30 replies to this topic

[Marcor]

Ok it's difficult to dissociate Colin Chapman from Lotus but what do you think of the driver ?

It is often said that he was a good or even excellent sports car driver. He gained a sum of victories in England in the first part of the 50's with his Lotuses.

His F1 efforts are not really worth recording. Colin had his only race in an F1 car in the 1954 International Trophy at Silverstone. The car was an Emeryson fitted with an Aston Martin Engine. He was last on the grid of his heat, over a minute off the pace and 39 seconds slower than the HAR, the second last. Chapman finished his heat, as last classified runner in 12th place and finished 17th and unclassified in the final.

As a F1 driver, he could made better in 1956 when Vanwall made a surprise third entry of Colin for the ACF GP at Rheims. Alas Chapman had to withdraw after a practice incident. During the second session he had found a rear brake lock, the pad welding itself to the disc, and he had hit the rear of Hawthorn's sister car. It was a great shame since he had joined the select band of six drivers over 200 km/h (he had the 5th best lap in practice and a place in the second line of the grid).

In 1956, some F2 races were organised in England following the new 1500 cc F2 regulations and Colin Chapman and his Lotus 11 Climax were the only opponents of the new Cooper T43 Climax driven by Roy Salvadori, Jack Brabham or Tony Brooks.

After he stopped competition to concentrate on the Team Lotus so he never drove his own F1 Lotus (in a race).

Can you add more about his driving career, especially in sportscar as all was said about his short F1 career.

[Bernd]

Jim Clark described him as a First Class driver that just happened to enjoy making cars more than racing them.

[Wolf]

Then he could've done as Black Jack did... Any idea why he didn't?

[Bernd]

Colin had far to many responsibilities running Team Lotus to drive himself even if he had cared too which he didn't. Once he had secured Jimmy to drive he buckled down to provide Clark with the ultimate race cars he could.

Brabham was talented enginereering wise but he was no designer. Ron Tauranac designed the Brabhams in those days hence the T in the BT designation. Jack was excellent at extracting the most from a chassis setup wise etc.

[Mike Argetsinger]

Yes. I think Bernd draws the difference very accurately. (By the way - why is Ron Tauranac never mentioned or given credit anymore when people remember the exploits of Brabham race cars? - certainly at the time he was very visible and recognized as a formidable designer/engineer.)

A more appropriate comparison can be drawn between Chapman and Rudolph Uhlenhaut. Uhlenhaut frequently tested the cars and was said to be just about as fast as any of the works Mercedes drivers.

As for Chapman, there is no question that he was a first rate driver. You need only look at the results of British races in the 50's to see that he was a top driver.

[Bernd]

Mike I think it is because Ron is so shy & retiring and never ever sort the limelight quite the opposite of Chapman.

Have you read his Biography 'Brabham, Ralt + Honda' What a life he lead.

[fines]

BTW, Chapman didn't record that practice lap at Reims, it was Mike Hawthorn driving his car. Somehow the officials failed to notice that!

[Bernd]

I'd say they turned a blind eye Michael. I find it very hard to believe they could pull that off at a GP, a kart race maybe but not a GP. But! stranger things have happened.

[f li]

I've read that Chapman was noted for being hard on his airplane's engine. Perhaps this lack of empathy did apply to cars he was drove but the mechanic noted that Chapman delighted in starting the engine and rolling off without the manufacturer's recommand warmup. Resulting in plenty of extra work for the mechanic, of course!

[Gil Bouffard]

For Mike Argetsinger,

I agree with your Uhlenhaut analogy. I also think that Chapman could be compared with Adrian Reynard. Adrian raced to sell his cars. Colin Chapman did the same. You'll notice that no one has seen Adrian in either his F-1 designs or Indy (sorry) Champ Cars..

Gil Bouffard

[Roger Clark]

Originally posted by fines
BTW, Chapman didn't record that practice lap at Reims, it was Mike Hawthorn driving his car. Somehow the officials failed to notice that!

Both Motor Sport and Paul Sheldon say it was Harry Schell

[sterling49]

Interesting reading here, I saw Colin race in a couple of Fordsport days, he was pretty good considering he had been running Team Lotus for, and away from driving, for maybe 8/9 years. Frank Williams was no slouch either

[Jones Foyer]

Originally posted by Mike Argetsinger
(By the way - why is Ron Tauranac never mentioned or given credit anymore when people remember the exploits of Brabham race cars? - certainly at the time he was very visible and recognized as a formidable designer/engineer.)

Maybe and exception, Christopher Hilton's book on the history of Honda F1 does a great job documenting his contributions to the Brabham F2 and other programs.

[Ted Walker]

I have photos of him in a Lotus Cortina T car at various circuits

[llmaurice]

In sports cars in the '50s he was as good and better than most !

[RTH]

Judge for yourself this was Chapman in an Escort Mexico in the 'Team Managers' race at Brands in Oct 1971

http://uk.youtube.co...h?v=SKjLwkzL5rM

Apparently Chapman was so keen to do well he hired a Mexico locally and spent most of the preceding week practicing at the Hethel track.

[kayemod]

Originally posted by RTH
Judge for yourself this was Chapman in an Escort Mexico in the 'Team Managers' race at Brands in Oct 1971

http://uk.youtube.co...h?v=SKjLwkzL5rM

Apparently Chapman was so keen to do well he hired a Mexico locally and spent most of the preceding week practicing at the Hethel track.

Absolutely true, Chapman spent hour after hour going round and round that Hethel track. He tried to borrow the Mexico Chief Stylist Oliver Winterbottom had just wangled as a company car, but Ollie wouldn't let him, his desk in the main office was right next to mine, and I overheard some of the conversations, I thought Ollie was pretty brave to take a stand like that, I think he left the car at home and got a lift to work for a few days to keep it out of the way. Chapman was notoriously hard on road cars, and he had a lot of accidents on local roads. I was quite friendly with the head guy in security back then, and he told me that they'd had to dash off several times with Land Rover and trailer to try to retrieve a damaged Elan +2 before the Norfolk Constabulary arrived on the scene. I was only in a car with him a couple of times, and what impressed me most apart from the speed, which I thought rather reckless on public roads, but the speed of his gear changes. I bet there wasn't much synchromesh left after he'd been driving a car for a while.

[Glengavel]

Love the commentary in the Manager's Race:

"Jack must be using his mirror more than looking out of the windscreen, mustn't he Graham?"
"Highly unlikely, I've never known him to use his mirror at all".

[sterling49]

Originally posted by Ted Walker
I have photos of him in a Lotus Cortina T car at various circuits

Any chance of posting them Ted, I would love to see them! I saw Colin drive in the Fordsport races, he was pretty effective!

[David McKinney]

I'm sure Ted would be happy to sell you prints, Sterling

[sterling49]

Are you his sales agent David? Sort of, on commission maybe

[David McKinney]

I wish ;)
I was really just making the point that it's one thing to ask amateur enthusiasts to post pictures, but another to expect someone whose business is selling old racing photographs to do the same thing. I wasn't sure that you realised who he was

[sterling49]

Originally posted by David McKinney
I wish ;)
I was really just making the point that it's one thing to ask amateur enthusiasts to post pictures, but another to expect someone whose business is selling old racing photographs to do the same thing. I wasn't sure that you realised who he was

I have no idea who Ted is David, never had the pleasure yet, though I am sure I will in the future, given that I attend some mutually interesting events. Even if Ted does commercially supply his product, I am sure photos could be posted with copyright symbols, as does Norman Hayes, with his excellent pictures. Given the chance to view, I might even buy, but there is no Chapman photo on his site, unless (quite likely) I have not looked properly.

[68targa]

As far as I am aware, ACBC only drove in three races in cars not of his own manufacture.

 

1954 Intrrnational Trophy - when he drove the Emeryson Aston Martin

1960 Touring car support race to the British GP in a Jaguar entered by John Coombs (which he won)

1971 Brands Hatch Ford Escort celebrity race.

(He practiced but did not race a Vanwall at Reims in 1956 and in 1957 he also did some testing for BRM.)

 

Are there any others?

 

I am also curious as to his motivation to drive the Emeryson which was clearly outclassed  . Was he just helping out a fellow racer/designer who maybe couldn't race that day or was he just keen to have a go in an F1 car (of sorts) ?

[d j fox]

I saw the 1960 Saloon car race at the British GP. In 1960 that the FIA had just introduced the ban on F1 drivers competing in other events within a 24 hour period of a GP, so unlike the previous International Trophy saloon car race (which saw Moss, Salvadori and Graham Hill) no F1 drivers could take part.

I remember it as a battle royal between Chapman in the grey Coombs car (“BUY1”?) and Jack Sears in Tommy Sopwiths’ blue Equipe Endeavour “JAG 400”, much passing and re-passing with Chapman winning by inches!. Sears was certainty no slouch in a 3.8 MkII Jag so Chapmans' one-off appearance must be seen as pretty good!

Edited by d j fox, 31 March 2023 - 19:09.

[Roger Clark]

Innes Ireland said “if the guv’nor has an accident I shall be out of work”. 

[Roger Clark]

Apparently it was Stirling Moss who recommended Chapman for the ‘56 Vanwall drive. He also suggested Von Trips but Tony Vandervell would not employ a German driver. Chapman tested a Vanwall at Goodwood in the week before the race.

Chapman’s continuing involvement with Vanwall is shown by a letter, reproduced in the new edition of Vanwall from Rose Brothers, suppliers of suspension joints. It notes a modification suggested by Chapman and says that a sample has been sent. The letter is dated 11th July; Reims was 1st July.

It is addressed to Vander Velle Products Ltd.

[Lotus11Register]

Absolutely true, Chapman spent hour after hour going round and round that Hethel track. He tried to borrow the Mexico Chief Stylist Oliver Winterbottom had just wangled as a company car, but Ollie wouldn't let him, his desk in the main office was right next to mine, and I overheard some of the conversations, I thought Ollie was pretty brave to take a stand like that, I think he left the car at home and got a lift to work for a few days to keep it out of the way. Chapman was notoriously hard on road cars, and he had a lot of accidents on local roads. I was quite friendly with the head guy in security back then, and he told me that they'd had to dash off several times with Land Rover and trailer to try to retrieve a damaged Elan +2 before the Norfolk Constabulary arrived on the scene. I was only in a car with him a couple of times, and what impressed me most apart from the speed, which I thought rather reckless on public roads, but the speed of his gear changes. I bet there wasn't much synchromesh left after he'd been driving a car for a while.

 

The response above was to the link first posted by RTH :   A classic that helps answer this question for those now seeing this old thread.  Watch closely for J. Stewart and F. Cevert giving pit signals to their driver, Ken Tyrrell.  (EDIT) -- Note also that one of the commentators is Mr. G. Hill. 

 

Wouldn't this kind of racing be better than the F1 sprint races being offered to us today?  

Edited by Lotus11Register, 02 April 2023 - 15:28.

[Charlieman]

Wouldn't this kind of racing be better than the F1 sprint races being offered to us today?  

Nope. I do not deserve to be inflicted with "podium interviews" from Pipsqueak Horner and the rest. 

[Nick Planas]

The response above was to the link first posted by RTH :   A classic that helps answer this question for those now seeing this old thread.  Watch closely for J. Stewart and F. Cevert giving pit signals to their driver, Ken Tyrrell.  (EDIT) -- Note also that one of the commentators is Mr. G. Hill. 

 

Wouldn't this kind of racing be better than the F1 sprint races being offered to us today?  

My favourite bit of commentary at 7m58:

Barrie Gill: ... but Jack [Brabham] must be using his mirror more than looking out of the windscreen, mustn't he Graham?

Graham Hill: (laconically) Highly unlikely - I've never known him to use his mirror at all...

 

Nowadays the headlines would scream: "Hill slams Brabham!" and there'd be a massive Q&A in the Press Conferences

Edited by Nick Planas, 02 April 2023 - 22:03.

[ensign14]

Just wondering if Chapman slowing was because he'd run out of fuel on the last corner there having removed a gallon to save weight.