NOVEMBER 9, 2005

Alec Stokes

Alec Stokes, one of the key members of the BRM Formula 1 team has died. Stokes joined the team in November 1947, shortly after it was established by Raymond Mays and worked with designer Peter Berthon on the first car, which was known as the Type 15. Mays and Berthon had previously run English Racing Automobiles (ERA), which was based in Bourne until 1946. Stokes, who was 22 when he joined the firm, stayed with BRM as transmission designer and chief draughtsman for the next 30 years, only leaving when the company was on its last legs in 1977. After the left BRM he wrote a book about gearbox design.