25 Years At Brooklands Track

There was a time when British motorists believed that the finest way to demonstrate the superiority of their machinery was to drive it around an enormous concrete banking at speeds that would alarm both the local constabulary and the average insurance company. Brooklands was the magnificent result of this philosophy: a purpose-built motor racing circuit where engineering ambition, sporting courage and a spectacular disregard for personal safety combined to create one of the most extraordinary chapters in British motoring history.

In 25 Years at Brooklands Track (1995), R. H. Beauchamp recalls the remarkable world of Britain’s legendary racing circuit, offering a fascinating glimpse into the people, machines and experiences that made Brooklands such an important institution. Published by The Brooklands Society, this volume celebrates the pioneering spirit of an age when motor racing was still a dangerous adventure conducted by exceptionally determined individuals wearing remarkably inadequate protective clothing.

Opened in 1907 at Weybridge in Surrey, Brooklands was the world’s first purpose-built banked motor racing circuit. Its enormous concrete track provided an unprecedented opportunity for manufacturers and drivers to test their machines at sustained high speeds, something previously complicated by the inconvenient presence of ordinary road users, wandering livestock and policemen with strong opinions about excessive velocity.

Brooklands soon became the spiritual home of British motorsport, attracting celebrated drivers, adventurous engineers and wealthy enthusiasts who considered spending enormous sums of money on unreliable racing machinery a perfectly respectable occupation. The great banking witnessed extraordinary contests, record-breaking achievements and the thunderous passage of machines that seemed determined to demonstrate just how much noise could be extracted from an internal combustion engine.

But Brooklands was more than a racing circuit. It became a centre of automotive experimentation, technological progress and aviation development, reflecting an era when mechanical innovation was pursued with remarkable enthusiasm and occasionally rather less consideration for the consequences.

Beauchamp’s recollections offer a personal perspective on this remarkable sporting environment, evoking the atmosphere of a place where speed, ingenuity and competitive ambition ruled. It was a world of oil-stained mechanics, determined competitors and spectators who gathered to witness extraordinary feats of engineering, occasionally accompanied by extraordinary mechanical failures.

The outbreak of the Second World War brought competitive motor racing at Brooklands to an end in 1939, leaving behind a legendary reputation and a fascinating heritage that continues to captivate enthusiasts. The great banking may no longer echo to the sound of racing engines, but the achievements of those who competed there remain an essential part of British motoring history.

Condition: Very Good. This is a previously owned copy of the 1995 edition, displaying only modest signs of age and handling. Unlike the historic Brooklands circuit, it has avoided extensive deterioration and remains entirely suitable for further enthusiastic use.

Published by The Brooklands Society in 1995. ISBN: 0721206190.

Offered by Crappy Old Books, where we admire the magnificent courage of early racing drivers, particularly those prepared to hurtle around steep concrete banking in machines possessing little more protection than a windscreen, a leather helmet and the reassuring belief that everything would probably be fine.

An excellent addition to any collection of Brooklands memorabilia, British motorsport history or vintage racing literature. Particularly recommended for enthusiasts who appreciate an age when motor racing involved genuine adventure, spectacular machinery and considerably fewer health and safety meetings.

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