BRABHAM! The old band really IS getting back together!

**maximilian** · 5th June 2009, 13:10

Originally Posted by tomh

There is also a "Brabham Racing" in Germany that claims to have rights to the name (and whose announcement in December generated a similar complaint from the family).

It would be nice to know what really happened with the rights of the name when the Middlebridge F1 effort collapsed ...

I think this might well be the same outfit. My guess is, the Brabhams didn't have the cash to buy back "all" the rights, and some one a little more affluent snapped up a part of it, or more. But I guess we'll find out. Or won't, because if Brabham isn't chosen as one of the final entrants, we may never hear from them again

**V12** · 5th June 2009, 14:39

Ironically Jack Brabham never wanted to use the Brabham name to start with. His and Tauranac's firm set up to build racing cars was called Motor Racing Developments and the cars were to be called MRDs.

But legend has it, can't remember the exact story but something to with Frenchmen pronouncing it as "merde" led Brabham to reluctantly slap his own name on the thing. Pretty much like how you'd never imagine a car called an SHT in the English speaking world.

And to be fair Jack Brabham had nothing to do with the Brabham outfit from 1971 onwards. But still, I have nothing but respect for the guy and everything he achieved and it would be nice that any such operation, succesful or not, bearing his name, at least has his and his family's blessing.

5th June 2009, 14:51

Originally Posted by maximilian

I think this might well be the same outfit.

I suspected that myself, and dug into it. They are two separate companies, though (albeit both in Germany), in two different cities, and there don't appear to be any people in common. However, anything's possible behind the scenes.

**D28** · 6th June 2009, 02:27

Originally Posted by V12

And to be fair Jack Brabham had nothing to do with the Brabham outfit from 1971 onwards. But still, I have nothing but respect for the guy and everything he achieved and it would be nice that any such operation, succesful or not, bearing his name, at least has his and his family's blessing.

Amen to that. Sir Jack has the unique distinction of back to back World Drivers/Consructors titles in a car of his own design, with the Drivers championship in 1966 for himself, and 1967 for Denis Hulme. Of particular note is how competitive he was in 1970, age 44. He had one win, 2 2nds and a 3rd; in his final GP at Mexico he settled for a certain 3rd position till his engine let go. When Jack was in charge, Brabham was never a name to be taken lightly.