Ever wondered what it was like to be a Grand Prix mechanic in the glory days of the 1950s?
A new book, BRM – A Mechanic's Tale by Richard Salmon, promises to show just what it was like from the inside. This is the BRM story as told by a man who was both a devoted fan and a loyal team member of British Racing Motors.
Salmon was involved in the repeated failures and humiliating times of the 1950s, then the gradual progress through winning minor races to the great achievement of Jo Bonnier winning the World Championship Grand Prix in Holland in 1959. he also experienced the ultimate honour in 1962, when, in East London, South Africa, Graham Hill drove a BRM to victory to win both the Driver's World Championship and the Constructor's Championship for the BRM team: thereby making a considerable contribution to British motor racing history.
The author
Richard Salmon was born in the small village of Irnham, where his parents kept the Post Office and village general store. Richard attended the village school and Grantham Boys Central School and served an apprenticeship in the local garage. He was conscripted into the Royal Engineers in 1944, serving in Southern Iraq and was then demobilised in 1947.
He took various jobs until a vacancy appeared at British Racing Motors for which he successfully applied and then worked in the racing team for 17 years. He was made redundant in 1967, took a job at Lotus cars but was made redundant again after three years. Richard was recruited to rebuild the BRM cars being sold by Christies at Earls Court in 1981. Subsequently he went into partnership restoring historic cars until his retirement.
Details
- BRM – A Mechanic's tale
- By Richard Salmon
- In collaboration with Anthony Carter, Foreword by Bette Hill.
- Published December 2006 UK / February 2007 USA
- ISBN 1-845840-82-8 / ISBN 13: 978-184584082-2 / UPC: 6-36847-04028-4
- £39.99 UK / $74.95 USA