Formula 1 has given us some of the most iconic engine noises of all time, but none can match the BRM V16. Following a resurrection project initiated by the engine’s creator’s grandsons, the first of three new BRMs returned to the race track recently at the famous Goodwood Revival meeting.
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Brief history of the BRM V16
Engineer and industrialist Alfred Owen entered into a deal in the late 1940s, becoming one of the people who would run Britain’s original Formula 1 team, British Racing Motors (BRM). Owen would go on to own the racing team, which was the pioneering force behind the V16 Formula One engine.
The 1.5-liter, supercharged unit had 16 cylinders with a 1,490cc displacement, producing 600bhp at almost 12,000rpm. Made in 1950, it would be over three decades before another Formula 1 engine could match this performance. In 2021, three of Owen’s grandsons began a project to revive the BRM V16.
The sound
The BRM engine was known for many things, but its most iconic reputation was the sound it made. Even the most powerful hybrid engine on the track today sounds weedy compared to this beast. Although you can google it, no computer speaker could handle the highly complex and thunderous sound of the V16.
In fact, the sound was so recognizable and unique that it became a signature feature and is widely recognized as the best-sounding F1 engine of all time. People travelled from across the globe to hear it.
Goodwood Revival comeback
With so many amazing attributes, it only made sense that someone would want to revive this iconic 1950 Formula 1 engine, and in 2021 the Owen family did. Former BRM mechanic and historic ace Rick Hall says that Alfred’s son and grandsons approached Hall & Hall to resurrect the BRM V16.
According to Hall, the vision was to build three V16s and hear them race at Goodwood. He explained that, although five originals still did exist, no one was running them, “… because they were very tired, very old and had not had a lot of money spent on them for many years.”
In 2022, the team, consisting of Hall, Alfred’s grandsons, and some collaborators, completed the first of three new V16s – a BRM V16 chassis IV. This iconic car recently made its debut on the racetrack at the Goodwood Revival. Hall’s son, Rob, is set to use it to contest the Goodwood Trophy for Voiturette and other Grand Prix racers.
Sadly Rob was forced to retire during his debut, but he still believes the BRM can win again. Motorsports can lose its allure every once in a while, but events like the resurrection and debut of the BRM V16 at the Goodwood Revival prove that the industry is far from dead.