Description
Author: Bryan Apps, Hardbound, 208 Pages, ISBN: 9781845847869, 1st Edition, August, 2015 -
Foreword by Raymond Mays
"Bryan Apps' enthusiasm, knowledge and skill as an artist have produced a unique record of two great motor racing marques. As someone who is old enough to have watched the legendary ERA single-seaters in their pre-World War II glory days, and
who similarly watched their BRM successors - from the ambitious V16 to the World Championship winners - I warmly welcome his tribute to the Constructor achievements of Raymond Mays."
- Murray Walker
This biography of Raymond Mays includes complete histories of ERA and BRM, including race summaries, and a foreword by Mays himself. Personal letters addressed to the author from Alfred Owen, David Brown, Tony Rudd, Rivers Fletcher, Bob Gerard, Ken Richardson,
Juan Fangio, and many others add intimacy to the story. Illustrated with over one hundred of the author's colour paintings.
Laced with fascinating anecdotes, Raymond Mays' Magnificent Obsession reveals a pivotal figure in motor sport history, and describes the author's enthusiasm for British Racing Motors.
Focusing on Mays' early years and successes in motor racing in the 1920s, this book follows his progress to becoming a national celebrity. His famous White Riley's successes at Shelsley Walsh and Brooklands are detailed, leading on to the building of the ERAs, which - led by Mays himself - represented the UK in voiturette races on theContinent.
ERA's story unfolds with references to all the races in which the team took part. After WWII, Mays' achievement in building an all-British Grand Prix car, with the financial support of the British motor industry, is detailed, going on to describe how, after many changes, a BRM driven by Graham Hill won the 1962 World Championship.
With the help of Mays' letters to the author, this book covers the entire history of BRM until its demise in 1976.
A lifelong motor racing enthusiast, Bryan Apps created a BRM scrapbook at the age of thirteen, with Raymond Mays writing its foreword In 1952. Mays continued corresponding with Bryan for many years, keeping him informed of the latest developments.
Through his paintings, Bryan also formed lasting friendships with Manfred von Brauchitsch, Ken Tyrrell, and many others. He has already had four books published, covering a number of motor racing subjects.
As an Anglican priest, Bryan Apps acquired international recognition with a 97hp Mobile Church, and established entries in the Guinness Book of Records with a model car and train for charities.
