Tim Birkin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tim Birkin
Tim Birkin at the 1931 24 Hours of Le Mans
Born	Henry Ralph Stanley Birkin (1896-07-26)26 July 1896 Nottingham, United Kingdom
Died	22 June 1933(1933-06-22) (aged 36) London, United Kingdom
Nationality	British
Relatives	Archie Birkin (brother) Cindy Buxton (granddaughter)
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years	1928–1932
Teams	Bentley Motors Ltd. Private
Best finish	1st (1929, 1931)
Class wins	2 (1929, 1931)

Sir Henry Ralph Stanley Birkin, 3rd Baronet (born July 26, 1896 – died June 22, 1933), was a famous British racing driver. He was known as Tim Birkin and was one of the "Bentley Boys" in the 1920s. The Bentley Boys were a group of wealthy British drivers who raced Bentley cars.

Early Life and Family

Tim Birkin was born in 1896 in Nottingham, England. His family was very wealthy. His father was Sir Thomas Stanley Birkin. When he was a child, Henry got the nickname "Tim." This came from a popular comic book character called Tiger Tim. He used this nickname for the rest of his life.

Tim Birkin married Audrey Clara Lilian Latham in 1921. They had two daughters, Pamela and Sara. Pamela later became the mother of wildlife filmmaker Cindy Buxton. Tim's younger brother, Archie Birkin, was also a racer. Sadly, Archie died during practice for a motorcycle race in 1927.

Military Service

During World War I, Tim Birkin joined the Royal Flying Corps. This was an early air force. He became a Lieutenant. He served in Palestine. While there, he caught malaria. This was a serious illness that affected him for the rest of his life.

Racing Adventures

Tim Birkin at the 1929 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In 1921, Tim Birkin started motor racing. He competed in a few races at Brooklands. He then took a break from racing. In 1927, he returned to the tracks. He drove a three-litre Bentley car.

By 1928, he had a 4½ litre car. He decided to race full-time, even though his family did not want him to. Soon, people knew him on the race tracks. He often wore a blue and white spotted silk scarf. He drove for the official Bentley team, the "Bentley Boys."

In 1928, Birkin raced in the Le Mans race again. He led for the first 20 laps. But a jammed wheel caused him to fall behind. He finished fifth with his co-driver, Jean Chassagne. Chassagne bravely rescued the damaged car.

The next year, Birkin won the Le Mans race. He drove the "Speed Six" with Woolf Barnato. This car was very big and powerful. Ettore Bugatti, another car maker, once called the Bentley "the world's fastest lorry."

Tim Birkin racing Bentley Blower No.1 at Brooklands in 1929.

Tim Birkin believed that adding a supercharger to the 4½ litre Bentley would make it even better. A supercharger is a device that forces more air into the engine, making it more powerful. Bentley Motors did not want to build this supercharged car. So, Birkin decided to build it himself.

He got help from experts and found someone to pay for the project. He added a huge supercharger to the front of the car. This gave the car a unique look. The 242 horsepower "blower Bentley" was born.

The first "blower Bentley" was a special racing car. It appeared at a race in 1929. At first, the car was not very reliable. Even so, Birkin convinced Bentley to make 50 supercharged cars. This was needed for the car to race in the Le Mans twenty-four-hour race.

In 1930, two of Birkin's blower Bentleys raced at Le Mans. They had an exciting battle with a Mercedes car. All three cars eventually had to stop. The victory went to the Bentley works team. Birkin's brave driving, especially how he pushed his rivals, showed the true spirit of racing.

In 1930, Birkin also raced his blower Bentley in the Grand Prix in Pau, France. His car was a touring car, but he stripped it down for racing. The race was 25 laps long. Birkin started in sixth place. The long straight parts of the track were perfect for his supercharged Bentley.

During the race, Birkin moved up through the field. He even used his car's horn to warn another driver to move over! This was very unusual in Grand Prix racing. With seven laps left, Birkin was in second place. He finished second, making history for a British Bentley driver.

Later Life and Death

Tim Birkin's grave.

In 1930, Bentley Motors stopped racing. This changed Birkin's life. He continued to race despite these challenges. In 1931, he won Le Mans again with Earl Howe. They drove an Alfa Romeo car. He even received a telegram from Benito Mussolini congratulating him.

In 1932, he set a new lap record at Brooklands. He drove his special "Brooklands Battleship" car. This record stood for two years.

In May 1933, he raced in the Tripoli Grand Prix. During a pit stop, he burned his arm badly on a hot exhaust pipe. The wound became infected. He also suffered from a malaria attack. It was likely a combination of these issues that led to his death. Tim Birkin died in London on June 22, 1933, at the age of 36. He was buried in Norfolk, England.

Legacy and Memorials

Tim Birkin's life was shown in a 1995 TV show called Full Throttle. The comedian Rowan Atkinson played Tim Birkin.

In 2000, a special edition of the Bentley Arnage car was named "The Birkin Arnage." Another car, the Bentley Continental GT, also has a "Birkin Edition."

Birkin House, a guest house in Stinsford, is named after him.

The artist Terence Cuneo painted "The Spirit of Brooklands." This painting shows Tim Birkin racing John Cobb. Birkin won that race by a small margin.

Racing Results

Complete European Championship Results

(Races in bold indicate pole position)

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans Results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1928	Bentley Motors Ltd	Jean Chassagne	Bentley 4½ Litre	5.0	135	5th	5th
1929	Bentley Motors Ltd	Woolf Barnato	Bentley Speed Six	8.0	174	1st	1st
1930	Hon. Dorothy Paget	Jean Chassagne	Bentley 4½ Litre 'Blower'	>3.0	138	DNF (Engine)
1931	Earl Howe (private entrant)	Francis Curzon, Earl Howe	Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 LM	3.0	184	1st	1st
1932	Earl Howe (private entrant)	Francis Curzon, Earl Howe	Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 LM	5.0 **	110	DNF (Engine)

• Note **: equivalent class for supercharging, with x1.33 modifier to engine capacity.