46 replies to this topic

[Twin Window]

Nick Brittan, author of the hugely popular and controversial 'Private Ear' column in Autosport during the 1970s , had died in Australia.

DCN, a friend of Brittan since the early 1960s, is currently 'down under' and has just been informed of this sad news.

[Hieronymus]

Sad news. I always associated Nick with my big hero Patrick Depailler.

[ian senior]

Awful news indeed. I always enjoyed his writing and irreverant outlook on a po-faced world.

[Alan Cox]

Very sorry to hear this news.

I enjoyed his "Private Ear" column very much as a young enthusiast, as well as following his exploits on and off the track. The motor sport world has a lot to thank Nick for, I feel.

Looking through my old Racing Car Show catalogues for another thread, I was reminded that he was the inaugural British Formula Vee champion in 1967, as his Beach was displayed at the 1968 show, but probably he will be best remembered for his exploits in the "Green Bean" Anglia.

[David McKinney]

I, too, loved Private Ear. The names of the likes of Alex Solenoid and Everseenme Fittaballjoint remain with me to this day
ISTR he was more than just a Vee driver - didn't he virtually introduce the class to UK racing?

[Terry Walker]

Was it Nick Brittan who raced an Anglia called the Green Bean?

[Alan Cox]

Yes, David, the blurb in the show catalogue states that Nick first sat in a Vee at the '67 Monaco support race, and wrote it off by somersaulting at the chicane on his first lap.

The formula began in Britain in July 1967 ( mid-way through the season does seem a strange kick-off date!) and Nick finished second in the first race, in a Dolling(?). He later ran the works Beach winning seven of the eleven rounds, won the Ingliston championship and also won in Belgium and at the 'Ring.

[David M. Kane]

He had tested Shairon Elfin Malalla in the day. She is very sad. Our thoughts are with Nick today.

[Stefan Schmidt]

Very sad! I was in touch with Nick Brittan since 2001. He knew Patrick Depailler very well and keep an eye on his financial matters in mid 70ies.

R.I.P. Nick

Manager of F1 racer Patrick Depailler, who died 1st Aug 1980

On 1/2 November 1978 Depailler competed in his last races for the year. It was the Texaco Rallysprint event that was organized by Nick Brittan. An event that saw the drivers competing in a circuit race as well as rally stages, at the Donington circuit in England. Patrick was one of five Grand Prix drivers that competed - the others were John Watson, Jody Scheckter, Patrick Tambay and Alan Jones. There were also five Rally drivers namely, Andy Dawson, Russell Brookes, Brian Nelson, Bjorn Waldegard and Ari Vatanen.
In the circuit challenge the drivers competed in similar Ford Fiestas, which Nick Brittan provided. As expected this race saw door handle racing and most of the cars were badly battered after the race. Depailler finished in sixth place in this exciting race. The following day the drivers were timed over a pre-selected rally course. Patrick was driving a Lancia Stratos and found it quite enjoyable, but difficult to drive. In his first run he set 6th fastest time and he went one place better on his second run. He finished fifth overall in the competition. The winner was Dawson followed by Brookes, Watson and Scheckter.

[Arturo Pereira]

Sad news indeed. RIP Nick

[bradbury west]

IIRC he was instrumental in the organisation of some very long distance rallies. A man of many talents. Green Bean was my era. Sad loss. RIP

Roger Lund.

[RTH]

That is sad news , I spoke to him at scrutineering for the Pirelli Classic Marathon in 1990 he was in a Porsche 356 and told him how much many of us valued 'Private Ear' and asked him to bring it back. He said the publishers are far too timid these days to run anything that was critical of anyone even if it was all in good fun, and that was 16 years ago !!

Motor sport desperately needs characters these days not afraid to speak out. He will be missed.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by Twin Window
Nick Brittan, author of the hugely popular and controversial 'Private Ear' column in Autosport during the 1970s , had died in Australia.

DCN, a friend of Brittan since the early 1960s, is currently 'down under' and has just been informed of this sad news.

Very sad to read this news, I grew up watching Nick in Green Bean and admiring his organisational skills on the overland rallies. A great loss indeed.

[Vicuna]

Very sad - particularly the circumstances surrounding.

I first read about Green Bean in one of those annuals - the 1966 one as I recall.

[David M. Kane]

Vicuna, please elaborate, what exactly happened to Nick?

[Bonde]

Sad news indeed - how old was he?

IIRC, Nick Brittan was also instrumental in spreading Formula Ford to continental Europe and Scandinavia. He also had, IIRC, or at least demonstrated, a road-worthy Lotus 51 Formula Ford, complete with bicycle wings, lighta and indicators. I believe that car is still around, somewhere...

BTW:The British debut of Formula Vee was actually two weeks prior to that of Formula Ford - so both took off in high summer (whatever that means in the UK )

[David Beard]

I remember when karting first appeared in Britain in the very early sixties, there was briefly a small magazine on the subject called "Karting News and Record". I bought a few copies and wish I still had them. I believe Nick Brittan was the editor. I next heard of him with the Green Bean...it was painted like a British team karting helmet.

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by David M. Kane

Vicuna, please elaborate, what exactly happened to Nick?

I think we'll leave that until such time as matters have become public via official channels.

[rdmotorsport]

he will be sadly missed

[Alan Cox]

A precis of some of his motor sporting acheivements is on this site:

http://www.imps4ever...es/brittan.html

[ace woodington]

Nick will be remembered fondly by all enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Who else could come up with the answer to "What did MARCH stand for"

The Much Advertised Racing Car Hoax

[Michael Clark]

I've spoken to Eoin Young this morning - he and Nick were very close. One was best man at the others wedding but I can't remember the order.

He's understandably upset but pleased they caught up earlier this yr when Eoin was in Australia for the Brabham 80th birthday bash.

I agree with TW - official channels etc

[GreenMachine]

Very sad day.

My first recollection of hearing his name was the Grean Bean era, read about in weeks old Autosports, the best I could do in those days - airpost costs were well beyond my resources. The image that lingers is the one of Green Bean, on its nose, a metre or so off the ground, halfway through destroying itself - Brands? Presumably Nick survived relatively unscathed, I have no memory of his injuries.

Wasn't he also involved in some of the long distance rallies (London-Sydney type) of a decade or so ago?

[Vicuna]

Originally posted by Twin Window
I think we'll leave that until such time as matters have become public via official channels.

absolutely

[Alan Cox]

We must also thank him for the winter Rallysprint concept, featuring off-duty GP drivers of the time, that enlivened some winter afternoons' TV viewing. All in all, quite an innovator.

[thomaskomm]

Sad News! R.I.P. Nick!
I know him only on his Formula Vee 67 and 68 seasons. He was very fast and as the 67 Monaco GP with a prerace for Formula Vee Europe with all the European Stardriver (all the Austrians!)
he become his first Beach. Unfortunately he had an accident. I read nothing about this race, all i know that my hometown racedriver Helmut Kelleners drove in that GP Monaco Fvee Preerace too!

Thomas

[Stefan Schmidt]

I just have had a look at all my mails form Nick which was touching me. I have found one comment regarding his work with Patrick Depailler I can share with you:

Patrick was one of the grand prix drivers that I managed back in the 70s. A lovely guy, I have good memories of him including trying to teach him to play cricket. He was a better driver than he was a cricket player!

I will keep this and all the other memories of Nick regarding Patrick in my small archiv.

[ErleMin]

thomaskomm, Nick wrote an excellent article about his, albeit brief appearance in the Monaco Vee event in a magazine called "Car". I can send you a transcription if you like.

[Ruairidh]

Originally posted by Twin Window
I think we'll leave that until such time as matters have become public via official channels.

I've just seen this thread and am very sorry to hear of Nick's death. As a grubby schoolboy I used to love Private Ear.

[Dave Ware]

Some of the racing books that sustained me here in the U.S. during the early seventies were two books Mr. Brittan edited, "Motor Racing the International Way" volumes I and II. I still read articles from these books now and then.


Dave

[Huw Jadvantich]

TW and Vicuna referred to the circumstances surrounding this sad event, and reffered to 'official' sources concluding the causes. Has this happened yet?

[canon1753]

http://www.twerally..../nick_obit.html

This is an obit I googled.

[Terry Walker]

Has anything more been heard?

Auction of some of the late Nicholas Brittan's estate.

http://www.bonhamsan...901&auction=185

[Ray Bell]

There's a little here about some of the travails of a brief time in the man's life...

Interesting reading.

[Pat Clarke]

Any news?

Pat

[Graham Gauld]

News ? Nick took his own life. How can we tell what he was thinking when he did this ? As far as I am aware nothing since has appeared to answer this question.

[Terry Walker]

Thank you, Graham. I had wondered for ages what had happened, but there is a sort of taboo about mentioning suicide. A sad loss, but he undoubtedly had his own compelling reasons.

[Lola5000]

Originally posted by Terry Walker
Thank you, Graham. I had wondered for ages what had happened, but there is a sort of taboo about mentioning suicide. A sad loss, but he undoubtedly had his own compelling reasons.

good to see it was never trawled through the media.

[JacnGille]

[MickyD]

Originally posted by David McKinney
I, too, loved Private Ear. The names of the likes of Alex Solenoid and Everseenme Fittaballjoint remain with me to this day
ISTR he was more than just a Vee driver - didn't he virtually introduce the class to UK racing?

And there was John Whatswrong, Patrick De-pile-up, Bernie Ecclescake...any more? Those Private Ear columns were hilarious!

[David M. Kane]

I did a paper on Suicide at school. You have to be very tough and very brave to do yourself in. Whereas most
of us express our frustration, anger and aggression outward towards those we perceived have wronged us.
The Suicide victim somehow turns that aggression towards themselves as if what has happen to them in their lives is their fault, correctly or incorrectedly. Other times people have big time health problems they are trying escape from.

I personally though the guy was a brilliant sportsman and a great writing contributor. It is a loss for all of us;
and I'm particularly sad for his good friend Eoin.

I hope I haven't appeared insensitive.

[mgtd]

Wasn't it EVERSO BIGGIBALLIES!?

Brings back happy memories of Autosport in its heyday,and Nick Brittan's genius too.

Stephen

[Tim Murray]

Originally posted by MickyD
And there was John Whatswrong, Patrick De-pile-up, Bernie Ecclescake...any more? Those Private Ear columns were hilarious!

I think it was Burnt Ecclescake, wasn't it? I also recall Divine Garlicky and Vittorio Bam!-billa.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by mgtd
Wasn't it EVERSO BIGGIBALLIES!?

Brings back happy memories of Autosport in its heyday,and Nick Brittan's genius too.

Stephen

That was my recollection, Everso!

[proviz]

I have one lasting memory of Nick Brittan, and it is certainly not meant to sound disrespectful.
Nick was of course a permanent figure of the Lombard RAC Rally press room, where he usually sat with his colleagues in the front of the room behind a long desk. There were daily updates of the rally each day on BBC and they were broadcast live from the press room, with front man William Woollard often sitting on that desk, or with the scoreboard as a backdrop anyway.
On one occasion Woollard was just doing his bit when the side door opened and a hotel waiter with a tray of drinks appeared announcing: “Gin & tonic for Mr. Brittan!” Unfortunately Nick was at the far end of that desk. He tried to duck behind it when reaching forward , but I remember he could clearly be seen in the background seizing the tray… Not sure if the waiter’s voice came through on TV though.

[NickBrittansKiddiesClub]

Not sure why I Googled Nick, but I did, today, October 27 2009. Nick and I were friends a long time ago when the National British Karting Club was formed (popularly know as Nick Brittan's Kiddies Club). A mad Italian was team captain, Ferrari was his name, we were not very good but we raced in France against the National French Team who insisted we drink a pear based plonk while they went to bed at eight. Being British, we didn't. Anisette will KILL you...... In the mid sixties I was a Marshall in Tehran, Iran, for one of the London to Sydney Marathons. Apart from a 4 1/2 litre Bentley in BRG, adorned with a 'We Approve of' sponsor list, who should arrive but Nick in a rally Ford Escort, at least I think it was an escort, it might have been a Ford Cortina. Doesn't really matter 'cos a pre dawn departure caught Nick out in the Alborz mountains, on the way to Afganistan, and the road was in constant shadow so the ice didn't melt. Nick pranged the car, welding it to the hillside, and was back in Tehran in time for tea.

After that we lost touch. RIP, driver. Life for the rest of us continues and I too, have never lost my love and appreciation of going fast on anything with wheels, or wings.

Rob

[Graham Clayton]

Yes, David, the blurb in the show catalogue states that Nick first sat in a Vee at the '67 Monaco support race, and wrote it off by somersaulting at the chicane on his first lap.

Here is a photo of Nick in the middle of his somersault:



Source: http://thechicaneblo...ula-vee-action/