaloons, & Donington GTs etc next year.
so its definately the monday that bertha is racing? my girlfriend text me this morning to ask if we could go It is hoped that there will be a series of 4 or 5 races for these ex Special Saloons, Modsports, Thundesaloons, & Donington GTs etc next year.
I believe that "Octane" magazine will have a feature on Special Saloons in the issue due out on 23 July.
Edited by andy97 on Tuesday 19th July 12:12
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