14 replies to this topic

[Pat Clarke]

Hi all,

I recall seeing a picture of a Cooper Maserati with a broken front wishbone from the German GP circa 1968.
This model Cooper had the brake inside the upright and the wishbone was kinked to clear the rotor. The wishbone had broken near the kink.

To solve a disagreement I would like to see whether the wishbone or the rose joint had broken, so if someone can point me to the picture I would appreciate it.

This is extremely important as a pint hangs on it!

Cheers

Pat

[Roger Clark]

I think you're referring to Redman's Cooper-BRM at the 1968 Belgian GP. The picture appeared in Autosport. It was the lower right wishbone.

[Giraffe]

Are you sure it's not Brian Redman's accident at Spa in 1968 that you are thinking of, Pat? If you PM me, I can e-mail you a pic of the aftermath of the accident.

Edited by Giraffe, 01 April 2011 - 10:27.

[Tim Murray]

Sutton Images has a series of photos of the aftermath. The famous photo in Autosport was taken by Peter Burn, but a quick google didn't show it up anywhere on the net.

Edit: found it

http://www.latphoto....u...ooper&pp=25

Edited by Tim Murray, 01 April 2011 - 10:46.

[Pat Clarke]

Wow!

Less than 30 minutes and TNF comes up trumps again!
I never cease to be amazed.

Yess, trudging through the muddy memory cells, we are talking about Brian Redmans crash.

Again, thanks all

Pat

[Mistron]

Is this the photo which was used to confirm that the crash was due to mechanical failure, as the team had put it down to 'driver error' until Redman saw the photo and was able to show the team what had actually happened?

[Tim Murray]

Yes indeed. As DCN says in Cooper Cars:

The cause of the accident was only established when Autosport photographer Peter Burn saw his colour films, and found he had captured the wishbone in the act of breaking, just before the first impact.

[Mozart]

Hi Pat, I see that alert members have correctly identified my accident at the Belgian GP, Spa inj 1968!

I was one of about only half the drivers in the race wearing seat-belts. If I hadn't been wearing them, I doubt if I'd be writing this note today!

Yes indeed, Peter Burn, the photographer, was on his first pro assignment for Autosport!

When I tried to brake for "Les Coombes" nothing much happened, I tried to spin the car and have the accident going backwards, but the steering locked. It was an enormous accident. As the car rolled over the barrier (one of the few on the track!) my right arm was thrown out and trapped between the car and barrier. The Cooper (T86B-BRM) hit a parked marshall's car and flung it on top of another one.

Three wheels came off the Cooper, one of which hit a marshall, who suffered a ruptured spleen and then a heart attack.

The Cooper caught fire, and I was trying to drag my useless right arm out of the flames. With smoke and fire-extinguisher powder everywhere, it was impossible to see or even breath. A marshall appearing in my face trying to undo the belts. The car caught fire again
- probably nothing to do with the marshall having a cigarette clamped firmy between his lips!

I was carried out of the car and laid on the ground whilst they attended to the injured marshall. I remember David Phipps standing over me, looking down, I was shouting the f....ing steering, the f...ing steering broke, but he just continued staring at me.

Several hours later, after being delivered by helicopter to the University of Liege teaching hospital, Prof. F.Orban head of surgery and ex WW2 Winston Churchhill aid, looked down at me and said: "Monsieur Redman, it may not be possible to save ze arm". The radius and ulna in my right forearm had come out to take a look at the outside world, plus the crushing had caused massive swelling so the
bones were greatly displaced.

The next morning John Cooper came to see me and asked what happened. I told him and he commented that I would be alright.

The following Thursday, Motoring N ews came out and in an article on the race, saying that Redman claimed the steering broke. The editor (Michae Tee?) received a call from John Cooper asking for retraction and that it was "driver error". The editor suggested that
Mr.Cooper look at tomorrow's Autosport, where of course Peter Burn's great photo showed the bottom right front wishbone on the ground.

30 minutes before the race I agreed with Colin Chapman in principle, to drive for Lotus when my 6 race contract with Cooper finished.

Of course, if that had happened, there's an equally good chance I would not be writing this note today!

Regards, Brian Brian Redman

[David McKinney]

Nice to see you back, Brian

[Tim Murray]

Fascinating stuff, Brian. Thank you.

[T54]

OK, so who won the pint?

[Alan Cox]

Nice to see you back, Brian

Agreed. Nice to see you back, Brian. You may be sparing with your posts (3 years since your last one!) but they are always worth the wait

[Macca]

Yes, we learn something vital every time - even Mike Oliver's Lotus 49 book had no mention of you perhaps driving for ACBC in 1968.

Presumably that would have been from Germany onwards..........but where would that have left Jack Oliver? And what about Andretti's seat in the third car at Monza and the Glen, and Brack in Canada (although that was a commercial deal) and Solana in Mexico?

Actually wasn't there some Ford money behind Andretti's drive? Anyway, typical of ACBC to always have more drivers than cars.......did he learn that from Ferrari, I wonder!

Paul M

[kayemod]

Yes, we learn something vital every time - even Mike Oliver's Lotus 49 book had no mention of you perhaps driving for ACBC in 1968.

Presumably that would have been from Germany onwards..........but where would that have left Jack Oliver? And what about Andretti's seat in the third car at Monza and the Glen, and Brack in Canada (although that was a commercial deal) and Solana in Mexico?

Actually wasn't there some Ford money behind Andretti's drive? Anyway, typical of ACBC to always have more drivers than cars.......did he learn that from Ferrari, I wonder!

Paul M

On Jackie Oliver at Lotus, slightly off-topic of course, but how many choices for a quick and reasonably competent replacement did Lotus have after poor Jim's death ? He didn't do a bad job in the circumstances, but there can't have been a geat deal of spare talent around part-way into the season, and it seems to me as if Jackie never got his feet very far under the table at Lotus. One of the security guys with whom I had distant family connections, told me an amusing story a few years later. When you arrived at Lotus, you had to stop at the barrier. If they knew you, or your name was on a list, they directed you either left to Factory 9 where the bodies were made, first right into the main employee car park, or second right to the back of assembly and the paint shop, with service right at the end. If you had an appointment with someone of note, you might be allowed to drive straight on, to go round to the right in front of the main offices and into the visitors' car park or if you were really favoured, even the directors' garage beyond that. According to my friend the security guy, Jackie Oliver had a first appointment with Colin Chapman, and stopped at the barrier all cocky in an Essex kind of way, announcing loudly, "I'm one of the drivers". Lotus employees were usually pretty well informed about what was happening at Team, they were only just across the road back then, but no-one knew about the latest signing, and Oliver was directed second right to the stores, and told to "Park over there beyond those vans". It can't have given the poor bloke a very good first impression of his standing.

Edited by kayemod, 01 April 2011 - 18:53.

[Pat Clarke]

Wow again!
Now I really am stunned!
Thanks Brian for your response. Very interesting to hear a comment regarding 'Survivability in a Lotus' from someone who was there. I was at the time a technically interested spectator and although I admired Colin Chapmans ingenuity, I actually preferred Ron Tauranac's more pragmatic approach to F1 design. Both won lots of races, but one didn't lose drivers.

T54, I lost! :-( Tonight I an going to my friends house with what we call 'a slab' in Australia.

My friend is building a kit car and we were in discussion about putting rod ends in bending on the wishbones. I stated 'Haee, one of them rod ends broke on a cooper and hurt the driver'. Dennis retorted that it was the wishbone that failed so I lose.

What I find intriguing on the TNF is that a simple query based on a half remembered accident can open up such a vault of information.

Thank you all again

Pat

PS, I'll toast the TNF at Dennis' place tonight.