[Trisha]

Tangerine

A most tantalising point. Had Bruce lived I'm certain that McLaren would have made excellent road cars throughout the 1970s, and beyond, if the company had received sufficient investment. Competing with Porsche is altogether another question, especially where investment is concerned.

Ferry Porsche wrote in his autobiography that he had learned at an early age to divide the company's income into three parts. The three parts are to pay tax, overheads, and money for rainy days. It's a business model that works well in Germany, and it's not a coincidence that Porsche remain today as the world's most profitable automotive concern.

It's nearly 51 years since Bruce died at Goodwood, but he achieved more in his 32 years than most, including the 'production' of an attractive roadgoing sports car.

 

[Kit Spackman]

And what an achingly beautiful road car he did build. The M6GT has always been my 'car of Dreams'.

 

[Trisha]

Nice pic, Kit. Thanks. An M6 in the right colour, too. Fabulous car. Hope the McLarens go well in Bahrain this weekend, and during the rest of the season.

 

[HiFi]

Me too, and Id love to see Lando give Ricardo a good run for his money!

 

[tangerinedream]

The M6gt is an attractive car, but everytime I see it, I see a bigger version of the Chevron B16.

 

[Trisha]

Chevron's B16 was also a strikingly beautiful machine. It would also make a nice road car if Britain had roads without potholes.

 

[matthew77]

That M6GT is just stunning.

 

[Gripping Pneus]

I thought they only built one which Bruce hisself used on the road. I'm sure I've seen one in red though.

 

[Kit Spackman]

They did, and he went shopping in it apparently.

But there are some replica kit cars of the M6GT about, so they could be in any colour really.

 

[Trisha]

Bernd Rosemeyer - one of the all-time Greats.

 

[beardy56]

In photo 2 is the guy with the hammer...

A) chipping the windscreen away.

B) Making sure Bernd's gloves are on tight.

C) Going to play a joke a squish the cup.

And how about a caption contest for photo 4...

One day son you could be driving that if you eat your greens.

 

[HiFi]

And how about a caption contest for photo 4...

One day son you could be driving that if you eat your greens.

Sad thing is, he died not long after that photo . . .

 

[Trisha]

Yes, indeed, Mark. A very sad photo. The baby is Bernd junior. Another pic below of Bernd, Ernst von Delius (Auto-Union), Prof Porsche and Rudi Caracciola (Mercedes).

Ernst von Delius was just 25 when he died at the Nurburgring, 1937, after tangling with Dick Seaman's Mercedes. Another tragedy...

 

[beardy56]

Your making me feel bad now, although I love seeing all the pre-war cars and drivers my knowledge of this period is just about zero. Going to stand in the corner now.

 

[HiFi]

No need for that!

Its just a reminder of how deadly the sport was until relatively recently

Interesting to reflect on how attitudes to mortality have changed over the years.

 

[Trisha]

Mark

Too true. Attitudes to mortality, eh...

I spent years and years studying, reading and absorbing the minutiae behind the 1955 Le Mans debacle. It's impossible for my children's generation to understand, but... it was just 10 years after the War.

Everyone knew someone, or knew of someone, who had died during Hitler's period of insanity. When 84 folk died at Le Mans, it was "just another chapter" in misery.

Easy for youngsters to judge, by their standards, but judging is a dangerous enterprise.

All these years later... Well, what do we think?

 

[stumbley]

Re: Le Mans '55... It made me appreciate how courageous one had to be "in the day" to climb into the driver's seat of machines that were, at best, only slightly fatal on a good day. The safety features of today's cars make us believe that one could survive almost anything. Watching Mark Webber flip his Merc and come out unscathed...just WOW.

 

[Gripping Pneus]

He was doubly lucky as the prang that was filmed was the second time it happened to him. The first occurrence was out of anyone's sight and he was severely told off for losing control. They didn't believe that the car was aerodynamically dodgy and he couldn't prove that it was not a driving error. Then it happened again, exactly as he described the first accident and it was caught on film.

 

[stumbley]

And if I recall correctly, it happened to someone else as well in a different car.

 

[tangerinedream]

Seem to remember it being a works mobil sponsored 911 gt1 /98, think it was in the states, possibly Mc nish driving.
Exactly the same issue, following another car closely, either crested the track or pulled out to pass, then the take off and somersault.