Blast from the Past, Prince Bira

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Written by Kate Walker

Sunday, 05 September 2010 09:11

Motor racing has always been a magnet for the rich and famous.

But few of the hangers on have quite the glamour of early Formula 1 driver Prince Bira of Thailand.

In the 1930s, Prince Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh of Siam arrived in the UK to complete his education at Eton. While studying, Prince Bira was introduced to the glamorous world of motorsport by his cousin, Prince Chula Chakrabongse. Any plans Bira might have had to return home after completing his studies were interrupted by his uncle's abdication, and the Thai prince elected to complete his studies at Cambridge while nurturing his new-found interest in motorsport.

Prince Chula's interest in motorsport extended as far as team ownership – the Thai prince owned White Mouse Racing – and in 1935 he allowed his cousin to try his hand at racing behind the wheel of a Riley Imp and an MG Magnette, before buying Bira an ERA for his 21st birthday.

The ERA was a great success, and Prince Bira quickly began to make a name for himself as an international voiturette star. His first race in the ERA saw Bira on the second step of the podium, and the young prince continued to perform well throughout the 1935 season, scoring another second place and a P5. In 1936, Prince Bira won the Coupe de Prince Rainier at Monte Carlo, a highlight of his pre-war racing career although far from his only accolade: the Thai prince was awarded the BRDC Road Racing Gold Star in 1936, 1937, and 1938.

In the clip below, Prince Bira wins the 1937 Campbell Trophy at Brooklands.

But the war changed everything. Prince Bira spent the Second World War living in Cornwall with his British wife, and reportedly provided the RAF with specialised glider training, one of his many talents.

Motorsport would take a back seat until the end of the war, when Prince Bira reestablished White Mouse Racing. But the lack of racing in England rendered the team pointless, and Bira decided to make his mark on the post-war European scene. The young prince spent the late 1940s and early '50s flirting with a range of teams, driving for Gordini and HRM, among others.

In 1950, Formula 1's debut season, Prince Bira picked up five world championship points and finished eighth in the drivers' standings. He piloted a Maserati 4CLT to fourth in Switzerland and fifth in Monaco, and retired from the other two races he entered that season. It would be Bira's most successful season in Formula 1; the Thai prince continued in the sport until 1955, but only won non-championship races.

In the clip below, watch highlights of the 1954 French Grand Prix at Reims-Gueux. Prince Bira finished fourth behind the wheel of the legendary Maserati 250F.