Iconic British racing marque, BRM, revs up for Goodwood Revival with a “new” racing car
There’s nothing quite like the roar of the V16. The unmistakable sound still draws a crowd to this day, whether because of nostalgia, curiosity, or pure child-like awe. This is a short film about the sound of the now-infamous engine of the BRM P15 V16 and the reaction it draws.
BRM (British Racing Motors) have built the first of three “new” 16-cylinder P15 V16 BRM racing cars, to commemorate the marque’s 70th anniversary. The car was shaken down at Blyton Park racetrack in the presence of its new owner, John Owen, ahead of its on-track debut at Goodwood Revival. The P15 V16 will be in good company at Goodwood, as the event will include a special track parade of BRM racing cars on each day, including the P15 V16.
The building of the car is the realisation of a boyhood dream for John Owen – the son of the then BRM Formula 1 team principal – who vowed one day to bring the iconic sound of the 1.5-litre supercharged V16 back to Britain’s racetracks and to see them race again in front of packed grandstands. Not since 1953 has a new BRM P15 been built from scratch, but using the original post-war blueprints. Engineers from historic automotive restoration specialists Hall and Hall have, over the past two years, painstakingly recreated the entire vehicle, comprising more than 36,000 individually engineered parts (the engine alone has more than 4,000 components, many of which had to be individually manufactured by the Hall and Hall team).
John Owen, now 82, was just 10 years old when he first heard the unique wail of the V16 engine, which developed 600 horsepower thanks to its ability to spin at an incredible 12,000rpm – far beyond the range of many road and race cars 60 years later. John’s father was BRM’s team principal, Sir Alfred Owen, a leading industrialist and founding member of the consortium charged with building a world-class race car and bringing championship glory to the nation – a vision that was ultimately fulfilled in 1962.
Thanks to the unique partnership with Hall and Hall, the first of the three “new” P15 V16 MK1 machines has been delivered on schedule – and this film is your chance to experience the roar of the V16 for yourself….
