Oliver Bertram

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Oliver Henry Julius Bertram (26 February 1910-13 September 1975) was an English racing driver who held the Brooklands race track record for 2 months 2 days during 1935. He was twice awarded the BRDC Gold Star.

Bertram was the eldest son of Julius Bertram 1866-1944 and Marjorie Sutton 1878-1947. He was educated at Stowe School, Buckingham and Cambridge University. He was by profession a barrister at law practising in London.

He started racing at Cambridge in 1929. He became the Brooklands outer lap record holder in his 8 litre special Barnato-Hassan Bentley racing car on the 5 August 1935 with a time of 69.85 seconds, attaining an average speed of 142.60mph. However this record was to stand for only 2 months 2 days, for on the 7 October in the same year John Cobb regained the title in his Napier Railton with a speed of 143.44mph.^[1]

Bertram won the Easter Short handicap race in 1935 and with John Cobb took first place in 1937 in the BRDC 500 Kilometres Race - a shortened version of the 500 Miles Race. He was awarded the British Racing Drivers' Club gold star twice - in 1935 and 1938.^[2]

He married Anne Clarke. They had 2 children,James Julius Bertram and Janet L.Bertram

[edit] References

• Historic Racing
• Motor Sport - Profile of Oliver Bertram 1983 No 6