14 replies to this topic

[Stefan Ornerdal]

Swedish weekly papers (not motoring magazines) has for many, many years been writing now and then that HRH Prince Bertil of Sweden was a succesful international racing driver in the 30s. I have never ever found him in an entrylist or report. Does anybody know a race where he took part?
Possibly he raced under the pseudonyme "Monsieur Adrian" and in a Bugatti 35.
He could also have used the name "Inge Vidare" which is a joke, it could be quite normal names in Sweden but together it means "No Good"
He lived most of his time back then in southern France, so IF he was a racing driver, most likely he raced at places like Pau, St Gaudens, Angouleme etc.

?

Hans? Leif? Or any other expert on that era? What's your opinion, did he exist as a "famous driver"?

Stefan

[Niky]

I know he liked racing cars and he was a very good friend of the late Ronnie Peterson. The only thing I have found in my life in reference to the Prince racing career was:


DIED. PRINCE BERTIL, 84, uncle to Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf and the man who postponed marriage for three decades to secure smooth succession in the Bernadotte royal line; in Stockholm. The Prince was a race-car driver in the 1930s, using the pseudonym "Monsieur Adrian" to placate his disapproving father, later King Gustaf VI Adolf. Prince Bertil continued to act in the monarchy's best interests by forgoing marriage to his British girlfriend, Lilian Craig. Under Swedish law, which has since been changed, such a union with a commoner would have rendered him ineligible to serve as regent, should the need have arisen, to Carl Gustaf, son of Prince Bertil's deceased older brother. The Prince finally married the patient Lilian in 1976, three years after nephew Carl Gustaf was safely on the throne.


It was publushed in: http://www.time.com/...milestones.html

[Per Swanholm (Ferrari)]

Hi,

Stefan, you're right. He was a famous racing driver, BUT(!) he never raced under his real name because the swedish king, his father, didn't allow him to drive racingcars because he found it to dangeruos. I don't know what name or names he used instead though.

Hope my answear helped you a little.

[LittleChris]

I remember seeing photo's of him in the 70's talking to King Ronnie and even then he appeared to me to dress and look like a 30's racing driver.

[Stefan Ornerdal]

Thanks everybody for your information. Prince Bertil was a real fan of motor racing and he was nicknamed "The motor prince". He was around for many races, in Sweden and abroad, and a keen follower of F1. The Swedish Racing History Club every year arrange the "Prince Bertil Memorial". If I am not completely wrong, the "Royal Horse Stable" has some racing cars in their hidings, some Bugattis and Talbots and a Shelby Cobra!
But my question is still not answered: Was Prince Bertil really a racing driver and where did he compete?

Our king Carl XVI Gustaf is also a motor racing addict. When my hometown celebrated it's 600 years, we arranged a street race with historic racing cars, and I had the pleasure (?) to be introduced to our king, who really enjoyed himself in the pits. The dinner afterwards included Sir Stirling Moss, David Piper, Richard Attwood etc.
Of course, I was not invited...

Cheers
Stefan
(republican)

[Felix Muelas]

Originally posted by Stefan Ornerdal
Of course, I was not invited...
Cheers
Stefan
(republican)

Felix

[Hans Etzrodt]

Stefan,
Your original statement that HRH Prince Bertil of Sweden was a succesful international racing driver in the 30s can be interpreted in many ways. If, for example, he raced during one year in three events, and collected one trophy, shield or whatever, he could be considered a successful racing driver. And the writer of that statement would not be lying. The very vague statement does not say that he was a winning driver in a single seater. He might have raced sports cars of which I know very little. But in Germany alone they had little events almost every weekend from spring to fall.

Can you figure out how many international licences were issued by your Club at that time? Or maybe he had a good connection to England and they organized a British license for him and he did some races in Brooklands. They staged a multitude of little races there.

[alessandro silva]

Some references about Bertil of Sweden.
A picture with Parnell, Abecassis and Leslie Brooke, Rommehed 1947, in G. Gould, Reg Parnell, page 103,
A description of postwar high life and connections with racing, in Princess Birabongse, The Prince and I, pages 164/176
In connection with the Gordini Team at the Stockholm race in 1948, in Huet, Gordini, un sorcier, une equipe, page 115 [see also the appropriate Sheldon volume]

[Leif Snellman]

Stefan,
I have often wondered the same thing.
The only thing I have ever found of him from the pre-war era is a picture of him at Brooklands together with Cobb, Howe, Eccles and Straight sometimes in the 30's in Rivers Fletcher's "Mostly Motor Racing" page 191.

[David McKinney]

I knew of Prince Bertil's love of racing, but it was only after his death that I saw reference to his actual participation. Like Stefan, I would like to know if it really happened. I have many records of some very obscure pre-war races (and hillclimbs), and have never seen any reference to this M Adrian. Any claim that he was "a successful international racing driver" is patently an exaggeration.
Perhaps, as often happens with the non-specialist press, they meant rallying? Did he perhaps contest a Monte Carlo Rally or twp?

[Stefan Ornerdal]

Hi guys,

I have sent mails to the Swedish Federation, the Swedish Royal Automobile Club and the Racing History Club. Hopefully, they could shed a little light on Prince Bertil's racing career.

Stefan

[Leif Snellman]

I decided to do some research at the library and found the following in a book about the prince (Prins Bertil - ett liv by Fabian af Petersens):

It was during the years in Paris in the mid 30s that Bertil managed to get his own Bugatti. He managed to find a used 200 hp (sic)
Bugatti (in fact a 100 bhp T35) for a bargain 10000 francs. He took the car into a garage, put it into pieces, cleaned and oiled all parts and and reassembled it.
(...)
later he received a letter from the marshal of the court were it read that Bertil'd father was "surprised" over the purchaise, but there was never any action taken by the court against the car.
(...)
In that car the prince took part in a number of competitions in France, racing under the name "Monsieur Adrian". But Bertil wasn't really satisfied with the Bugatti. Regardless of the repairs it had seen its best days. By accident Bertil met Ettore Bugatti's son Jean at an nightclub and told him about his problems.
I"'ll fix that!" promised Jean Bugatti.
Soon afterwards Bertil received a brand new T51 from the factory and now the competing took speed. Bertil took part in a number of races and according to himself finished second in an international event at Montlhéry in 1937. Then the writing in the papers abot M. Adrian were tok such speed that he found it necessary to stop racing.
(...)
There are sceptics who say that Bertil wasn't much of a star as a racer and that M. Adrian's triumps have been exaggerted
by the Swedish press.
(...)
There are people interested in motor history who have checked the international specialinst litterature from that era without ever finding any references or pictures of M. Adrian. Their conclution is that Beril muxt have started mostly in minor club events.
(...)
In1947 Bertil recieved an invitation from David Brown to take part in Le Mans 24 h for Aston Martin, an invitation he had to decline.

(Sorry for my bad translation)

[David McKinney]

There was only one international meeting at Montlhéry in 1937, the French Grand Prix (for sportscars), and HRH was not among the “podium” finishers in that event. Nor was he in the first three in any of the various engine-capacity classes.
It would be stretching the point to class the other meetings at the circuit in 1937 as international. The first was the Bol d’Or, won by Rogoulot from Giraud-Cabantous and Maillard-Brune, with Horvilleur taking the 1100 class and Vialle the 750.
The Coupe d’Automne on 16 September resulted in Lebègue winning from Paul. Class winners were Roumani (3000), Villenueve (1500), Hertzberger (1100) and Herkuleyns (750).
The Coupe de Vitesse for sportscars was held at the same meeting, and won by Chaboud (or Lebègue). Class winners were Gérard (3000), Debille (2000), Forestier (1500), Gordini (1100) and Buffy (750).
It is possible that “M Adrian” gained a minor placing in one of these events.

[Tomas Karlsson]

I am reviving an old thread here.
People outside of Sweden can hardly understand how big this myth became in this country. Even by so called motoring journalists! Unfortunately I never got to ask the prince myself and I don't know how much of it that was made up by journalists and how much that came from him.

After WWII the prince was one of the most important persons in bringing racing to Sweden. And he did a lot of work opening doors and inviting drivers. I don't people then really understood the thing about a F2 race in Stockholm in '48 or World Championship races at Kristianstad. And all the work he did in the 40ies and 50ies disappeared behind the story that he had been a secret racing driver in the thirties.

The first references I have found is from a series of articles in a Swedish magazine in 1952. The "facts" in the article were then repeated up until his death. And no one has ever come up with any type of proof. It's a great story for any journalist and I suppose they don't want to spoil that with the boring truth.
I have tried to find this mysterious "Monieur Adrian", but I haven't had any luck.

In the article from '52, it says that he once was third in the GP d'Albi!!!!?? (Obviously not true!) And that he was second behind Marcel Lehoux in a race at Montlhery. Lehoux won at 128 km/h and "Adrian" had 127 km/h. Both were driving Bugatti T51.
In later articles the Montlhery race has been given the year 1937, but i doubt that Lehoux would have been able to participate then, since he was killed in '36.

Is there anyone out there, who has found any reference to a "Monsieur Adrian" or Bernadotte in French racing in the 30ies? Or a Montlhery victory for Lehoux at 128 km/h?

[ReWind]

No answers to the questions raised here – but to give the man a face:
http://historiska-pe.../p0bd9d970.html
http://www.findagrav.....=Prins Bertil