36 replies to this topic

[KJJ]

Can anyone provide any background information about Bernard White who ran an F1 BRM and a GT40 in races in 1966? Who was he? How long was he involved in Motor Sport? What exactly was “Chamaco Collect”? I’ve searched the usual sources including TNF without much success.

[Geoff E]

He was a wealthy cousin of Vic Wilson who raced at Monza in 1960.

http://www.gpracing....careers/628.cfm

[KJJ]

Not much known about Bernard White then? Is TNF on holiday? I’ve been forced to read my copy of Motor Sport and was rewarded with a really good article about Chris Irwin…..

[Doug Nye]

Bernard White - wealthy, rather dilettante, owner/entrant of good quality competition cars initially for his cousin Vic Wilson. Lived in Harrogate, Yorkshire, I believe. Bought two BRM P261s for the 1966 season - chassis '2615' and '2617' but the works retained the latter car, Jackie Stewart's, due to slow development of the replacement P83 H16. Although White retained his option on it this was the car JYS destroyed at Spa '66, so Bernard White never did take delivery of his second car. Meanwhile the first car was driven for him - briefly - by Vic Wilson before they fell out, and White engaged Bob Bondurant for the rest of the season, though their deal was on a race-by-race basis. Later Innes Ireland drove the car as Bondurant found better offers. White and his wife named their operation Team Chamaco Collect - apparently after a famous Hispanic bullfighter??? Also operated a Lotus 30 for Vic Wilson and a Ferrari 250LM. Off the top of my head perhaps that was in 1965 before the BRM deal???? Can't recall without looking it up and haven't got time right now. Colours very dark green with white lateral nose flash. The White BRM P261 was later modified to accept a 3-litre BRM V12 engine and in this form it was driven by the likes of David Hobbs and Frank Gardner. Didn't work. I believe Bernard White is still pumping air and lives in Spain or Portugal???

DCN

[Alan Cox]

A somewhat tardy postscript to DCN's fullsome contribution on Bernard White - I confess that I had always wanted to know a bit more about him. As I'm sure many of you recall, the BRM raced in the McLaren colours of white with a green stripe during part of the '66 season as stand-in when the mallite McLaren failed to turn up, in an attempt to pass itself off as Pete Aron's car in "Grand Prix".

[Ray Bell]

"Didn't work." Dear me, Doug...

That P261 was such a finely balanced thing with the V8, I simply can't imagine why anyone would try to make it work. Surely making a whole new car would have been better than all the butchery that would have had to go on to put all that together...

Apart from the chassis, there would have been a need to upgrade brakes, fuel tanks... all sorts of stuff. I wonder if Gardner was involved so he could enjoy what he so often refers to as the 'learning curve'?

'Chamaco Collect' was a good name for the team...

[Macca]

http://images.fotopi...4&outx=495&oq=0

I found this picture of Innes Ireland and Bernard White in Lou Stanley's 'Grand Prix' 1966-67 edition.

[Bjorn Kjer]

Perhaps we could get to know a bit more here ?

Bjørn Kjer

[EDWARD FITZGERALD]

'Macmachugh' currently seeking photos on the forum claims to hve been the teams chief hanger on , so maybe we will learn more

[Bjorn Kjer]

On the TRANSPORTERS thread post 81 is a bit of the Team Chamaco Collect transporter. (No I have not learned to do that thing....)

Edited by Bjørn Kjer, 28 November 2010 - 09:55.

[macmachugh]

Just seen this post.
Almost correct but a few errors.
Where you discovered 'dilettante' is a mystery and a joke. I was a close friend and the description almost made me fall off my chair - laughing. So far from the truth.
Wealthy - yes. His brother Gordon (later Sir Gordon and even later Lord White) together with James (later Sir James and even later Lord Hanson) were the powers behind Hanson Trust, scourge of The City in the 60's/70's and 80's and beloved by Margaret Thatcher.
Bernard ran the print/publishing division based in Hull.
Bernars lived in the village of Walkington, East Yorkshire not Harrogate (West Yorkshire).
Bernard did not fall out with Vic Wilson - Vic worked for Bernard and accepted he was not fast enough. Vic continued to work for Bernard for a number of years.
Vic came over from South Africa. Benard bought an old F1 Lotus (I can't remember which one) but it was replaced with the Lotus 30 which frightened Vic (and many other Lotus 30 drivers). It did not last long. It was followed by the Ferrari 250LM (5907) and that was joined by the BRM (216/5 now owned by Andrew Wearing) and the GT40 (1001). Most of Bernard's cars (road and track) and Lords White and Hanson were painted the same special green - the BRM and 250LM were that green. Bernards second Ferrari 275GTB an GTB/4, his Bentley, E type, were in the green, these were owned at the same time together with a Maserati Sebring, road going GT40 (later bought by Noel Edmonds) Mercedes 250SL and a Fiat 500 (we would drive that with the fabric roof open sitting up so our heads poked out for fun - sick eh?).
Bernard moved to Spain in 1970 and passed away over Christmas 2008 aged 82. I could write a book on our exploits !!

Bernard White - wealthy, rather dilettante, owner/entrant of good quality competition cars initially for his cousin Vic Wilson. Lived in Harrogate, Yorkshire, I believe. Bought two BRM P261s for the 1966 season - chassis '2615' and '2617' but the works retained the latter car, Jackie Stewart's, due to slow development of the replacement P83 H16. Although White retained his option on it this was the car JYS destroyed at Spa '66, so Bernard White never did take delivery of his second car. Meanwhile the first car was driven for him - briefly - by Vic Wilson before they fell out, and White engaged Bob Bondurant for the rest of the season, though their deal was on a race-by-race basis. Later Innes Ireland drove the car as Bondurant found better offers. White and his wife named their operation Team Chamaco Collect - apparently after a famous Hispanic bullfighter??? Also operated a Lotus 30 for Vic Wilson and a Ferrari 250LM. Off the top of my head perhaps that was in 1965 before the BRM deal???? Can't recall without looking it up and haven't got time right now. Colours very dark green with white lateral nose flash. The White BRM P261 was later modified to accept a 3-litre BRM V12 engine and in this form it was driven by the likes of David Hobbs and Frank Gardner. Didn't work. I believe Bernard White is still pumping air and lives in Spain or Portugal???

DCN

[macmachugh]

See my latest post. Much more if anyone wants to hear!

'Macmachugh' currently seeking photos on the forum claims to hve been the teams chief hanger on , so maybe we will learn more

[Tim Murray]

See my latest post. Much more if anyone wants to hear!

Yes please!

[macmachugh]

As soon as I have time!

Yes please!

[bradbury west]

You will find that you are leaning on an open door here.
BTW wasn't it the White GT40 which Innes Ireland towed across Europe to a GT race on a trailer behind his DB5?
Roger Lund

[Bjorn Kjer]

Splendid macmachugh ! Also on the Transporters thread : Look there Roger .

[Doug Nye]

Macmachugh - great post - so good to hear a first-hand account from a contemporary friend. 'Dilettante' is the word used when describing Bernard White to me by several of BRM's finest, by race promoting friends from the period, and by his former drivers Innes Ireland and Bob Bondurant. From my own experience it fitted. Interesting that you should take a different view. You plainly knew him better, and upon a different basis. Results suggest they had cause... However, Bernard White's protests to Sir Alfred Owen that his P261 had been over-used and sorely abused on a Tasman tour did not read as being from a dilettante entrant, and he most certainly had good cause to complain.

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 28 November 2010 - 21:44.

[bill p]

Vic Wilson and the Lotus 30 at Kirkistown



Photo credit: Derek Jolly /BESPOKE PUBLICATIONS ARCHIVE

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[macmachugh]

Thanks for that, it is interesting to hear others views on Bernard. We used to meet in his office everyday for coffee (heaven knows how my business managed to prosper - probably because I was away having coffee and motor racing).
I recall the BRM returning from the Tasman series. It is, in fact, the only time I saw Bernard lose his cool. His view on life was very philosophical. He also believed life was a game and should be enjoyed. A typical example was on Bernard's birthday (Boxing Day) after a large lunch fortified with much fine claret, Vic Wilson made the observation that Bernard's new Ferrari 275GTB/4 would not reach 180 mph. Always up for a challenge (which frequently involved my willing/unwilling participation), Bernard hauled me off and we took the car out, up the long hill out of the village - me driving as Bernard usually had me driving him. I had not driven the car before and as I accelerated he said' the bonnet lifts at about 90 but goes down at 110 so keep your trotter down - he was right, I did and fortunately the road was straight. We proceeded to a 3 lane highway (now double carriageway) and off we went - we did hit 180. Whilst moving very quickly we passed (and I can see this today as clear as on the day) a green Standard 8 and I saw in the mirror the car move violently sideways as we passed. I turned round a few miles up the road and put my foot down again - I saw the Standard 8 as I approached very quickly and the driver obviously thinking I was about to wipe him out, turned left, up the kerb and that was the last I saw of him.
If we acted that way today we would and should be locked up, but then times were different. There are many more stories to be told of this great guy - I miss the fun of those days. Maybe I will post a few more. Love your BRM books!
macmachugh

Macmachugh - great post - so good to hear a first-hand account from a contemporary friend. 'Dilettante' is the word used when describing Bernard White to me by several of BRM's finest, by race promoting friends from the period, and by his former drivers Innes Ireland and Bob Bondurant. From my own experience it fitted. Interesting that you should take a different view. You plainly knew him better, and upon a different basis. Results suggest they had cause... However, Bernard White's protests to Sir Alfred Owen that his P261 had been over-used and sorely abused on a Tasman tour did not read as being from a dilettante entrant, and he most certainly had good cause to complain.

DCN

[macmachugh]

Sorry, that is not Vic Wilson. Bernard is in the red cardigan, the guy in front is Graham Nielson. Graham worked for Bernard and was one of the hangers on along with me. He helped out Rollo, Bernard's full time mechanic.
Graham went on to form his own very successful company, Aaronite who, I think supplied kit to the offshore oil industry.
Sadly Graham was killed when his Mercedes ran into a parked truck on the M62 early one morning in poor visibility.
Perhaps the funniest time was when Graham was given responsibility to arrange return of the Ferrari 250LM from the Daytona 12 hours back to Hull. The car went missing and weeks later turned up in Belgium - we spent a lot of time reminding Graham of this - Bernard being an absolute master at 'extracting the Michael'. I remember going to Snetterton with Graham, his girlfriend and my wife in his in-laws Humber Septre (not the petrol heads first choice) and suggesting we stopped for coffee in Bruges - didn't go down well with Graham.
macmachugh

Vic Wilson and the Lotus 30 at Kirkistown



Photo credit: Derek Jolly /BESPOKE PUBLICATIONS ARCHIVE

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[macmachugh]

Do you have an address/contact for Bespoke Publications?

Vic Wilson and the Lotus 30 at Kirkistown



Photo credit: Derek Jolly /BESPOKE PUBLICATIONS ARCHIVE

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[bill p]

Do you have an address/contact for Bespoke Publications?

macmachugh

Eddie Fitzgerald asked me to post the photograph - Eddie will send you a "pm"

[macmachugh]

The GT40 was chassis 1001 owned by Bernard White. The GT race was the Zeltweg 500 on 11 Sept 1966. The DB5 was a bronze/gold DB^ also owned by Bernard, the trailer a 4 wheel Don Parker. I waved him off before getting in a bloody 3 ton Bedford transporter for the trip home.

You will find that you are leaning on an open door here.
BTW wasn't it the White GT40 which Innes Ireland towed across Europe to a GT race on a trailer behind his DB5?
Roger Lund

[Graham Gauld]

Vic Wilson's name brings back many memories. At one stage after his racing he arrived in Edinburgh and took over a small showroom and garage in Shandwick Place formerly owned by a Mr Harrison. He came to a few Ingliston meetings and I invited him to come on to the committee of Scottish Motor Racing Club. He attended a few meetings but I must say he did not contribute a lot but was good fun. After only a few years he closed the garage and headed back south and I later heard he had died.

Keith Schellenberg recalled one of the races in Angola when he raced his AC Cobra against Vic in the the Ferraril250LM. After the race there was a party in a private house of a charming English couple. The morning afterwards Keith telephoned Vic and, putting on a shrill girlish accent, managed to persuade Vic to return to the private house to have coffee with a " charming young lady I am sure you would love to meet." Needless to say the joke backfired as Vic reached the private house before Keith could explain the joke to the hostess and there followed a pantomime which included Keith persuading two of the young bellboys in the hotel to dress up as girls and be taken to the house. It was a scene straight out of Bertie Wooster but thankfully ended up with everyone rolling about on the floor in laughter.

[macmachugh]

You could never say Vic was blessed with an outrageous sense of humour - unlike his cousin Bernard White and, most certainly Keith Schellenberg another very, very fun loving character - there were quite a few in the East Riding in those days. Whilst rather serious Vic was a thoroughly pleasant man, old style manners and a passion for the sport. He and I went out to the old Pocklington airfield one day in Bernard's Ferrari 275GTB - ostensibly to show me the art of 'drifting', in fact in ended up with a 1960's version of Jeremy Clarkson's antics but without 'the mouth' - great day. Bernard recounted your story when they returned from the Angola GP - nice to be reminded.

Vic Wilson's name brings back many memories. At one stage after his racing he arrived in Edinburgh and took over a small showroom and garage in Shandwick Place formerly owned by a Mr Harrison. He came to a few Ingliston meetings and I invited him to come on to the committee of Scottish Motor Racing Club. He attended a few meetings but I must say he did not contribute a lot but was good fun. After only a few years he closed the garage and headed back south and I later heard he had died.

Keith Schellenberg recalled one of the races in Angola when he raced his AC Cobra against Vic in the the Ferraril250LM. After the race there was a party in a private house of a charming English couple. The morning afterwards Keith telephoned Vic and, putting on a shrill girlish accent, managed to persuade Vic to return to the private house to have coffee with a " charming young lady I am sure you would love to meet." Needless to say the joke backfired as Vic reached the private house before Keith could explain the joke to the hostess and there followed a pantomime which included Keith persuading two of the young bellboys in the hotel to dress up as girls and be taken to the house. It was a scene straight out of Bertie Wooster but thankfully ended up with everyone rolling about on the floor in laughter.

[ReWind]

Bernard passed away over Christmas 2008 aged 82.

Bernard's birthday (Boxing Day)

Does this mean he was born in 1926 and died almost on his birthday?

[Graham Gauld]

You could never say Vic was blessed with an outrageous sense of humour - unlike his cousin Bernard White and, most certainly Keith Schellenberg another very, very fun loving character - there were quite a few in the East Riding in those days. Whilst rather serious Vic was a thoroughly pleasant man, old style manners and a passion for the sport. He and I went out to the old Pocklington airfield one day in Bernard's Ferrari 275GTB - ostensibly to show me the art of 'drifting', in fact in ended up with a 1960's version of Jeremy Clarkson's antics but without 'the mouth' - great day. Bernard recounted your story when they returned from the Angola GP - nice to be reminded.

I assume therefore that Bernard was the other person involved in the Angolan affair. Keith told me that when he phoned Vic that morning he also phoned "..Vic's friend" and when Keith rushed to Mrs Hudson's house to warn her and met Vic, the "friend", presumably Bernard, also turned up and Vic remarked "..Are you invited too ? Mrs Hudson, when she arrived back in the house to find Keith, Vic, presumably Bernard and the two page boys dressed up as girls with lipstick slashed across their mouths, pulled Keith aside and murmured "... I wish your friends would not use my house as a place of assignation." It was at this point Keith broke up laughing and confessed that he had been responsible for setting all this up as a Jape.

In the race Vic Wilson finished fourth in the 250 LMs behind David Piper, Herbert Muller and Pierre Dumay all in 250LMs

I have attached a photo of Vic Wilson with Keith Schellenberg and a photo of the start line up with the four 250 LMs



Uploaded with ImageShack.us



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[bradbury west]

Off thread perhaps, but more in hope than expectation, talking of Angola in those days, does anyone recall a mechanic from Newcastle/Sunderland area, called Colin Arrowsmith? I believe he spannered out there when the races were all the fashion. Any info would be welcome to me as well as to his daughter. He later went on to operate as Sunderland Racing Developments IIRC in the later '60s.
Roger Lund

[almoate]

Hi my dad worked for him in 1966

[Doug Nye]

Re Vic Wilson - curious that the dreaded Wikipedia describes his death in a road accident at Gerrards Cross in 1969...

 

...when there is this in the Bucks Free Press

 

https://www.bucksfre...d-of-infection/

 

November 22, 2001...

 

DCN

[john winfield]

I see the motor accident reference, Doug, but the Wikipedia entry I'm looking at does say 2001, aged 69.

[Doug Nye]

Hmm - I can only claim it had been a long, busy day...  "Motor accident" - which it wasn't - at Gerrards Cross aged 69 - not in '69.  Glad you noticed that.  

 

DCN

[bradbury west]

Hi my dad worked for him in 1966

Welcome to TNF.  I have sent a pm to you, please check top right of the main page for a little red number when you log on to TNF.  I have sent my contact details and a bit of narrative about my interest in Colin Arrowsmith.

many thanks

Roger Lund

[almoate]

My dad Roland moate worked for him in the 60s got a few picks of Bernard

[nca]

You will find that you are leaning on an open door here.
BTW wasn't it the White GT40 which Innes Ireland towed across Europe to a GT race on a trailer behind his DB5?
Roger Lund

If I remember correctly, DSJ was enjoying his morning coffee at a wayside inn on the morning following the race, when he recognised the Aston and. the GT40 showing above a ripening cornfield. 

Innes was waived down and joined DSJ, who commented favourably in his next edition of Continental Notes in Motorsport.

 

nca 

[Macca]

 

At Monaco in 1966 with James Garner.

 

Paul M

[macmachugh]

Viewed somewhat late. That is my photograph inscribed to my wife and myself. We spent time with James Garner at GPS during shooting of ‘Grand Prix’. Perhaps ‘lifted’ from an article in www.acollectedman.com on a watch gifted to me by Bernard White.