The British Racing Motors (unofficial) information centre.

- Raymond Mays/E.R.A./B.R.M. timeline -

(Thomas) Raymond Mays CBE (1st August 1899 – 6th January 1980)

1899 – Born 1st August at Eastgate House, Bourne, Lincolnshire.

1912 – Started at “Berystead” preparatory school (The Berrystead at Oundle School).

1914 – Moved up from “Berystead” to Oundle School (near Peterborough, Lincolnshire).

1917 – In December started army service training in the Grenadier Guards.

1918 – Received his commission in May.

1918 – In October posted to France and then after the Armistice to Germany, resigning his commission in 1919.

1919 – In October started university at Christ's College, Cambridge.

1921 – First competition year in a Hillman 1.5-litre Speed Model called “Quick Silver”. Having left Cambridge, Mays started learning the family business.

1922 – Ran a Brescia Bugatti, later to be known as 'Cordon Rouge'.

1924 – Added a second Brescia Bugatti, called 'Cordon Bleu'.

1925 – Mays campaigned a supercharged A.C.

1926 - Mays campaigned a TT Vauxhall.

1927 – A 2-litre Targa Florio Mercedes was used.

1928 - Mays campaigned the supercharged TT Vauxhall - the “Villiers Supercharge”.

1930 – The much modified supercharged TT Vauxhall was now known as the “Vauxhall-Villiers”.

1931 – An Invicta was in regular use known as “The White Invicta”.

(Photograph -Silverstone, 24 April 2010) ..................... More Photos

1933 – “The White Riley” was raced and formed the seed for the E.R.A. team that followed.

1934 - The first year of the ERA team with Mays as one of the directors. See the ERA page.

1938 – Shelsley Motors Ltd. was formed with Mays as one of the directors to produce the “Raymond Mays Special” sports tourer.

1939 - Mays withdrew from the ERA team and set up Automobile Developments Ltd with Peter Berthon intending to produce a Grand Prix car for Britain.

1939-1945 – The Second World War changed motor racing into a planning exercise.

1945 – 2nd March - “Mays Project” launched to form a Grand Prix team.

1947 – 25th April - British Motor Racing Research Trust formed.

1947 – The first British Hill Climb Championship was won by Mays.

1948 – The British Hill Climb Championship was again won by Mays.

1949 - Automobile Developments Limited renamed BRM Limited. See the BRM page.

1949 – On 15^th December Mays demonstrated the first BRM V16 to the press at Folkingham Aerodrome, Lincolnshire.

1952 - The BRM Trust was wound up and the assets and name bought by the Rubery Owen Ltd.

1950s and 1960s “Mays Heads” and other tuning equipment for Ford engines were produced.

1959 – BRM won its first World Championship Grand Prix.

1962 - BRM won the Constructors' World Championship.

1972 - BRM won its last World Championship Grand Prix.

1975 - The Owen Organisation sold the team assets and Owen family member Jean and husband Louis Stanley (previous joint managing directors) took over the team and entered as “Stanley-BRM”.

1977 – 11^th September BRM entered its last Grand Prix in Italy. Teddy Pilette in P207/02 did not qualify, being seven places and over one and a half seconds away from a start.

1978 – Received the CBE for services to motor sport.

1980 –Died on 6th January in Bourne.

V1.0 - 16 March 2011.

© David Hodgkinson 2000-2011. All rights reserved.