37 replies to this topic

[Maldwyn]

Seeing the story in Autosport marking '10 years of the GPDA' got me thinking....surely there was a drivers association before 1994 : I even recall it being called the GPDA. So why are we being told it has only been around for 10 years

Does anyone recall when the GPDA, or the first association of GP drivers, was formed?

[Zawed]

The GPDA had existed in a different form before, and I think Pironi was quite active in it around 81/82, during the driver's strike era- but I think it was phased out in the mid 80's before being resurrected in 1994.

[Ray Bell]

I think it was about 1962 that the original began...

[Vitesse2]

I think you're spot on with 1962, Ray. I thought the exact date was in Michael Cooper-Evans' "Private Entrant", but I can't find it ATM. However, Cooper-Evans does say that the GPDA were already awarding accolades (and brickbats) to race organisers by 1963. Monaco was adjudged the best of the year: Silverstone came seventh out of ten. Plus ça change .... :

[j-ickx-fan]

First GPDA meeting was at Monaco on May 11th, 1961. In fact, it was a meeting between Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Jim Clark, John Surtees and Graham Hill and they decided to use this name for their association. Moss was the first president of the GPDA with Jo Bonnier as vice-president and Peter Garnier (Autocar) was honorary secretary.

[Roger Clark]

Founder members were: Cliff Allison, Joakim bonnier (Vice-chairman), Jack Brabham, Tony Brooks, Jim Clark, Masten Gregory, Olivier Gendebien, Dan Gurney, Graham Hill, Innes Ireland, Bruce McLaren Phill Hill, Stirling Moss (Chairman), Henry Taylor, Maurice Trintignant, Wolfgang von Trips, Roy Salvadori, John Surtees. Peter Garnier was elected an honourary Member to take on the duties of Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Secretary.

[Wolf]

Originally posted by Vitesse2

Plus ça change .... :

OTOH,...

'It is not!' he said. 'The G.P.D.A. was formed for general betterment of motor-racing. I'm president at the moment, so I think I can say with authority that it is no part of trade union. I think that idea would finish racing off in big hurry. I mean there is nothing militant about G.P.D.A.; we would never go on strike, that sort of thing. What we try to do, we try to induce promoters to improve the circuits, make them safer, mainly for the spectator. We do not advocate taking out trees, for instance, eliminating things that make for interest. We don't want "spin-off" zones and that sort of thing. We do like circuits like Laguna seca in California, which is difficult circuit, a dangerous circuit, it's definitely not a club circuit, but we like it. We like the natural hazards. We'd like to race around Hyde Park or Central Park without any changes at all in the topography. We accept the hazards, as at Monaco, of hitting a building or going over a drop; after all, it's no fun gambling for match-sticks.

[David McKinney]

Where does the UPPI fit in?
IIRC it was the Union des Pilotes Professionales Internationale (no guarantee of spellings) and preceded the GPDA

[Maldwyn]

Thanks. So much for 10 years!

One of the reasons I remember the GPDA is their role after Monza in 1978. At that time Niki Lauda appears to have been the main figurehead for the organisation, but the GPDA has only appeared to become prominent in certain situations (South Africa 1982 has also been mentioned).

Does the current GPDA have links back to the 1961 organisation? Has there always been a GPDA office, for example, or did the drivers get together when an issue or incident fires them up sufficiently to get together?

[Rob29]

Originally posted by David McKinney
Where does the UPPI fit in?
IIRC it was the Union des Pilotes Professionales Internationale (no guarantee of spellings) and preceded the GPDA

It was formed at Monaco May 1957. The joke at the time was that it was explained that the french word 'Union' does not mean a trade union,but the first thing they did was to go on strike by boycotting thr Monza 500.

[Twin Window]

I think some of the confusion lies in the fact that, historically, the GPDA has laid dormant for periods of time, only to spring back into the spotlight due to certain circumstances. Whether they have continued to function out of the spotlight during these spells or not I don't know.

There have been some surprising appointments, to my mind, over the years too involving drivers with very little F1 experience. As mentioned by Zawed, for example, Pironi was either president or similar after just a season or so in F1. In fact I seem to remember that Steve Thompson was a GPDA member (honorary, perhaps?) in 1973, having never even tested an F1 car to my knowledge. And, as mentioned in this earlier thread, some drivers were conspicuous in their refusal to join-up. Ickx in the '70s and Mass in the '80s...

[RTH]

Wasn't there a scene in the movie "Grand Prix" of a GPDA meeting with a number of the real drivers plus the actors with Graham Hill well to the fore - or was that 'Bob Turner' ?

[KarlOakie Research]

I think some of the confusion lies in the fact that, historically, the GPDA has laid dormant for periods of time, only to spring back into the spotlight due to certain circumstances. Whether they have continued to function out of the spotlight during these spells or not I don't know.

Stu points out one of the great problems with the GPDA in recent times, its jack-in-the-box existence. This on-again-off-again existence has deprived it of any real consequence or even importance.

The UPPI was an outgrowth of the concerns that some of the drivers had about both safety and compensarion issues, the former being the stated reason for the "union" being formed and the latter being more an internal item of discussion. When the GPDA managed to send both Balestre and Ecclestone into ballistic arcs at Kyalami in 1982, its days were numbered and within a matter of a season or two it was a non-entity. Now it is a social club which exists only for PR purposes.

Ecclestone & Co. are very much of the same mindset of Big Bill France in that unions in the trade union sense are an anathma and evil personified.

[Ted Walker]

I visited Peter Garnier not long before he died and he gave a GPDA windscreen sticker.

[Zawed]

Originally posted by Twin Window
earlier thread, some drivers were conspicuous in their refusal to join-up. Ickx in the '70s and Mass in the '80s...

Villeneuve in the 90's.

You comment about relative novices being involved with the GPDA brings to mind the drivers who initially had key roles in the resurrection of the GPDA in 1994- these were Berger, Schumacher and...Christian Fittipaldi. I was surprised at Fittipaldi's inclusion given he had only 1 and half seasons of fulltime F1 behind at the time. Admittedly Schumacher had only marginally more experience, but his profile was quite a bit higher amongst the drivers I imagine.

[Ray Bell]

It might have had something to do with the time commitment the more successful drivers had to sponsors and testing?

[Twin Window]

Even in the '70s, Ray...?!

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Twin Window
Even in the '70s, Ray...?!

Wee Jackie was a pretty busy boy... yes, it's probably true that the encroachment of sponsorship obligations and so on would have kept a few tied down.

[Marcel Visbeen]

The GPDA archives from the Pironi-days are for sale on eBay (10 kg of paperwork!). As much as I would like to nose around in there, I doubt if anyone is prepared to pay 6000 Euro's for it. It would be nice if these sort of archives would become public to us!


http://cgi.ebay.nl/w.....AMEWA:IT&rd=1

[TonyCotton]

I recall that at some time in the '80's their postal address in the UK was a side street in Wolverhampton, which happened to be at the back of Boots and in close proximity to (maybe the same building as..) an establishment known locally as "Madame Clark's".

Whilst Wolverhampton is wonderful - Anybody know WHY they had HQ there?

[kayemod]

Originally posted by Rob29
It was formed at Monaco May 1957. The joke at the time was that it was explained that the french word 'Union' does not mean a trade union,but the first thing they did was to go on strike by boycotting thr Monza 500.

Surprised that none of the francophiles among you have picked this one up. 'Union' en Francais means more or less exactly the same as it does in English. It can also be used to mean marriage or cohabitation of course, but it also means association, syndicate, club, or union, just as with 'trade union' in the UK sense. The more usual french word for in this context would be 'syndicat', but union would be understood perfectly well by all. As to why their UK postal address was next to 'Madame Clark's in Wolverhampton' on the other hand, I have no explanation.

[Macca]

Here's that meeting from The Film, with Bob Turner to the fore - Cahier stood in for Garnier, as indeed he did for everyone in every scene.



Paul M

[MCS]

Ah, this is the scene where Jo Schlesser plays his part. I remember now.

[Vitesse2]

I might be wrong, but I don't think Jochen was actually credited for that appearance?

Or Dan, come to that?

[Marcel Visbeen]

Maybe it's just me but the relevance of the last three posts in this thread escapes me completely. I don't even understand what they are about and what it has to do with the GPDA?

[Rob29]

Originally posted by Marcel Visbeen
Maybe it's just me but the relevance of the last three posts in this thread escape me completely. I don't even understand what they are about and what it has to do with the GPDA?

Yep,they belong in the 'Grand Prix'movie thread?

[bigears]

Originally posted by TonyCotton
I recall that at some time in the '80's their postal address in the UK was a side street in Wolverhampton, which happened to be at the back of Boots and in close proximity to (maybe the same building as..) an establishment known locally as "Madame Clark's".

Whilst Wolverhampton is wonderful - Anybody know WHY they had HQ there?

Really? I live in Wolverhampton and I would be very interested to know more about it.

Now there is a shopping centre behind Boots so I am not sure if it is there any more now.

What kind of establishment "Madame Clarks" was? Was it is like an office or a licenced premises?

[Paul Butler]

Originally posted by bigears


Really? I live in Wolverhampton and I would be very interested to know more about it.

Now there is a shopping centre behind Boots so I am not sure if it is there any more now.

What kind of establishment "Madame Clarks" was? Was it is like an office or a licenced premises?

Madame Clarkes (which is in King Street http://www.wolverham...te_total=3&pg=1) is apparently named after a lady who ran a coffee shop of ill repute on the premises. It's still a coffee shop and used to do nice cakes - I'm sure there's no ill repute these days!

The idea of the GPDA being based there seems slightly bizarre to be honest - if I recall some time ago the premises used to house a "nicky nacky" shop haphazrdly split over 3 floors.

[Marcel Visbeen]

I remembered the old adress and looked it up. A letterhead from the GPDA on a letter I have concerning the conflict between FISA and the GPDA about the superlicences early 1982 gives two adresses: one is Pironi's adress in Boissy Saint Leger and the other is indeed:
11 King Street
Wolverhampton WV1 1ST

[Paul Butler]

Originally posted by Marcel Visbeen
I remembered the old adress and looked it up. A letterhead from the GPDA on a letter I have concerning the conflict between FISA and the GPDA about the superlicences early 1982 gives two adresses: one is Pironi's adress in Boissy Saint Leger and the other is indeed:
11 King Street
Wolverhampton WV1 1ST

Maybe slightly OT but that was a restaurant called Latuske's - not sure if it's still there. I'm fascinated by this now and intend to do some research! I have to go into Wolverhampton tomorrow (apparently) so I'll have a wander along.

[Marcel Visbeen]

As to the why of the office in Wolverhampton, I think it could be as simple as that it was the (office)adress of Trevor Rowe, at that time the secretary of the GPDA. I did some more digging and found out that he indeed ran the office. It makes sense: two adresses, one of the chairman and one of the secretary.
The final clue I can offer is the telex-number of the office. That was REINDR, where often the telex-number was a clue for the adressed (very much like present day e-mail). Others I know of at the time where PIRONI, LAUDA, NRING D, TLOTUS and G PRIX CAN MTL. So maybe REINDR is a clue for the office aswell.

[Paul Butler]

Marcel,

Thanks for the info - I'll still have a wander along tomorrow!

[MCS]

Originally posted by Marcel Visbeen
Maybe it's just me but the relevance of the last three posts in this thread escapes me completely. I don't even understand what they are about and what it has to do with the GPDA?

See post number 12

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by Rob29
It was formed at Monaco May 1957. The joke at the time was that it was explained that the french word 'Union' does not mean a trade union,but the first thing they did was to go on strike by boycotting thr Monza 500.

Right on the formation date, but wrong about the "strike". The whole story is in Ken Gregory's "Behind the Scenes of Motor Racing" pp195-99. The strike myth apparently grew out of a press release put out by Bernard Cahier, who had no authority to speak for the UPPI: its secretary was Fangio's manager Marcello Giambertone.

Even before the UPPI was formed, the drivers had been pointing out that there was no suitable machinery in Europe and that the race had been arranged without consultation with the European teams, who consequently had no time to prepare for it.

[Roger Clark]

Autosport 21st June 1957 contained a letter from Harry Shell, starting: "Dear Gregor, A few words concerning the editorial article in Autosport of 7th June may help to clarify the position regarding UPPI and race organisers." there followed a paragraph about the general aims of the UPPI and he continued: "Now, about our refusal to race in the Monza 500, let me explain the reasons - "

I think that a refusal to race and a strike are the same thing. Ken Gregory's arguement that there was no strike seems to have been based on the fact that he, the assisstant secretary was not asked to distribute anything to the British press. Perhaps they weren't that well organised.

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Roger Clark
I think that a refusal to race and a strike are the same thing

But a decision not to participate is surely not the same thing as a "refusal to race"
Would we say Ferrari are refusing to race in the Champcar series? Or that Kia are refusing to race in Formula 1?

[Roger Clark]

Originally posted by David McKinney

But a decision not to participate is surely not the same thing as a "refusal to race"
Would we say Ferrari are refusing to race in the Champcar series? Or that Kia are refusing to race in Formula 1?

Shell referred to "our refusal to race".

[cooper997]

Just dusting off an old thread in the hope a TNF member can confirm the following please..

 

The GPDA's secretary was The Autocar's sports editor, Peter Garnier (later again, he was editor of Autocar), but was he the one, and same illustrator with works published in Iota? I suspect yes, but would prefer some feedback please.

 

Stephen