BMC Competitions Department Secrets

The revealing and surprising inside story of the legendary BMC Works Competitions Department told by the three Competition Managers of the highly successful BMC/British Leyland race and rally teams based at Abingdon. The book reveals the inner workings and machinations of one of the most successful motor sport teams Britain has ever seen. Based on previously unpublished internal memos and documents, and the recollections of the prime movers, the book describes the ups and downs, and the politics of big time competition in an exciting era. An excellent and entertaining read and an important factual documentation, no motor sport enthusiast should be without this book.

About the Author :
Peter Browning - BMC Competition Manager 1967-1970, when the Department closed, this was the period when the Works Sebring MGC was at the fore._x000B_

Review :
Motorsport" magazine, December 2005, UK This is a fun read, detailing the underbelly of BMC's competition department. Written by a triumvirate of former managers, it gives an insight into how they functioned within - and despite - BMC and Leyland. Including many never seen before documents, it paints a refreshingly honest picture. It's especially interesting to learn how much the drivers were paid and the terms of their contracts: some of them really couldn't negotiate. The images are wonderful, too. We particularly liked the one of Nancy Mitchell door-handling an MG Magnette saloon. Entered in the 1956 Tulip Rally, her event was over before it started after a scrutineer ran a magnet over the, ahem, standard car and discovered the body panels were made of aluminum. Excellent stuff. Classic Cars" magazine, January 2006, UK The joint authors of this 192-page book are the three men that managed BMC's competitions department from 1955 to 1970. Exposing the secrets of this successful department is a compelling theme, but the book's execution lets it down. Each of the authors narrates extracts from their tenure, but largely through captioned pictures, which make up the bulk of the book. Some of the reprinted memos and internal documents provide the secrets, but they're largely impenetrable to all but the most devoted BMC fan. You'll have to read every word to find the interesting bits. Disappointing, but a valuable reference work. Octane" magazine, January 2006, UK The authors' names say it all: BMC's legendary triumvirate of competitions managers spills the beans on what really went on when preparing works entries. Internal memos reveal some fascinating asides - such as the recommendationthat each crew take a handgun on the 1968 London-Sydney ... Australian Classic Car" online (www.ccar.com.au), July 2006, Australia In case you haven't heard of Marcus Chambers, Stuart Turner and Peter Browning, they were successive managers of the BMC Competition Department from 1955 to 1970. During this period, the Department evolved from a collection of disjointed forays into racing and rallying into the most successful of all company motor sport teams. Read how Marcus Chambers struggled to pull together a coherent team of disparate drivers in a range of unsuitable vehicles. When Stuart Turner took over, the team was well on the way to success, initially with cars like the Austin-Healey 3000 and later with the Mini Cooper. After Turner moved on to Ford, Peter Browning shepherded the Department through management indecision and the mistakes of the Leyland period. The book is laden with hundreds of contemporary photos but reading the inter-departmental memos and letters are even more revealing, especially the minutes of Departmental meetings. The lists of instructions to teams competing in the rallies of the day, even detailing their accommodation, are also intriguing. This book will fascinate anyone interested in the halcyon days of the BMC Competitions Department. Baird Foster for the Austin Healey Club of America, April 2006 Secrets! Here's your opportunity to go behind the scenes with the former managers of the British Motor Corporation (BMC Competitions Department) to learn extraordinary and surprising facts, exploits, policies and politics, all documented with some information and photos never before published. For the true enthusiast who is interested in the Austin Healey's historic role in the success of the BMC Competitions department, and who wants to learn more about other BMC competition machines and the team effort behind them, this book is a must read. Motorsport" magazine, December 2005, UK This is a fun read, detailing the underbelly of BMC's competition department. Written by a triumvirate of former managers, it gives an insight into how they functioned within - and despite - BMC and Leyland. Including many never seen before documents, it paints a refreshingly honest picture. It's especially interesting to learn how much the drivers were paid and the terms of their contracts: some of them really couldn't negotiate. The images are wonderful, too. We particularly liked the one of Nancy Mitchell door-handling an MG Magnette saloon. Entered in the 1956 Tulip Rally, her event was over before it started after a scrutineer ran a magnet over the, ahem, standard car and discovered the body panels were made of aluminum. Excellent stuff. Classic Cars" magazine, January 2006, UK The joint authors of this 192-page book are the three men that managed BMC's competitions department from 1955 to 1970. Exposing the secrets of this successful department is a compelling theme, but the book's execution lets it down. Each of the authors narrates extracts from their tenure, but largely through captioned pictures, which make up the bulk of the book. Some of the reprinted memos and internal documents provide the secrets, but they're largely impenetrable to all but the most devoted BMC fan. You'll have to read every word to find the interesting bits. Disappointing, but a valuable reference work. Octane" magazine, January 2006, UK The authors' names say it all: BMC's legendary triumvirate of competitions managers spills the beans on what really went on when preparing works entries. Internal memos reveal some fascinating asides - such as the recommendation that each crew take a handgun on the 1968 London-Sydney ... Australian Classic Car" online (www.ccar.com.au), July 2006, Australia In case you haven't heard of Marcus Chambers, Stuart Turner and Peter Browning, they were successive manag Motorsport" magazine, December 2005, UK This is a fun read, detailing the underbelly of BMC's competition department. Written by a triumvirate of former managers, it gives an insight into how they functioned within - and despite - BMC and Leyland. Including many never seen before documents, it paints a refreshingly honest picture. It's especially interesting to learn how much the drivers were paid and the terms of their contracts: some of them really couldn't negotiate. The images are wonderful, too. We particularly liked the one of Nancy Mitchell door-handling an MG Magnette saloon. Entered in the 1956 Tulip Rally, her event was over before it started after a scrutineer ran a magnet over the, ahem, standard car and discovered the body panels were made of aluminum. Excellent stuff. Classic Cars" magazine, January 2006, UK The joint authors of this 192-page book are the three men that managed BMC's competitions department from 1955 to 1970. Exposing the secrets of this successful department is a compelling theme, but the book's execution lets it down. Each of the authors narrates extracts from their tenure, but largely through captioned pictures, which make up the bulk of the book. Some of the reprinted memos and internal documents provide the secrets, but they're largely impenetrable to all but the most devoted BMC fan. You'll have to read every word to find the interesting bits. Disappointing, but a valuable reference work. Octane" magazine, January 2006, UK The authors' names say it all: BMC's legendary triumvirate of competitions managers spills the beans on what really went on when preparing works entries. Internal memos reveal some fascinating asides- such as the recommendation that each crew take a handgun on the 1968 London-Sydney ... Australian Classic Car" online (www.ccar.com.au), July 2006, Australia In case you haven't heard of Marcus Chambers, Stuart Turner and Peter Browning, they were successive managers of the BMC Competition Department from 1955 to 1970. During this period, the Department evolved from a collection of disjointed forays into racing and rallying into the most successful of all company motor sport teams. Read how Marcus Chambers struggled to pull together a coherent team of disparate drivers in a range of unsuitable vehicles. When Stuart Turner took over, the team was well on the way to success, initially with cars like the Austin-Healey 3000 and later with the Mini Cooper. After Turner moved on to Ford, Peter Browning shepherded the Department through management indecision and the mistakes of the Leyland period. The book is laden with hundreds of contemporary photos but reading the inter-departmental memos and letters are even more revealing, especially the minutes of Departmental meetings. The lists of instructions to teams competing in the rallies of the day, even detailing their accommodation, are also intriguing. This book will fascinate anyone interested in the halcyon days of the BMC Competitions Department.