I already considered it. But I'm not so sure she would consider dating me.
Anyway, just for excerise I'm doing some training with a namesake of hers...

Bernie to allow his cars to be seen:
http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2009/04/22/...ion-in-bahrain/

Larger article:
http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/4/9221.html

I hope someone who is there and appreciates them will take lots of nice piccies for us less fortunate souls.............heaven knows when/if they might be seen again.

Paul M

Just watched the Bahrain GP pre-qualifying show on BBC, and they featured a display of Bernie's collection, all shipped over specially for the Grand Prix.

A fine collection, no doubt with a Mercedes W125 and a 1937 Type C Auto Union among the highlights. Has the collection been shown in public before, does anyone know?

A collection like that should be in a museum for people to see.

Not on that scale, although various cars have run up the hill or been static exhibits at Goodwood over the years.

http://forums.autosport.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=69573

Cue TW ....

Interesting to see those cars again, and out in the real world, not a hanger at an old airfield, been a long time since I wiped the dust of them!

I wonder who selected the cars that went?

During Mr Brundle's feature, I noticed the cars "keeper" Mr Dean standing between Mr E and the crown prince, looking very much like married life is suiting him, to the point that as the only man to have driven the BT46B since it was restored, he doesn't look like he'll fit anymore, maybe time to give him a ring!!! I have never found if the BT46B actually runs with the fan running. The drive belts are pretty standard, but the fans had a habit of, er, coming to pieces........................

Great news Bernie's car are on display in Bahrain. Now has anyone obtained the full list of the 24 racing cars on display?

Cheers

Robert Dean perhaps? The man in charge of Bernie's collection and spotted a couple of years ago taking Bernie's W125 for a run around Brands.

Who's the "crown prince"? Surely, with the Gnome reaching the centenary next month or so, we are to be told!

That is, lest all hope is shattered and you actually mean Mr. S&M...

I'd refer to MM as a lot of things, but NOT the crown prince!

Maybe Robert did have some input into the selection. He rather enjoyed the W125 at brands, and the BT46B at Goodwood. What puzzled me, is that I thought I saw a later Lancia/Ferrari (with the faired in panniers). Does that mean BCE's D50 replica has been rebuilt, or has he had another one built?

Robert Dean, son of the Dean of Pearl and Dean, as seen at many cinemas during the interval (seriously!).

This is the Lancia Ferrari which appeared at Stoneleigh in 2004

Bahrain cars can be seen on this blog..

That answers my question!

I suspect he running up in interest in the cars prior to selling. That divorce had to hurt his cash flow.

Well said

Personally, I hope it cripples him. It was not long ago that motor racing was banned in the Middle East; now we have it running down the Corniche in Abu Dhabi, and out in the wastelands of Manama in Bahrain, and also playing out to empty grandstands in the Far East and elsewhere, and this year's British GP is likely to be our last on these shores in his lifetime.
He's ruined the history & culture of the sport for me; I'm just thankful that he's going out rather than coming in.....

Many thanks RDV. Which Thinwall special is in the collection?

The Vanwall in the collection in Bahrain is a 1958 version and not 1956, if the chassis number is VW10.

When I was with BCE, the only three cars that hadn't been restored, e'g, looked nice and original, were VW10, the Pace BT44 and the Hunt McLaren M23 8/2. I'm surprised the Connaught didn't go!

According to the Sunday Times' Rich List, BCE has been hit very hard by the current financial crisis, which has made a big hole in his fortune. But I would still hardly classify him as hard up...

Edward

Would be great see them on display (The Merc and Auto Union do look a bit too shiny though!!) or if they are sold to others to use/display (I'm still surprised that the Wheatcrofts have sold so many cars un-noticed this year; maybe now is the time for F1 cars to change hends).

Edited to add - Did Simon get any pics of BCE's cars? Fingers crossed he did & posts them on his thread.

Certainly un-noticed by me Gregor - do you know which ones?

Peter

I'm not surprised the Auto Union is nice and shiny; if I'm not mistaken it's a new car, recently built by Crosthwaite & Gardiner. I don't know the history of the W125.

Cynic

12 cars are on loand for a show in Oz and 7 have been sold in the last few months - I was only told about a couple (the Porsche F1 car being the only one that comes to mind as that was a rare car) but it was whilst I was worrying about a puncture Old Nail has got and I have to apologise for not paying more attention - it really was a flying visit!!

The cars I noticed to being missing where all in the first big hall - down the middle there used to be cars 2/3 abreast but now they are only one car abreast if that makes sense??

I have just posted this http://forums.autosport.com/showthread.php...threadid=108176 - maybe that will add something.

After all this time the penny has dropped. I KNOW what he is going to do with the collection. Did you see the red jacket? He is going to "Try Harder" and rent them to us on a time and mileage basis and make another billion on CDW.

thanks Gregor.

Peter

(ps is there a joke in the 'puncture' ... 'old nail' story........)

Bahrain cars from the Collection were as follows:

Mercedes-Benz W125 (R-ish)
Auto Union V16/37 ®
Talbot-Lago T26C
Maserati 4CLT
Ferrari 375
BRM V16 Mark II
Maserati 250F (2514)
'Thin Wall Special' Ferrari (125-C-02 with 1.5 s/c engine)
Connaught 'B1' (R-ish)
Ferrari 555 Super Squalo
Lancia D50 ®
Lancia-Ferrari D50A ®
Vanwall 'VW10'
Ferrari Dino 246/60 (0003)
Ferrari 1512 (0007)
Ferrari 312 (0010)
Brabham-Cosbodge BT44B
Ferrari 312T2 (029)
McLaren M23/8-2
Brabham-Alfa Romeo BT46B Fan Car
Brabham-Cosworth BT49
Brabham-BMW BT50
Brabham-BMW BT52
Brabham-BMW BT56

I understand that Robert Dean and Nick Mason were to demonstrate the Ferrari 375 and BRM V16 between Bahrain's GP2 race and the Grand Prix, only for GP2 to over-run its programme slot. Consequently, Clerk of the Course Charlie Whiting stood them down, cancelling their demo to keep the GP on time. So they took their cars back to their display site, un-run. The V16 had apparently done a night-time shakedown lap of the course, however, behind the course car (and its headlights). The BRM's violet-blue exhaust flame provided extra lighting effects...as a driving sensation, how good must that have been?

DCN

So the Crown Prince didn't get his promised drive then?

No joke - if you know of anyone with a 13 inch Avon or Goodyear slick let me know!! Saying that I don't know the rest of the size but will find out but I think Old Nail was the first saloon to have F1 slicks (someone now prove me wrong??!!).

It did make me laugh when the puncture was pointed out and I was asked if I had a spare - surely in a collection of 200ish F1 cars they have loads of F1 slicks/spares!!

Probably tomorrow I would imagine - in peace, private and in extenso... Without such occasional perks, what would be the point of being the Crown Prince...?

DCN

Well, he was never quite as slim as Niki was he? Having chatted to him at Goodwood some years ago, I have to say that even then his overalls were a bit snug: certainly not worn GV-style!

Presumably not. But, like Mr Dean, I think he'd have had a bit of difficulty fitting into anything later than the D50!

Aw c'mon....Robert's not that beefy.

DCN

The Wheatcroft's are not as sentimental as you might think...or wish. Still I'd love to know what has moved on.

I have to disagree; if they had been in a museum most would not be capable of being run. Racing Cars are better off being owned by individuals so long as these individuals are willing to race them or have them raced.

Racing cars belong on racing tracks and not consigned to a lingering death in a museum!

I'm sure Robert wouldn't thank me! Although he did say once that "if I loose a bit the Midget should go faster", just nice to see him out of Biggin, and at least offered the chance to run the cars, it never used to happen very often! BCE tends to keep him, and the cars, locked away.........

So, I take it the "crown prince" is a Bahrain dignitary, not successor to BE... ?

Well, go on then, and ignore my stupid questions.

On the other hand, wouldn't it be interesting to know [b]if[/i] Bernie has a "crown prince", hoping to step into his shoes as "Formula One Boss". Some shoes to fill, eh? Like the man said, leaders like him are in short supply...

Fines, I thought I did answer, right after your post! But it actually was the Crown Prince, who was down to "have a go" one of the "small ones" cars.

SHORT supply, very good!

Sorry Michael : The Crown Prince of Bahrain made F1 happen in Bahrain...and committed for another 10 years.

As an aside OT - I believe you're a German speaker - yes? Try this
http://blog-do-ico.blogspot.com/search/lab...astian%20Vettel
Scroll down to the You Tube clip TV Blogo Glock reporter. Some kind of humour going on from Hockenheim 08.
I think it is funny, but don't get it all

Thanks for the link! Yessss, funny... kind of! It just goes to show why racing drivers are not TV journalists!

Oh, and can someone help me with the quiz at the end of the trailer? You can win a car from German TV, if you know who won the 1977 Großer Preis von Deutschland: Niki Lauda or Timo Glock!

That would be a premium phone line quiz, I guess

Thanks Doug for the information.



Tony Vandervell had four Thin Wall Specials..Thin Wall Number 1 was driven by Raymond Mays and Ken Richardson in the 1949 British Grand Prix at Silverstone but was returned to Ferrari by rail at the end of 1949 but by March 1950 it was still in a Custom's shed in Modena awaiting clearance. A secound Ferrari Tipo 125 with a two stage supercharger and four ohc was sent over for Alberto Ascari to drive at 1950 International Trophy meeting at Silverstone. This was claimed to be chassis number 125-C-02 where as it might be 125-C-014. In Tom Wheatcroft's autobiography he states that the first Thin Wall Special was sold to Bernie Ecclestone in need of restoration. I presume that the one in Bahrain is the secound. Thin Wall Special.with quote `chassis number 125-C-02'. I am well aware of the mystery of early Ferrari chassis numbers and so far it remains a mystery...

There's a name. Ken Richardson, I met him in the twilight of his commercial career when he was, for a short time, Service Director of Charles Garages in Liverpool, what a poor reward for all his years in motor sport. But, how good was he really, how did he get started and where?

Some more shots of Bernies' collection...
...for original you must now scroll down...

I thought this was the car that Colin Crabbe found and raced. If so I didn't realise there was anything R-ish about it.

Robert is a sterling Chap.. and very helpful . I know his dedication to the collection and know it is in his very safe hands ... he is quite handy on a Moto Guzzi too