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. He was also a Barrister-At-Law and a Judge Advocate.
After the Second World War, Oliver resumed his legal career and having served in the Army, he was appointed as a Judge Advocate in 1952, which saw him try cases around Europe.
Racing career
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 5 August 1935 with a time of 69.85 seconds, attaining an average speed of 142.60 miles per hour (229.49 km/h). However this record stood for only 2 months 2 days, as on 7 October John Cobb regained the title in his Napier Railton with a speed of 143.44 miles per hour (230.84 km/h).[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 Jennifer Anne Pleasant Clark in Nairobi in 1943. They had 2 children, James Julius Bertram born 24 November 1944 - 19 June 2015 and Janet Lavinia Bertram born 14 August 1946 - 2016.
In later life, he brought a farm in Leicestershire, where he lived with his second wife, Jane (b 1933) who he married in 1974 in Barnstaple, Devon.
Oliver Bertram died after a fall in the snow in Parracombe, Devon in 1975, aged 65.
