British Racing Partnership's 1.5L Grand Prix cars

[CurtisJ]

Remember the movie "Grand Prix"? That classic 1966 movie featured the fabulous Formula One cars of the early sixties, when displacement was limited to just 1.5L but racing budgets and technology were advancing with lightning quickness. The cars were fantastic but still comprehensible by average fans. It was also an era of particularly charismatic drivers. (Possibly none more charismatic than Innes Ireland!)

If you loved that movie and want to better appreciate the technology of the 1.5L Grand Prix era, I've newly published an article about an especially interesting specimen: the "BRP-BRM". After only the Lotus 25, the BRP-BRM was the second Formula One car to feature aluminum monocoque construction. It was powered by a sexy dual overhead cam BRM V8 engine, whereas the Lotus team used Climax V8s.

You can read it for free on my website. Doing so won't cost you a penny and it won't make me a penny... unless you go crazy and toss some change in my tip jar. I'm pointing out the free nature of this because last time I posted here I got called a "pimp".

Here's the link: Kurt DelBene's 1964 B.R.P. (BRP-BRM) Grand Prix Race Car (81 photos!)

example photos...

 

[Roger]

Ahem..ahem. "Grand Prix" was set in the 3-litre Formula 1 era, not the 1.5 litre. That's why there are FJ cars mocked up to look like 16-cylinder BRMs.

Nice article, though. Shame about BRP, a real might-have-been. I remember them well.

 

[Michael Oritt]

I recall a euphemistic explanation for the BRM moniker:
"Brittle but Rapid Machine". They were indeed fast but did not have the best record for finishing races.

 

[PC]

I had a friend who was a race team wrench for Colin Chapman (and others) "back in the day."

He said it stood for <span style="font-weight: bold">B</span>ritain's <span style="font-weight: bold">R</span>uddy <span style="font-weight: bold">M</span>istake.