Why do we spend more time remembering the glorious failure of the V16 than we do the cars that finally brought grand prix victory to the optimistic BRM marque? Is it just the unparalleled shriek of that centrifugal supercharger? Or maybe it’s that British hang-up about failing with glory, the way we’re as proud of the Dunkirk retreat as we are of D-Day itself. There are new V16s on the way but so far no mention of new-build P578s…
Still, it’s not a lament that can be aimed at this large-format and beautifully produced work, written by historian Ian Wagstaff with BRM expert Doug Nye, and featuring much material from the Owen organisation and family who saved and backed BRM and allowed it to survive as part of a major industrial combine despite a lavish engineering spend that would have sunk an independent firm.