Bernard Rubin
Encyclopedia
Bernard Rubin was a British
racing driver
and pilot
who was a member of the "Bentley Boys
" team at the Bentley Motor Company and winner of the 1928 24 Hours of Le Mans
.
n pearl
salesman Mark Rubin (1867 – 1919), Bernard was born in Carlton, Victoria
, before he eventually moved to London
with his family in 1908. His mother was the former Rebecca de Vahl Davis, who came from a notable Jewish Melbourne
family. He had a brother, well-known grazier, art collector and philanthropist
Harold de Vahl Rubin (1899–1964). His uncle, wealthy entrepreneur
Abraham de Vahl Davis (1864 – 1912), went down with the steamship SS Koombana
after having purchased the legendary – and presumably cursed
– Roseate Pearl. On 29 March 1935, in Paris
, Rubin married Audrey Mary Simpson, daughter of Charles Ringham Simpson.
Rubin served in the Royal Garrison Artillery
in World War I
where he was badly injured and required three years of treatment before he could walk again. Following his father's death in 1919, Rubin began purchasing properties in the Northern Territory
, before his interest in auto racing
developed in 1928.
, the director of Bentley Motors, and even lived together for some time. Rubin made his driving debut at Brooklands
in 1928 where he finished in sixth place before he made his first appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
. Driving alongside Barnato, the two won the event in a Bentley 4½ Litre
, even though the car had been damaged before the end of the race. He remained at Bentley for Le Mans in , but his car failed after only seven laps.
In July 1929 he came eighth in the Irish Grand Prix. In August 1929 Rubin was injured when his Bentley overturned during the Tourist Trophy
on the first lap. With his injuries, Rubin turned to team ownership, and helped fund fellow "Bentley Boy" Henry Birkin
's racing efforts. In 1933 they shared the wheel of an MG K3 in the famed Mille Miglia
race and won their class before Birkin raced Rubin's Alfa Romeo
with George Eyston and Whitney Straight. Birkin later drove Rubin's Maserati 3000 in the Tripoli Grand Prix
in May 1933 during which, while reaching over for a cigarette during a pit stop, he burnt his forearm on the exhaust and died five weeks later.
In April 1934 Rubin flew to Australia in a Leopard Moth with K.F.H. Waller to make arrangements for the Centenary Air Race from London to Melbourne in October. Their return flight of 8 days, 12 hours was not officially timed but was ten hours faster than Jim Mollison's World Record. He entered his de Havilland Comet
in the race but was unable to compete due to illness. Waller and O. Cathcart-Jones finished fourth in the Comet and, returning to England, set a round-trip record.
Bernard Rubin died of pulmonary tuberculosis in 1936.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
racing driver
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
and pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
who was a member of the "Bentley Boys
Bentley Boys
The Bentley Boys were a group of wealthy British motorists who drove Bentley sports cars to victory in the 1920s and kept the marque's reputation for high performance alive...
" team at the Bentley Motor Company and winner of the 1928 24 Hours of Le Mans
1928 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1928 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 6th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 16 and 17 1928.-Official results:-Did Not Finish:-Statistics:* Fastest Lap - #3 Bentley Motors Ltd...
.
Personal life
The son of AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
salesman Mark Rubin (1867 – 1919), Bernard was born in Carlton, Victoria
Carlton, Victoria
Carlton is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
, before he eventually moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with his family in 1908. His mother was the former Rebecca de Vahl Davis, who came from a notable Jewish Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
family. He had a brother, well-known grazier, art collector and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
Harold de Vahl Rubin (1899–1964). His uncle, wealthy entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
Abraham de Vahl Davis (1864 – 1912), went down with the steamship SS Koombana
SS Koombana
The SS Koombana was a coastal passenger and cargo steamship which sank at an unknown location north of Port Hedland, Western Australia during a cyclone on 20 March 1912 with the loss of approximately 138 lives, including 20 crew. Other than some floating wreckage, no trace was ever found of the...
after having purchased the legendary – and presumably cursed
Cursed
Cursed may refer to:*Curse, adversity thought to be inflicted by supernatural power*Cursed , a 2000–2001 sitcom*"Cursed" , a 2005 episode of the TV series House*Cursed , by Yoshihiro Hoshino...
– Roseate Pearl. On 29 March 1935, in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Rubin married Audrey Mary Simpson, daughter of Charles Ringham Simpson.
Rubin served in the Royal Garrison Artillery
Royal Garrison Artillery
The Royal Garrison Artillery was an arm of the Royal Artillery that was originally tasked with manning the guns of the British Empire's forts and fortresses, including coastal artillery batteries, the heavy gun batteries attached to each infantry division, and the guns of the siege...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
where he was badly injured and required three years of treatment before he could walk again. Following his father's death in 1919, Rubin began purchasing properties in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, before his interest in auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
developed in 1928.
Motorsports
Rubin became close friends with Woolf BarnatoWoolf Barnato
Joel Woolf Barnato was a British financier and racing driver, one of the "Bentley Boys" of the 1920s. He achieved three consecutive wins out of three entries in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.-Early life:...
, the director of Bentley Motors, and even lived together for some time. Rubin made his driving debut at Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
in 1928 where he finished in sixth place before he made his first appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
. Driving alongside Barnato, the two won the event in a Bentley 4½ Litre
Bentley Blower
The Bentley 4½ Litre is a British sports car built by Bentley Motors. Replacing the Bentley 3 Litre, it is famous for epitomizing prewar British motor racing and for its popular slogan "there's no replacement for displacement", created by the founder of Bentley, Walter Owen Bentley...
, even though the car had been damaged before the end of the race. He remained at Bentley for Le Mans in , but his car failed after only seven laps.
In July 1929 he came eighth in the Irish Grand Prix. In August 1929 Rubin was injured when his Bentley overturned during the Tourist Trophy
RAC Tourist Trophy
The International Tourist Trophy is an award given by the Royal Automobile Club and awarded semi-annually to the winners of a selected motor racing event each year in the United Kingdom. It was first awarded in 1905 and continues to be awarded to this day, making it the longest lasting trophy in...
on the first lap. With his injuries, Rubin turned to team ownership, and helped fund fellow "Bentley Boy" Henry Birkin
Henry Birkin
Sir Henry Ralph Stanley "Tim" Birkin, 3rd Baronet was a British racing driver, one of the "Bentley Boys" of the 1920s.-Background and family:...
's racing efforts. In 1933 they shared the wheel of an MG K3 in the famed Mille Miglia
Mille Miglia
The Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 ....
race and won their class before Birkin raced Rubin's Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
with George Eyston and Whitney Straight. Birkin later drove Rubin's Maserati 3000 in the Tripoli Grand Prix
Tripoli Grand Prix
The Tripoli Grand Prix was a motor racing event first held in 1925 on a racing circuit outside Tripoli, the capital of what was then Italian Tripolitania...
in May 1933 during which, while reaching over for a cigarette during a pit stop, he burnt his forearm on the exhaust and died five weeks later.
In April 1934 Rubin flew to Australia in a Leopard Moth with K.F.H. Waller to make arrangements for the Centenary Air Race from London to Melbourne in October. Their return flight of 8 days, 12 hours was not officially timed but was ten hours faster than Jim Mollison's World Record. He entered his de Havilland Comet
De Havilland DH.88
The de Havilland DH.88 Comet was a twin-engined British aircraft that won the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race, a challenge for which it was specifically designed...
in the race but was unable to compete due to illness. Waller and O. Cathcart-Jones finished fourth in the Comet and, returning to England, set a round-trip record.
Bernard Rubin died of pulmonary tuberculosis in 1936.