PAST IMPERFECT:A Siamese prince, who raced under the pseudonym 'B Bira', became one of motor racing's most famous characters, writes Bob Montgomery
THE PSEUDONYM "B Bira" - arguably the most famous in motor racing - hid the identity of Prince Birabongse Bhanuban, a member of Siam's royal family and a grandson of King Mongkut, who had opened his country to western influence in the late 19th century. The young Prince Bira was sent at the age of 13 in 1927 to attend Eton College in Britain. While he was there a period of upheaval occurred in Siam and the king, Bira's uncle, was forced to abdicate.
Staying in England, Bira went on to study at Cambridge. Meanwhile Bira's cousin, Prince Chula Chakrabongse, encouraged the 21-year-old Bira to try his hand at motor racing.
After a brief motor-racing apprenticeship, Chula purchased an ERA car for Bira to drive in the popular voiturette class of international racing under the banner of his White Mouse Racing Equipe.
In his first race in 1936 with the ERA - now named Romulus - Bira finished second, a feat he was to repeat later in the season as well as taking fifth against much more powerful Grand Prix cars at the Donington Grand Prix.
A second ERA was acquired (named Remus) for use in British events. In addition, a Maserati 8CM was purchased to complete the very impressive White Mouse Racing inventory. Bira's success behind the wheel led to him being awarded several BRDC Gold Stars and the team were regular competitors in the major Irish events of the time at Phoenix Park, Limerick and Cork.
For 1937 the team purchased the Grand Prix Delage of Dick Seaman, who had joined the Mercedes team as a Grand Prix driver. However, the Delage was troublesome and needed constant updating. This made huge inroads into the team's resources, reflected in fewer international results.
Following the second World War, Bira, now 31, sought to re-establish himself on the international racing scene. White Mouse Racing had been closed, and Bira drove a Maserati for Enrique Plate's private team in 1950 and 1951 - the best result being a fifth in the Swiss Grand Prix of 1950.
In 1952, he raced various Gordinis, while in 1953 he raced both a Connaught Type A and a Maserati A6GCM with little more than occasional good placings for the outdated machinery.
In 1954, Bira became one of the first private entrants of the new Maserati 250F. In this he won the Grand Prix des Frontières on the Chimay road circuit and finished fourth at the French Grand Prix at Reims. At the end of 1954, Bira won the non-championship New Zealand Grand Prix and announced his retirement from racing.
Thereafter, Bira appeared a somewhat restless soul, running an airline, marrying for the second time and returning to live in Thailand (as Siam was renamed). He retained a base in Europe in the form of a three-masted schooner which he berthed at Cannes, not far from his other home, Villa les Faunes, at Mandelieu.
In addition to his motor racing activities, Bira, who was a cultured and intelligent man, was a skilled sculptor whose work was exhibited at the Royal Academy.
During the second World War, Bira and Chula lived quietly in Cornwall and Bira trained as a glider pilot. Gliding became a second passion for him, and he established several British gliding records, which stood for many years.
One of the most colourful and interesting of all racing drivers, "B Bira" died of a heart attack at London's Barons Court tube station in 1985 at the age of 71.