{"id":497397,"date":"2018-03-01T01:54:41","date_gmt":"2018-03-01T09:54:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportscardigest.com\/\/?p=55515"},"modified":"2024-01-08T14:27:09","modified_gmt":"2024-01-08T14:27:09","slug":"robert-blakemore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/robert-blakemore\/","title":{"rendered":"Robert Blakemore"},"content":{"rendered":"

From an early age Robert Blakemore had a passion for pre-war racing cars, particularly Aston Martins. His father owned a MkII, and the young Blakemore would wile away hours just sitting in the driver\u2019s seat imagining he was racing at some of the world\u2019s famous circuits\u2026being careful not to touch any of the dials and switches! Work found commercial aircraft playing a big part of his life following a university education, although the racetrack occupied some of his spare time. However, accepting voluntary redundancy, former Captain Blakemore grasped a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join Ecurie Bertelli, a well-established center of excellence for pre-war Aston Martins, with a view to becoming the owner over a five-year period. VR’s European Editor, Mike Jiggle, took time to understand his journey from boyhood dreamer to managing director of the company from which his father purchased the MkII Aston he once played in.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Robert<\/a>
Robert Blakemore.
Photo: Robert Blakemore Archive<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Many young boys have dreams of becoming a racing driver or a pilot. In your particular case your career and interests have led you to doing both, two bites of the cherry you might say. Was this all to do with a love of speed?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: Certainly not speed per se, although I am a bit of an adrenalin junkie. In an airplane, it wasn\u2019t the normal everyday flights that gave me any sort of excitement, it was when the weather was poor or challenging, or a mechanical issue arose, or the flight somehow became compromised that really thrilled me. Having to work through the difficulties to a successful conclusion was the greatest buzz.<\/p>\n

Motor racing has given me that same rush, not necessarily driving at break-neck speed, pre-war Aston Martins are not fast compared to modern racing cars, but learning how to get the maximum out of a racing car. I like to be the last of the late-brakers, or driving the optimum line through a corner knowing I\u2019d wrung every ounce out of both man and machine and been on the edge.<\/p>\n

So, how did this evolve from being a young boy?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: Before I was born my father had always had some nice cars to drive, he had a couple of pre-war Alvis models, he also had a Rolls-Royce, but he didn\u2019t like it that much and got rid of it very quickly. It was when I was about eight years old that he bought a 1935 Aston Martin MkII from Morntane Engineering in London, which held much more promise, it was a racing car. At that time, Morntane was owned by Nick Mason and run day to day by Derrick Edwards. Of course, Morntane became Ecurie Bertelli in later years.<\/p>\n

My father kept the Aston in the garage and I\u2019d love to get behind the wheel of this superb racing machine, it was all I\u2019d dreamed of with the exhaust coming out of the side, a spot-lamp fixed to one side for rallying\u2014a real racer, which spurred my imagination without moving a single inch. It did, however, promise much more than the Alvis cars, which we\u2019d taken on tours and some rallies. My father had a quite stressful job working for IBM, his love of classic cars was a sort of escapism for him, and the Aston was good enough for the racetrack.<\/p>\n

You father raced?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: Well, his racing was more by accident than design. The story is that my father\u2019s car was having work done on it and was taking a little longer than he desired to be completed. I\u2019m not too sure whether it was Morntane or Ecurie Bertelli at the time, but he tried to force Derrick Edwards\u2019 hand. Knowing Derrick would do anything to get a customer\u2019s car ready for a race meeting, father told him he\u2019d like the car ready for the VSCC High Speed Trial. Of course, this certainly wasn\u2019t the case, it was just a ruse to get his car finished! My father\u2019s bluff was well and truly called when Derrick called saying he was sorry the car would not be ready for the VSCC event, but not to worry as another car had been entered in my father\u2019s name for the event as he didn\u2019t want him to be disappointed.[pullquote]\u201cFor me, the only thing better than flying is pre-war Aston-Martins!\u201d[\/pullquote]<\/p>\n

At that time, it was quite simple to get a license from the RAC (Royal Automobile Club), you simply rang them up and they sent one out in the post, the only other proviso is that the driver had to wear a crash hat, and it was recommended they wore gloves. So, my father purchased a crash helmet and took part in his first ever motor racing event, and absolutely loved every minute of it\u2014the bug had really bitten. He eventually purchased a Le Mans, a MkII, and then sold them both to purchase Derrick Edwards\u2019 Ulster, which he raced with Andy Bell for a number of years. So, I grew up watching my father race with Andy and generally got to know many others involved in the vintage motor racing scene. When I was old enough, I took to the track too.<\/p>\n

I remember talking to Tim Parnell, who told a story of the time his father, Reg, had purchased a number of pre-war racing cars and stored them at the family farm. As a boy, Tim would love to sit in the driving seat and pretend he was racing. I suppose you did much the same with your father\u2019s Aston MkII?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: Yes, yes, I did much the same. I was allowed to pretend all I wanted, as long as I didn\u2019t touch any of the switches. Sawing at the wheel was great fun.<\/p>\n

Where did the love of flying come from?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: I\u2019m not too sure, it just seemed a great thing to do and so I decided I\u2019d have a go. After University, I borrowed some money and gained my Commercial Pilot\u2019s License. For the next 15 or 16 years that was my day-to-day employment. It was mainly European short-haul flights for various airlines in the UK. I did four years as a First Officer and the rest of my time as a Captain. I flew into most of the big airports in Europe, like Schiphol Airport Amsterdam and Charles de Gaulle Paris, also the tiny ones too, like Bergerac in the Dordogne region of France\u2014it had about three parking spaces\u2014and many other airports in between.<\/p>\n

In my time, I had pretty well as many problems during flight as one could have. I even started off with an engine failure mid-flight! During my career, pretty much everything failed\u2014other than losing cabin pressure. It was good fun, as I mentioned before, I loved being on the edge.<\/p>\n

The training is very good and many, if not all, scenarios are played out, so when the real thing happens it becomes second nature to know what to do. There are system failures, then multiple system failures to contend with\u2014even with things that in reality would never have happened.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Blakemore at Ecurie Bertelli’s 40th Anniversary celebration. Photo: Kary Jiggle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

I assume it sharpens the mind much more having problems while in flight rather than on a simulator?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: Yes, but it\u2019s really very methodical and disciplined\u2013 the training is second to none. Every six months I\u2019d be in the simulator, keeping abreast of any new procedures, or scenarios. When it does go wrong, the brain goes into gear and as a pilot you simply deal with it.<\/p>\n

I suppose when Sully landed his crippled plane on the Hudson that was about as bad as it gets with a positive outcome?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: Yes, and after that, pretty much every pilot used any spare time on the simulator to land a plane on water \u2013 it had a dramatic effect. Having said that, if any incident out of the norm occurs in reality, then a pilot wants to practice his reaction to that event or set of circumstances. It\u2019s a good aid to learning and keeps a pilot truly engaged with current trends. There is a saying \u201csafety is no accident\u201d\u2014it\u2019s a very deliberate process in aviation not to have an accident. I believe, in 2017, there were no passenger jet aircraft crashes worldwide. The safety standards are very high. An air crash still makes headline news. It is, by far, the safest form of travel\u2014statistically donkeys are more dangerous.<\/p>\n

Back on terra firma, what was your first road car?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: It was nothing too dramatic, or exciting, it was a Vauxhall Astra. It was simply something to get me from A to B, and as a student, as cheaply as possible. I learned to drive in the family Land Rover \u2014now that was a bit special. The car was used to tow the horsebox and, of course, the trailer to take the Aston to race meetings. Looking back, I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever owned anything that\u2019s too exciting for the road. I tend to look at modern cars as being relatively dull. Yes, they may be superb to others, they\u2019re built to do almost everything the driver desires\u2014even driverless on the horizon\u2014but they lack one thing for me, passion! Most are designed using computers, it appears that most of the desired parameters are put into a computer program and the same shape comes out\u2014the human element is lost, there\u2019s no character.<\/p>\n

What led to your change of direction in employment, leaving the airways for Ecurie Bertelli?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: It was simply my then employer looking to reduce staffing levels\u2014downsizing on pilots too. I was offered a reasonable redundancy package and accepted it after agreeing with Andy Bell that we should work toward me taking over the running of Ecurie Bertelli. For me, the only thing better than flying is pre-war Aston-Martins!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Blakemore thoroughly loved the 2017 Mille Miglia, which he and co-driver Gregory Wood, participated in with a 1936 Aston Martin 2-liter Speed Model.
Photo: Robert Blakemore Archive<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019d raced a pre-war Aston for some years when the opportunity arose, and I also purchased a 1935 Riley as well\u2014I couldn\u2019t afford an Aston. I rebuilt the Riley engine and you could say I was reasonably engrossed in the vintage scene.<\/p>\n

Are you saying a Riley is a poor man\u2019s Aston?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: To be honest, Rileys may be considered to be better cars, but they don\u2019t have the gravitas, or branding, of an Aston. There are far more of them about, so being more plentiful they don\u2019t hold a huge price tag. On the whole, the cars are very similar, but the Rileys are more abundant.<\/p>\n

On a personal note, can the draw of the Aston and your current post at Ecurie Bertelli inexorably be traced back to your father buying the MkII?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: Yes, certainly, it all stems from there. It also stems from my desire to be running and owning an Aston instead of a Riley, too. Growing up, I got to know the history and heritage of many of the pre-war Astons being run at VSCC and AMOC events. I also got to know the owners past and present, and they knew me. It was a great platform to begin working from.<\/p>\n

What was the first working day like at Ecurie Bertelli?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: It was a real difference to what I\u2019d been used too. Flying, by its nature, is a very regimented occupation, the roster tells you when you\u2019re working and where you\u2019re going, in the cockpit there\u2019s a certain drill of checks and procedures to go through prior to flight. My first day here was possibly the antithesis of all I\u2019d been used to. Working here is a more creative role, problems to solve in all the avenues of working, from the practical side of things through to the office systems too. However, the disciplined approach of my former career has greatly assisted my work here. Having to change my mindset to working in a different way, especially as I was embarking on a process to eventually take over the reins of the company, a role where I could almost do as I please, has been challenging.<\/p>\n

Therefore, to answer your question, my first role was to stock-take and understand all the spare parts we either manufactured ourselves, or those that others produced on our behalf. This list currently amounts to around 1,700 parts. The evaluation process with this was to ensure all the costings were bang up-to-date.<\/p>\n

Once this was achieved, I looked at some of our manufacturing procedures, especially with gaskets. Our gaskets were produced by hand from original patterns, this was a lengthy process that was ideally suited to programing via CNC and laser cutting\u2014computer-led technologies that are more efficient both in accuracy and time.<\/p>\n

The basic grounding over those early months helped tremendously and allowed me to understand the business from scratch. Feeding me extra responsibilities ensured I learned not only at a steady pace, but a thorough one too. Most of what the company did and valuable information of the running of the business was locked in Andy\u2019s (Bell) head. Four years on, and I not only manage myself, but also hand tasks to all members of the workforce\u2014including Andy Bell.<\/p>\n

\"Blakemore<\/a>
Blakemore senior and junior with Aston Martin LM3. Photo: Kary Jiggle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

Andy Bell\u2019s working life started with Morntane Engineering and later Ecurie Bertelli, and the part he\u2019s played is indelibly marked. Have you found it difficult for others to understand that you are now in charge?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: Yes, to a degree. Andy is, and always will be an integral part of the business. However, Ecurie Bertelli is made up of many people, all with great knowledge and experience, and getting that known more widely has been key. While the public perception may be Ecurie Bertelli equals Andy Bell, the reality is that Ecurie Bertelli equals an excellence of work and the team that produces it, including Andy Bell. On our web site we like to introduce the team behind Ecurie Bertelli, which has been a tremendous help and brings individual talents and experience to the fore\u2014this has always been the case, but never publicized.<\/p>\n

The gradual and measured change over what will be a five-year period has certainly stood us in great shape. It would have been far, far more difficult had Andy Bell stopped working one day and I took over the next. Indeed, if that had been the case the business would have fallen to pieces by now, I have no doubt. While the technical skills have grown over the years prior to my joining, the systems of running the business hadn\u2019t grown at that same pace. For instance, if we had run out of a part, no one would have had a clue how to source, or replenish the stock. Workflow processes too, were another conundrum; all these things weren\u2019t down on paper, simply all in Andy\u2019s head.<\/p>\n

Today, the business systems ensure I get an email when we are low, or out of a particular part. If it became necessary for a product recall, which we had recently, we can identify where and to whom we supplied the parts. We are in a situation where the skill of an individual is paramount, but the business now has the ability to retain the knowledge. I\u2019m now looking at efficiency gains, improving the way we work in the workshop and being involved with more events than before, so many can enjoy their cars. Recently, we\u2019ve added a couple of vehicles to the business that drivers can rent on an \u201carrive and drive\u201d basis, rather than own their own vehicle.<\/p>\n

I look at the many wooden plan chests behind you; there must be a great deal of history and heritage here that you can draw on?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: We\u2019ve got information in the business that stretches back to the very start of Aston Martin. While we mainly focus on the pre-war cars, our archive gives detailed information on Aston Martin cars produced up until 1985. We still collect and receive additional data today, so the archive is truly a living thing. We also work on the archive, continuing to update photographs of the various cars and models, the racing history\u2014period and modern\u2014the owner details and all things to ensure we have the most up-to-date records possible.<\/p>\n

\"Blakemore<\/a>
Blakemore racing his Riley Special at VSCC Mallory Park. Photo: Pete Austin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The VSCC has recently embraced rallying as well as racing, it seems a lucrative business. Do you see yourselves getting more involved in the modern rallies and tours?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: While racing is my first love, I did the Mille Miglia last year for the first time \u2014an amazing experience, I must say. The atmosphere is electric and the scenery stunning for the whole of the 1,000 miles. I\u2019ve been very lucky too to have competed at Le Mans Classic in a car, which in period took 8th place overall\u2014that was another tick off of the bucket list. Racing through the night was especially exciting. The Goodwood Revival has become such a special event to take part in, Lord March continues to do a great job, and so being invited to race there was a privilege. The quality of the event, both on and off the track, is simply second to none.<\/p>\n

Previously, I\u2019d done a 1,500-mile tour of Europe with my father in a 1933 Aston Martin Le Mans, and a number of similar tours like that while I was studying at University, but nothing competitive until last May. Rallying is a very different way to extract the most out of your vehicle, as accuracy, particularly timing, is essential. As an event, the Mille Miglia dominates the work schedule here over the winter months.<\/p>\n

How does your discipline as a pilot transfer to the track, be it racing or rallying?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: There are two main areas. Firstly, preparation is imperative both for car and aircraft. Practically speaking, great hand and eye co-ordination is a valuable transferable skill set too. There is, and always has been, an inexorable connection between pilots and racing drivers\u2014many times both are at the edge of their abilities.<\/p>\n

\"Captain<\/a>
Captain Blakemore in a very different cockpit. Photo: Robert Blakemore Archive<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

Many pilots of WWII took to motor racing to try and maintain that adrenalin buzz. Did you not want to drive anything faster than a pre-war Aston, or Riley\u2014say a modern formula or GT racing car?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: I\u2019ve been offered, and indeed raced an E-Type Jaguar and cars like that, but the adrenalin rush for me is not how fast you can go down the straight, but going through the corners absolutely on the limit\u2014it\u2019s both the skill and thrill of doing that correctly, knowing you couldn\u2019t have done it any better, or quicker\u2014it\u2019s a great buzz and complete satisfaction. Out and out speed in a straight line holds little magic for me.<\/p>\n

Hypothetically speaking, if money was no object would your dream car be an Aston Martin?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: Yes, well, it would be two Astons actually.<\/p>\n

Always two bites at the cherry?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: I would buy an Aston Martin Ulster 1.5-liter, because it represents the pinnacle of the era, it was the most successful car ever campaigned by the works and also has a great presence, great to look at. I would also want a Speed Model too as, in my view, they are technically the best of the pre-war cars, they are very scarce too\u2014not many were made. The hydraulic brakes are just incredible, with a \u201cgruntier\u201d two-liter engine, an all round better car.<\/p>\n

Lastly, there is a trend, especially by those who are investors, to simply salt away various cars and hide them from the public in the hope that the ultimate hammer price would increase and give them a better return. What are your views on that?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

RB: I\u2019m not an advocate of that at all. It does a car no good at all to simply sit in a garage, or lock-up. In fact, I\u2019d say it devalues them. Keeping a car racing and in the public eye is the way forward, adding to its period history by racing, rallying or competing in modern classic events adds to the value too. I must say, in our small corner, it\u2019s not something I\u2019ve come across.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Blakemore considers the Aston Martin Ulster the pinnacle of the era. Photo: Kary Jiggle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

All our customers love to take their car out and show it off, what\u2019s the point of owning something simply to lock it away? Surely, the great motivator in buying such a car is to enjoy, what after all is a living and breathing machine. It is seeing these cars regularly competing that is that gives me, and many others pure enjoyment.<\/p>\n

Click here to order either the printed version of this issue or a pdf download of the print version.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From an early age Robert Blakemore had a passion for pre-war racing cars, particularly Aston Martins. His father owned a MkII, and the young Blakemore would wile away hours just sitting in the driver\u2019s seat imagining he was racing at some of the world\u2019s famous circuits\u2026being careful not to touch any of the dials and switches! Work found commercial aircraft playing a big part of his life following a university education, although the racetrack occupied some of his spare time. 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