Birkin, Sir Henry

Dear all,
Please could any of you shed any light on the life of Sir Henry Birkin? This man is my hero ( anyone who bankrupts their family in the pursuit of a better faster british racing car is a hero to me )and I would really like to know more about the man, I have a copy of his autobiography Full Throttle but it doen't really delve into his life. I would be most greatful if anyone has any information or if there are any other books about his life which I could get hold of. Also if anyone can tell me if any of his Blower Bentley's are still racing that would be great, I would love to be pictured beside one (or if my prayers are answered actually sit in one!!)

thanks for your time, Paul

I'm not sure but Tim may be able to help you here;)

There was a program on the beeb called Heroes and Villains a few years back. One of the episodes was about 'Tim' - he was played by Rowan Atkinson. It was very entertaining, although I don't know how true to life it was. I have Full Throttle too and the program fitted in with the style of the book. I do remember a letter in Autosport the week after it was on from someone who knew Birkin and they remarked that Atkinson did a very good job at portraying him.

hello adam i scoured the internet and found a copy of the Heroes and villans on DVD from somewhere in Canada it's OK but its a bit of a soap opera style programme its good I was just wondering if there was anything more definitve. I know that you guys on here are very knowledgeable so I thought this would be a good place to start a search.
Thank you very much for such a swift response.

I have full throttle

Well, been here 24 hours and Tim has not replied yet. Unusual......

I do have some info, but I will leave it for now so the expert can reply in full detail.

Simon

Thanks SL, it will be good knowing a little bit more about the man

Duke has a fair to middlin video......click here (http://www.dukevideo.com/products/3319.htm)

From the Brooklands Society site

""Sir Henry Birkin Bt. was born into a wealthy Nottingham family in 1896, ultimately inheriting his father’s lace manufacturing business. In the early days of his motor racing, money was never an issue for Birkin but later on the cost of developing his blower Bentleys consumed most of his family fortune and he sought sponsorship which arrived in the form of Dorothy Paget who was known as a wealthy horse racing enthusiast.

Of all the Bentley boys Tim Birkin was the one schoolboys knew best. He was a ruthless driver who drove his cars very hard in a "press on" manner and became the ultimate racing icon of his time, silk scarf flying in the wind, a model of bravery and excitement. He was not a large man and he spoke with a strong and persistent stutter which belied his popular image but did nothing to damage his reputation as a lady killer on a very wide scale. Tim Birkin, alongside such names as Sir Henry Segrave and Malcolm Campbell was probably the most famous driver of his time - the Stirling Moss of the nineteen thirties.

He had many victories including first place at Le Mans in a Speed Six Bentley in which he shared the driving with Woolf Barnato. He set fastest lap for the race and between them they led the race from start to finish.

Walter Bentley designed his engines for smoothness, reliability and power and only went racing if he thought his cars could win and entirely to sell more cars. His answer to needing more speed was always to build a bigger engine, maintaining the quality and reliability image which would sell road cars with a sporting image. When Tim Birkin suggested supercharging this went against the grain at Bentleys and he resolved to to the job himself.

For 1930 the Hon. Dorothy Paget bankrolled Birkin’s 4½ litre blower Bentley team which turned out to be incredibly expensive as the cars were consistently unreliable although very fast when they were working, The red Blower Birkin Bentley, which is still raced today in VSCC events, becoming a very famous and symbolic car in which he set a Brooklands Outer Circuit lap record in April 1930 of 135.34 m.p.h. At the end of that year Dorothy Paget felt that she had to bow out and the cars were sold off leaving Tim Birkin to look elsewhere, particularly as recession was looming and Bentleys also withdrew from racing.

He bought the red "Blower" and for 1931 he also purchased a Maserati for Grand Prix events and an Alfa Romeo for sports car racing. He won the Irish Grand Prix in the Alfa and Le Mans in partnership with Earl Howe. In partnership with George Eyston he used the Maserati to take fourth place in the French Grand Prix.

He continued to race the red "Blower" in which on the 24th March 1932 he raised the Brooklands Outer Circuit lap record to 137.96 m.p.h., beating Kaye Don’s Sunbeam record by 3.8 seconds. This record stood for another two years before being beaten by John Cobb’s Napier Railton and the Blower Bentley remains the fourth fastest car around Brooklands, having also ultimately been beaten by Whitney Straight’s Duesenberg and Chris Staniland’s Multi-Union in latter years.

In 1933 he bought a new Maserati and gained 3rd place in the Tripoli Grand Prix, the story has it, burning his arm on the hot exhaust pipe during practice while reaching into the cockpit for his cigarette lighter. He returned to London with his arm bandaged and was admitted to the Countess Carnarvon Nursing Home with septicaemia, generally assumed from the burn.

Dudley Benjafield fought hard to save Birkin’s life and he was recovering until a relapse, dying on June 22nd 1933. Walter Bentley maintained in his autobiography that Brkin’s death was not due to the burn but to a mosquito bite that he had picked up in Tripoli which sparked off septicemia which related back to malaria which he had picked up in Palestine during the First World War. Either way he was killed by blood poisoning prematurely ending the career of one of the best known and most accomplished of British drivers.""

Originally posted by strad
This record stood for another two years before being beaten by John Cobb’s Napier Railton and the Blower Bentley remains the fourth fastest car around Brooklands, having also ultimately been beaten by Whitney Straight’s Duesenberg and Chris Staniland’s Multi-Union in latter years.
Somebody can't count

1. Barnato (Barnato-Hassan)
2. Staniland (Multi Union)
3. Straight (Duesenberg)
4. Cobb (Napier Railton)
5. Birkin (Blower Bentley)

Not that this in any way reduces Birkin's achievement.

Apparently Tim Birkin and the Blower will be featured in the new feature film called Brooklands.

Excellent I can't wait. I wonder if they will get Rowan Atkinson will play Sir Henry Again???

That would be great!

I am currently reading the late Anthony Blight's book called 'Georges Roesch and the Invincible Talbot', an absolutely superb read. In covering the races in which Talbots were racing in detail, Birkin features pretty strongly, not only in the blower Bentley but also, for example the Alfa in which he won the 1931 Le Mans, sharing with Earl Howe. There are many references to him and his driving style and achievements.

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the 1930 French GP. In those lean days it was run as a Formula Libre race and Birkin ran a stripped Le Mans type 4 1/2 s/c sports Bentley and finished 2nd to FiFi Entacelin in a Bugatti and ahead of several other full race Bugatti 35's. This probably inspired Ettore bugatti's "Fastest lorries in the world" quip.

And does anyone know what DID cause his death? The Brooklands Society web page reproduced above suggests that the commonly accepted "blood poisoning", or septicaemia, from a badly treated burn may not be entirely correct.

Originally posted by D-Type
And does anyone know what DID cause his death? The Brooklands Society web page reproduced above suggests that the commonly accepted "blood poisoning", or septicaemia, from a badly treated burn may not be entirely correct.

Originally posted by strad
From the Brooklands Society site

In 1933 he bought a new Maserati and gained 3rd place in the Tripoli Grand Prix, the story has it, burning his arm on the hot exhaust pipe during practice while reaching into the cockpit for his cigarette lighter. He returned to London with his arm bandaged and was admitted to the Countess Carnarvon Nursing Home with septicaemia, generally assumed from the burn.

Dudley Benjafield fought hard to save Birkin’s life and he was recovering until a relapse, dying on June 22nd 1933. Walter Bentley maintained in his autobiography that Brkin’s death was not due to the burn but to a mosquito bite that he had picked up in Tripoli which sparked off septicemia which related back to malaria which he had picked up in Palestine during the First World War. Either way he was killed by blood poisoning prematurely ending the career of one of the best known and most accomplished of British drivers.""

It would now seem that this is perhaps the reality behind Birkin's death. It now seems assured that it was a combination of these two factors -- the burn and the malaria -- which led to his death, not one or the other. I have come to this conclusion after much research and thought after leaning towards the malaria theory for a number of years. After reviewing my notes in light of additional material made available to me by Doug Nye, I think that the Brooklands Society has it right. I think that this should lay to rest at least one part of the myth surrounding the 1933 GP di Tripoli.

Does any one know if any of the Blower Bentleys are still being raced ( Goodwood or similar?? ) I know that they cost a fortune to buy let alone race, but if I could see and hear one running in anger as it was meant to, it would be a dream come true!

I've looked at websites such as Stanley Mann Racing but never had the courage to drop them a line, as I don't have the means to purchase one of there cars why should they respond to a general enquiry from an oik like me ;)

Lots of Blower Bentleys are seen at BDC and VSCC meetings, though which of them are genuine ex-Birkin jobs I wouldn't like to say.
The red Birkin Blower single-seater does however race on a fairly regular basis. It was recently sold by George Daniels but I've forgotten who the new owner is...

Thank you for the quick responce David it would be great to see that running. If anyone could post a list of next years meeting's as and when there published that would be great. Do you know how much the car was sold for? ( he says counting the change in his pocket! ;) )

Can't help with the unique Birkin single-seater, but I can give a benchmark price for a Bentley with a recognised racing pedigree.

A friend of my grandfather's died about six years ago and amongst his effects was a Bentley 4.5 litre which was raced at Brooklands by WB Scott. In fine order it fetched £300,000, which rather surprised my father who was still firmly of the belief that you paid about a hundred pounds per litre of Bentley (the going rate in about 1954!)

I hasten to add, that figure of £300k is about twice the going rate for a really nicely kept standard four-and-a-half without a race history and six times the price of an entry-level Three.

Hhhmmmm, lets home for a big win on the lottery.
Thanks Tim.

home should read HOPE it's been a long day, sorry.

Should have mentioned that George Daniels also owned (and may still) one of the ex-Birkin Le Mans Blower Bentleys. He once gave me a lift in it from the Isle of Man airport to Douglas.

I have read somewhere that Birkin used to live in the Norfolk area and his Bentley was often seen being driven enthusiastically along the old A11. Maybe someone could throw some light on this !

GREEN with envy, you are a lucky lucky man!

Merry Christmas to everyone here on ten-tenths, thanks for all your help in answering my questions this past year.

I know that Sir Henry lived in Blakeney (not sure of the spelling sorry) and is infact buried in the cemetry of the of the local church there. With regard to him driving enthusiastically along the old A11 in the DVD which I've got ( Full Throttle ) its said that he drove from Mayfair to the Norfolk border in an hour and if he didnt achieve this feat he would turn around and try again! Although I dont know if this was made up to makr the story sound better, does anyone know if it's true or not??

I notice that Birkins Bently teams' workshops in Welwyn Garden City have been standing empty for some months now since the last occupants, a motor spares retailer, moved out. Originally it stood in a row of about 7 identical factory units, over the years these have gradually been demolished such that there's only 2 left now. If somebody doesn't try to get it listed, or a motorsport enthusiast buy it, I doubt it will survive too much longer.

For a time Birkin lived at Tacolneston Hall which is 10 miles SW of Norwich, he definatly used to shoot at Blakeney and is buried there. The Hon. Dorothy Paget who bank-rolled the Blower Bentleys lived at Brandon on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, the grounds now form Brandon Country Park which is open to the public. I have heard that Sir 'Tim' also raced a power boat on Diss Mere, but I have seen nothing in writing to back this up!
Apparently the nickname 'Tim' was given to him by his sister after a character in a childrens comic called 'Tiny Tim'

Hi quickoldtimer,
The units which used to house Sir Henry Birkin's workshop are now unfortunately a Topps tiles shop and a pizza/curry takeaway place along with a direct mailing office. It is a sad fact that the achievements there haven't been recognised by the town, but considering the state of the old Welwyn film studios opposite it is a miracle that they haven't either been demolished or left to rot. The council in Welwyn Garden City really don't seem bothered about the history and past achievements of the town.

The Birkin family home was Ruddington Hall a large white building on the east of the A60 Nottingham-Loughborough road. When I last went passed it was a nursing home.

Sir Henry served in WWI first in the Sherwood Forresters and subsequently, I believe in the RFC from where his Captain's rank comes. He was known in the early 20s locally as a fast and furious driver and certainly owned a sports Salmson at one time.

It's worth remembering that Wally Hassan rode with Brikin as his mechanic in the German Grand Prix in 1928 when the race was run for sports cars. Birkin drove a 4.5 litre Bentley and finished 8th behind 4 Mercedes-Benz and 3 Type 35 Bugattis. Wally Hassan considered the drive to have been outstanding in an outclassed car and believed that Birkin was the Jim Clark of his day. An opinion which should be respected as he knew them both.

A hero for sure

Oh by the way, Sir Henry's nickname of "Tim" came as I understood from Tiger Tim one of the earliest British chidren's comic characters. He was a gentle, but brave tiger cub.

Have a look at our website www.bdcl.org

Whilst on a business trip to Norfolk recently, I was able to find time to visit Blakeney to find Tim's grave. Quite an experience, as he was one of my father's heroes, which is why I was named Tim, after him.