My favourite place to have presented for drive, has to be the Rubery Owen boardroom.
I have been fortunate to be shown round many design studios in my time, from super yacht consultancies to major car manufacturers. As well as being served a coffee in many of their meeting rooms, but none come close to the feeling of history expressed by this boardroom.
For those who don’t know what the connection Rubery Owen have to the car industry, Sir Alfred Owen was responsible for rescuing the BRM F1 racing team. Saved from almost certain extinction his support saw BRM rise to take the Formula 1 World Constructors Championship, as well as the F1 driver’s title with Graham Hill at the wheel.
Rubery Owen Boardroom
We were there, at the old Rubery Owen headquarters, with a team putting together a proposition to take the BRM name back into the limelight, with a supercar programme.
Steeped in history, the idea that just perhaps Graham Hill or Jackie Stewart had signed a contract or two here, a bit like an audience with Enzo Ferrari, fuelled my imagination.
BRM Trophies
BRM trophies and personal mementos were lovely to look at and were such a rare opportunity for anyone to see.
I was in heaven.
The Bourne Heritage Trust Museum
The Bourne Heritage Trust Museum has been entrusted with many of the BRM F1 race winning trophies, which were donated to them by Rubery Owen, allowing a much larger audience to view these pieces of motorsport history.
The old Rubery Owen & Co. HQ in Booth Street, Darlaston, is still standing today thanks to David Owen OBE and Accord Housing Association. Now named “The Rubery Owen Innovation Centre” the interior having been converted for small business use.
I am so pleased that the Rubery Owen boardroom still exists in the building.
This year Graham Hill would have celebrated his 95th Birthday – seems as good a time as any to recall my visit to Rubery Owen.
