30 replies to this topic

[f1steveuk]

Anyone want to have a go at suggesting where, when and what. I got the picture with nothing but a negative!

[Gary C]

Great picture! He's done well to get three cars into that space! Brooklands??

[David McKinney]

Straight's Maseratis were prepared by Thomson & Taylor at Brooklands so I would guess that's it

[GIGLEUX]

I prefer to think it is the White Mouse Stable garage of Chula and Bira, with two ERAs in the foreground and 3011
the Maserati 8 CM ex-Straight.

[Paul Parker]

Whenever I see pictures like this I am always fascinated by the capture on film of a moment in time and the detail therein.

Of course that's what it always is, but thank God photography was invented as two men work away on an otherwise unremarkable day over 70 years ago. Are those gas bottles in the background and I wonder whose two ERAs those are in the foreground. The r/h one seems to have a leather covered bonnet.

Note that the Maser's n/s mirror is apparently mounted lower than its counterpart.

Be sure to look after the negative (how lucky is that) and get an expert to hand develop it on the best quality paper available, if you haven't already that is. They might even be able to compensate for the extreme light/shadow contrast.

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by GIGLEUX
I prefer to think it is the White Mouse Stable garage of Chula and Bira, with two ERAs in the foreground and 3011
the Maserati 8 CM ex-Straight.

Yes, J-M
I should have looked more closely

[Stephen W]

Originally posted by Paul Parker
Note that the Maser's n/s mirror is apparently mounted lower than its counterpart.

I would have thought that was standard as the Maserati has an offset seat as you can see from the wind deflector.

There does seem to be a lot of room behind the Maserati so I wonder if the two ERAs actually have their noses outside the garage?

[EcosseF1]

Originally posted by Stephen W


I would have thought that was standard as the Maserati has an offset seat as you can see from the wind deflector.

There does seem to be a lot of room behind the Maserati so I wonder if the two ERAs actually have their noses outside the garage?

I've seen pictures of the White Mouse Garage in an old "Speed" magazine. It was a fair sized place and well equipped. They even had a crack testing machine in 1935!

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by Stephen W


I would have thought that was standard as the Maserati has an offset seat as you can see from the wind deflector.

No, Steve. 3011 is a central-seat monoposto, although I'd agree that the angle makes it look a bit like that.

Those mirrors were fitted for the 1938 season. In Straight's and Rose's ownership - and in Chula's up to the end of 1937 - the car had one faired-in mirror on the driver's left, slightly higher than the one in the picture. Reference to the pictures in Jenks' book shows that they first appeared on the car at Cork in 1938. Perhaps the 1938 GP regulations required twin mirrors?

Can we identify the spannermen? The chap crouched by the wheel could be Stan Holgate.

David: I can't believe you could have thought that was T&T! In comparison they had acres of space!

[john medley]

I think White Mouse, cars as already identified, Holgate on the right, with the bad haircut possibly but not definitely belonging to Jock Finlayson. I am doubtful about Finlayson because the bad haircut is usual but the headshape is not right, he doesnt have glasses, and Finlayson was almost certainly in or on his way to or from Australia at the time

[Vitesse2]

John - when you say "Holgate on the right" are you agreeing with me that he's the one crouched on what would be the driver's right of the car? The other one definitely isn't Finlayson - he's not tall enough to be Jock and too thin to be Stan!

[john medley]

Hi V2
I dont have access to any books at the moment, so I cant remind myself of Stanley Holgate's appearance except from memory, but I think the standing person is SH. The croucher is as we both agree is probably not Jock Finlayson

There are useful photos in DSJ's Straight Maserati book, and in Bira's and Chula's books, but not at the moment for me

[f1steveuk]

I'm going to have to post some more!

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by f1steveuk
I'm going to have to post some more!

Yes please!!

[Bjorn Kjer]

Very , very interesting ! Any with a bit af a transporter ?

[EcosseF1]

Does anyone know what's on the site of the White Mouse Garage now? The address was 113 Dalling Road in Hammersmith.

[Alan Cox]

It certainly looks like the White Mouse Garage if the pic in David Weguelin's ERA book, page 108, is anything to go by. The leather cover on the right-hand car, noted by Mr Parker, would be to protect the bodywork in the workshop, I suspect.

[Paul Parker]

Please Alan no more Mr. Parker, we do know each other after all.

You make me sound like an undertaker!

[Alan Cox]

I was simply trying to give you the respect which you deserve, Paul!

[Paul Parker]

Modesty prevents me from responding appropriately Alan!

[Terry Walker]

113 Dalling Road Hammersmith still looks like lockups to me.

[EcosseF1]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Terry Walker
[B]113 Dalling Road Hammersmith still looks like lockups to me.

So it does. Maybe someone local could take a picture?

[Alan Cox]

Another pic of the Maserati in the White Mouse Garage

http://www.bbc.co.uk...8/9_440x330.jpg

As an aside, an opportunity to post these other photos from the BBC website. I think they are all from the Getty Images library and were posted in connection with the October 1937 Crystal Palace meeting

http://www.bbc.co.uk...8/8_440x330.jpg
http://www.bbc.co.uk...8/7_440x330.jpg
http://www.bbc.co.uk...8/6_330x440.jpg
http://www.bbc.co.uk...8/5_440x330.jpg
http://www.bbc.co.uk...8/4_440x330.jpg
http://www.bbc.co.uk...8/3_440x330.jpg
http://www.bbc.co.uk...8/2_440x330.jpg
http://www.bbc.co.uk...8/1_440x330.jpg

[bradbury west]

Excellent link , Alan, many thanks
Roger Lund.

[David Birchall]

Great pics!
Who are the other people in the last photo? Chula is to the right but who is the guy who looks like Fred Astaire?
(Fred Astaire?)

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by David Birchall
Great pics!
Who are the other people in the last photo? Chula is to the right but who is the guy who looks like Fred Astaire?
(Fred Astaire?)

Not sure who the Fred Astaire lookalike is, but the (partly obscured) chap in glasses behind him is Shura Rahm and the one in the dark suit with the handkerchief in the top pocket is Lord Herbert (see "The Prince and I" p114 lower picture)

[David Birchall]

I was referring to the man standing between Bira and Chula with the big grin-he looks very familiar.

[ry6]

David you say that Straight's Maseratis were prepared by Thomson and Taylor.

Where did Ramponi and Billy Rockell come into the picture? I always thought that Ramponi looked after the Straight cars?

By the way how many 8CM Maseratis did Straight buy when he set up his team circa 1934. I have read of 3 but some sources indicate 4!

Were they all bought new from the factory? I know that Hugh Hamilton was killed in one.

Even if he did ONLY buy 3 it must have been one big investment!

Rob

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by ry6
By the way how many 8CM Maseratis did Straight buy when he set up his team circa 1934. I have read of 3 but some sources indicate 4!
Were they all bought new from the factory?

Just the three, all brand new from the factory
He also had an earlier 8C-2500 2-seater at the same time
...which makes a total of four

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by ry6


Even if he did ONLY buy 3 it must have been one big investment!

Rob

Pocket money for a member of the Whitney family, Rob!

http://forums.autosp...&threadid=51148

[David Birchall]

Originally posted by David Birchall
Great pics!
Who are the other people in the last photo? Chula is to the right but who is the guy who looks like Fred Astaire?
(Fred Astaire?)

Well, I knew I had seen that photo before and I found it in "ERA"a by David Weguelin. The man is Boris Latofsky!





The White Mouse Stables accountant....