Back in 1990 when I was 15 I wrote to Brenda requesting a tour of the Ferrari factory having read an interview with her in CAR Magazine. My parents had planned a family holiday in early July to northern Italy so I wrote to her in the spring time. I was amazed to receive a reply, the envelope had the Ferrari stamp on it and inside was a hand written postcard from Brenda giving several date options. I replied again to confirm the date and she replied again - this time it was a larger envelope which contained a current range brochure signed by Piero Lardi Ferrari, a postcard of Prost and Alesi with their F1 cars - signed by both of them and another hand written postcard from Brenda. We went to Italy for a 2 week holiday by car in my dad's new Alfa 164 V6, the tour of the factory was amazing, no pics were allowed inside obviously, but it was in the middle of F40 production so plenty of them around. I still have everything she sent me and would like to say again how grateful I am for her replying to me and arranging the tour - I will never forget it and still treasure the correspondence from her to this day.
@@iain_tyrrell I never got to meet her on the day, it was a young lady from the marketing department who showed our small group around. The rest of the visitors were all Ferrari owners and were a touch pompous - boasting about how many Ferrari's they had owned etc, she was totally ambivalent and spent most of the tour chatting to us, a memorable section were the ladies in the trimming department. Glad I got to see the old Maranello factory, it was pretty much as it had been for the last 30 or so years then.
Iain - I must express my deep appreciation for the material you provide to the public, not just the technical detail of restoration, but capturing the history that is still available to us. The interviews with Brenda, Dallara, Gandini, etc. are priceless and soon to be lost to history. I am beyond fortunate in that I've met Ferruccio, Nuccio, and Mauro... incredible people who can no longer have their experiences captured as you have just done with Brenda (okay, I am a bit older than you :-). Congratulations on the superb work you do in documenting the history, and restoring the legacy of these people with an emphasis on preservation of originality.
Super job. I saved this for a nice uninterrupted evening and how wonderful it was. Your modesty was admirable when she asked “All the way from America? Why would they send it here?” Then she realized and complimented you. High praise and well deserved.
Thanks for this charming peek at the people behind the horse. Lovely video, didn't expect to watch it all as interested as I was. She wasn't a secretary, she was a surrogate mother to everyone :D
You know that lady gave you the best word there is in this world! All this cars you are working on they TRUST you! That is a badge of honor for you and the help you got there! Super nice!
What a fascinating interview. She is an icon of the era with an insider knowledge that is unique. Who else would have the vantage point she had working as the old man's personal secretary in the race division which is where his heart was.
These interviews with "people from the day" really makes my heart sing. This insight into the day to day lives of such a famous motor racing enterprise is like gold, precious gold. Thank you Iain.
What a brilliant and fascinating interview with Mr. Ferrari's personal assistant Brenda. The interview was made that much more successful due to Iain's excellent interviewing skills. He prompted Brenda....and then enabled her to speak freely and uninterrupted regarding the specific topic. Without doubt, Iain could teach a few journalists the fundamentals of interviewing skills for the purpose of extracting essential information from the interviewee. Many many thanks Mr. Tyrrell for such a great video. (gerhard , australia )
Just Brilliantly done and so enjoyable to hear the stories from Brenda,i am a Italian who has resided in England for 61 years so an Anglo/Italian who has worked with both Ferrari and Porsche in the eighties so know a lot about the cars you feature , Brenda is the reverse of me and a Italian /Anglo in that she has the perfect British accent but all the Italian characteristics with the hands and expressions and so reminds me of my late mother xx
Well, that was the quickest 35 minutes ever! I would love to know her background, learning Italian, how she enjoyed living in Italy, etc. .... maybe another time. Great job, Iain (and Brenda)!
Surprised that we didn't find out how she came to the attention of Enzo Ferrari in the first place. He must of known her to have asked her to come work for him all the way from London.
What a delightful interview was a fascinating lady. I am of the same vintage as Brenda and greatly enjoyed hearing about her experiences with Enzo and life in Maranello. My wife and I were there a few years ago and enjoyed both the Ferrari museum as well as our lunch at Ristorante Cavallino. You were masterful as the host Iain. Splendid job. Many thanks!
Iain has pulled a fabulous treat out of the bag with this one! What a fascinating insight into a time gone by and some truly remarkable experiences Brenda has kindly relived for us today!
That was a tricky interview but your delicate patient etiquette paid off Iain, well done. Turned out to be gold.. What an amazing lady. She must’ve been a legend at Ferrari during that time. Dependable ,safe and maternal instinct that must’ve been so important for these young men, keeping up the fearless macho image so prevalent in that Italian era and in motor sport in general. Good surprise. Excellent 👌
The comment section on this video is a treasure trove. Thanks so much for the video, introducing us with this lovely and unusually sharp-mined lady (who reminds of my mom, weirdly). Greetings from Latvia, another gem in the channel's history. Well done!
Happy New Year to you Mr Tyrrell and the team there. That felt like about 12 minutes, I was engrossed and fascinated I was lucky in my earlier life to know somebody a lot like Brenda. Straight talker, but a wonderful, loyal and knowledgeable person: sadly, no longer with us. I wouldn’t get bored of listening to Brenda talk, if I sat with her for 24 hours, I don’t think So glad you did this video, please thank Brenda for participating and sharing in her candid and forthright manner.
Thank you for the video Iain. With the recent sad passing of Patrick Tambay, it was quite poignant hearing Brenda talking about the Ferrari drivers as her boys.
Thanks for an amazing story - not what I actually expected to spend a late evening on, but that was just "the icing on the cake". That variety is what makes your channel absolutely fantastic (including your british, ironic humour and modesty). "Why would anybody send a car from the US to you......."
Brenda’s story highlights all the good things that an Italian team brings to the table. These elements made Scuderia Ferrari the most legendary and unbeatable racing team of the 20th Century. Enzo knew talent when he saw it. Brenda certainly deserved her seat at the top table. Brava!
Great trip down memory lane. She would have had such a wonderful life. Many years ago in the mid 1980's my wife and I were on holidays in Italy from Australia. I arrived at the original Ferrari factory in Maranello, and miraculously talked our way in. The receptionist said we could join a group of 'concessionaires', today we call them dealers from the Netherlands and Germany who were going on a factory tour. A highlight was seeing one of the first few Testarossa's that were being made ready for shipping. I was surprised to hear that each car is taken on a test drive before being shipped out. An unforgettable day, in an era of less security and more openness.
This chat is gold, soo interesting to listen to, we need to hear people's stories from this golden era from the people who were actually involved, Brenda is a proper character and Iain's knowledge is second to none as we know, my knowledge of classic Italian cars has been enhanced since i've been watching this channel.
What a force of nature that lovely lady is. Her forthrightness reminds me of my own mother. You dealt with the ‘Why do they send them here?’ question with your signature humbleness, Mr Tyrrell. Marvellous stuff, as always. 👏🏻
A type of interview rarely found. Not from fame, but amazing insights. Definitely a book to be written without upsetting anyone. Fantastic entertainment, thank you so much for doing this, no one else has the credibility and access in producing these types of videos.
Iain, I had to get back to this one but so glad I did. What a gem, this lady. As, when you meet may of the greats, Brenda put it well, they are generally down to earth people. One of the most enjoyable posts, even without a car. sublime content as always..don’t stop and looking forward to your 2023 efforts. Thankyou !
At any company I have worked for the Big Bosses personal assistant/secretary is almost always the second most important person in the operation. They know everyone and everything. But to be the one at Ferrari is extra special. What wonderful memories and stories to have and to share and the people she knows/knew. Thanks for interviewing her.
Great interview Iain. I had the pleasure of having lunch with her the day before with the Ferrari Club. She's really genuine, and how do you even know what to ask her. I plan to meet up with her on my next visit to Maranello, which will be sometime later this year.
Best of wishes to everyone, and thank you so much both Brenda and Iain for this astute memorable and most lovely experience. To imagine that she must have been profoundly in the centre of an exquisite privileged circle whilst all being so natural down-to-earth as “just another business”, is quite the occurrence. Thank you so much for sharing the wonderful and amusing stories.
Excellent interview, magic, with Brenda's stories and your knowledge of the cars and the people it just worked, low key, understated but brilliant to hear her stories. And one bit of more modern stuff I agree with her was Kimi, a real person, thanks, Peter.
really enjoyed watching this and brenda is such a character probably had the best job in the world without even realising at the time , as for iain he must be a genius with classic cars to have people from the states sending cars to him , keep up the great work and look forward to the next video
Iain , a national treasure ! She had me in stiches ! My goodness if only she could oblige you with her life story ! But l'm sure she will take all these amazing stories to heaven . I've met many people of this generation and l can eek stories from them but only because l promise l will never divilge their secrects . I'm sure that off camera you could as well . Blessing's to you Brenda and so many thanks to you lain .
An absolutely brilliant classic interview Iain… definitely one to be stored in the archives for future generations…. Thank you for sharing Brenda’s reminiscences with us… she clearly is one of a kind and probably never to be repeated
Brilliant. Completly agree with Brenda from what I have experienced with meeting drivers/engineers/owners/team principles in F1 and most other forms of motorsport over the past 13 years.... They are just normal and lovely!!! Its the "entourage" that are the worst!
Brenda is a legend. She hosted FOC trips in the Eighties and was totally charming. She recounted a story of Gilles collecting an employee from the airport one wet evening in a 308. Accelerating away from the toll both the car snapped sideways and spun several times. The terrified employee was white with fear while Gilles carried on with the story he was telling, dropped it in to second and floored it up the motorway.
Great video! She has a great personality! I was working at Watkins Glen race track as a teenager in the '70s, just by chance I had lunch with Paul Newman in the driver's tent (he was racing scca at the time). He said, "Kid whats your future?" I said I'm going to be an architect. He said, "Thata boy". Very nice guy very cool.. Cheers from the Finger Lakes!!
A humble soul tends to deflect from their own story to amplify the merits and importance of others. I'm sure Enzo's attention to detail was keen and he wasn't a man for guesswork. Everything he possessed had worth and significant value. When you are the treasurer's treasure...that speaks volumes. She's a genuine treasure 🥂 Cheers dearest
Awesome video. I have a collection of Ferrari books and the thing that always fascinated me was the human story of the company. Everyone was proud of their contribution and went above and beyond.
What a way to start the New Year. Is always so interesting to hear from people that worked at a place or project, how was the day to day and culture in that place. What a lovely lady! Thanks for sharing her testimony.
That, Iain, was one of the best interviews I think I have ever seen. You are a natural chat show host, and as for Brenda Vernor, I could listen to her life story all day long. When the days of petrol cars are gone and we are all forced to drive high powered milk floats, there will be a job for you as a chat show host. Wishing you, your family and all at the Workshop a fabulous and very prosperous 2023. Cheers, Bob
Many thanks Iain for a wonderful interview, only it was not long enough. I do wish she would write a book about her life and times at Ferrari. IMO this is you best interview and will take some beating.
A wonderful insight into the hallowed world of Ferrari and a priceless opportunity to hear such interesting stories straight from the horse’s mouth (as it were). Many thanks Iain.
How fantastic. No holes barred view into life at the office. Possibly the most interesting office in the history of motorsport and car production! What a book Brenda's life would make...
I saved watching this until I had a Sunday off and time to do it justice. I was not disappointed. Remarkable woman. Just watched 'Villeneuve Pironi' which she also appears in. It's worth a watch and very moving. Although ultimately a tragic tale for both drivers and their families, it has an uplifting end, I felt.
Wow! What a great chat. Reminded me of my own visit to the Ferrari factory in 1976 where 4 Aussie lads were lucky enough to be shown through the place, including the race department, which was only a week after the famous F1 race at Monza (the one featured in the movie Rush). Before the tour we met Enzo's Secretary (a man) in his office and he gave each of us a poster of an F1 car on the Fiorano track (I still have it). I asked him if we could take photos in the factory and he replied yes, but not in the race department. Being a bit naughty at the time we did manage to sneak a couple though, just before exiting the room! (Well, what are you going to do when a German bloke on the tour was snapping away with HIS camera!?) We didn't go into the foundry, but there were large stacks of V12 engine blocks outside, and I also recall that they must have made their own stormwater grates, because they all had "Ferrari" on them as part of the casting. We didn't get to meet Enzo himself, but a few days before the visit my mate and I were parked outside the factory, only a few metres along from the factory gates, and we saw the "old man" (as Brenda calls him) come out of the gates and walk across to the Ristorante Cavallino. We ate there a few days later (of course!) BTW, they were making the 512BB at the time and Wikipedia says it was made from 1973.
Amazing, truly amazing. Could sit & listen to these stories all day long. The things that she must have seen & heard over the years would be incredible. Just like everyone else, she is just a normal person doing the job she was asked to do & says still say that they are normal. Normal has just been redefined.
What can you say, thank you for making this video, I could listen to that woman all day with her wonderful stories. As usual your videos are absolutely spot on 😁😁😁👍👍👍
Back in the sixties or seventies I first saw a Daytona in a magnificent blue and I can still see it in my mind . It was in a showroom at the Tolworth roundabout in Surrey. this showroom was owned by Roy Salvedory. Think I have the spelling right? I also remember this roundabout because at the time I had my first car in 1960 which was a Ford 8 7y 1938, on one icy day i skidded off this roundabout crashed into a Sunbeam Tolbert 90. Strange how car prices have changed bought the Ford for £25- 00p. Sold it after the crash for £10-00p. By the way great TH-cam channel very informative.
My mate was Enzo's English butler at the house on the Riviera. As yacht boys, we just dicked about in the garage, playing with all the toys. Some good stuff in there.
What a wonderful woman. True walking history of Ferrari and “ The Old Man “ I recon that’s a meeting you will never forget. It’s an interview I will not forget. Thank you 🙏
Back in 1990 when I was 15 I wrote to Brenda requesting a tour of the Ferrari factory having read an interview with her in CAR Magazine. My parents had planned a family holiday in early July to northern Italy so I wrote to her in the spring time. I was amazed to receive a reply, the envelope had the Ferrari stamp on it and inside was a hand written postcard from Brenda giving several date options. I replied again to confirm the date and she replied again - this time it was a larger envelope which contained a current range brochure signed by Piero Lardi Ferrari, a postcard of Prost and Alesi with their F1 cars - signed by both of them and another hand written postcard from Brenda. We went to Italy for a 2 week holiday by car in my dad's new Alfa 164 V6, the tour of the factory was amazing, no pics were allowed inside obviously, but it was in the middle of F40 production so plenty of them around. I still have everything she sent me and would like to say again how grateful I am for her replying to me and arranging the tour - I will never forget it and still treasure the correspondence from her to this day.
She is an exceptionally kind and thoughtful person. Thanks for your anecdote
@@iain_tyrrell I never got to meet her on the day, it was a young lady from the marketing department who showed our small group around. The rest of the visitors were all Ferrari owners and were a touch pompous - boasting about how many Ferrari's they had owned etc, she was totally ambivalent and spent most of the tour chatting to us, a memorable section were the ladies in the trimming department. Glad I got to see the old Maranello factory, it was pretty much as it had been for the last 30 or so years then.
Thank you so much for sharing, such a great & unique story. Happy new year and only the best of wishes.
- Samu Mähönen
lovely anecdote
I loved reading the story of what happened with you and Brenda and Ferrari. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Sometimes the classic is a person. Wonderful interview!
Ha, wonderfully stated!
Iain - I must express my deep appreciation for the material you provide to the public, not just the technical detail of restoration, but capturing the history that is still available to us. The interviews with Brenda, Dallara, Gandini, etc. are priceless and soon to be lost to history. I am beyond fortunate in that I've met Ferruccio, Nuccio, and Mauro... incredible people who can no longer have their experiences captured as you have just done with Brenda (okay, I am a bit older than you :-). Congratulations on the superb work you do in documenting the history, and restoring the legacy of these people with an emphasis on preservation of originality.
So good to have recorded her wonderful knowledge and anecdotes. They don't make them like that any more
No they don't! What a love lady!
I have to admit, I was hesitant to watch this one. Now I wish it had been longer 😊 What a fantastic young lady, and what great stories!
Super job. I saved this for a nice uninterrupted evening and how wonderful it was. Your modesty was admirable when she asked “All the way from America? Why would they send it here?” Then she realized and complimented you. High praise and well deserved.
Thanks for this charming peek at the people behind the horse. Lovely video, didn't expect to watch it all as interested as I was. She wasn't a secretary, she was a surrogate mother to everyone :D
That was precious. I feel privileged to have heard her stories. Thank you, Iain. She was lovely.
How nice that you let her tell her story. Priceless! So bit by bit, one gets an impression how things went on in Italy in those day! Thank you, Iain!
Fantastic interview, 35 minutes went by in a flash. Thank you so much for this Iain, what a great start to the year.
You know that lady gave you the best word there is in this world! All this cars you are working on they TRUST you! That is a badge of honor for you and the help you got there! Super nice!
Thank you!
@@iain_tyrrellI don't like to take up your time but you need to know that so many people admire you!
What a fascinating interview. She is an icon of the era with an insider knowledge that is unique. Who else would have the vantage point she had working as the old man's personal secretary in the race division which is where his heart was.
These interviews with "people from the day" really makes my heart sing. This insight into the day to day lives of such a famous motor racing enterprise is like gold, precious gold. Thank you Iain.
One of the best interviews from this channel. Thank you. Loved it. Could have watched another hour
What a woman and what a life to have led; marvellous.
What a brilliant and fascinating interview with Mr. Ferrari's personal assistant Brenda. The interview was made that much more successful due to Iain's excellent interviewing skills. He prompted Brenda....and then enabled her to speak freely and uninterrupted regarding the specific topic. Without doubt, Iain could teach a few journalists the fundamentals of interviewing skills for the purpose of extracting essential information from the interviewee. Many many thanks Mr. Tyrrell for such a great video. (gerhard , australia )
Just Brilliantly done and so enjoyable to hear the stories from Brenda,i am a Italian who has resided in England for 61 years so an Anglo/Italian who has worked with both Ferrari and Porsche in the eighties so know a lot about the cars you feature , Brenda is the reverse of me and a Italian /Anglo in that she has the perfect British accent but all the Italian characteristics with the hands and expressions and so reminds me of my late mother xx
What a lovely lady. She had the measure of the "old man". Such a treat to hear first hand recollections from an iconic era.
Pure Gold!
Well, that was the quickest 35 minutes ever! I would love to know her background, learning Italian, how she enjoyed living in Italy, etc. .... maybe another time. Great job, Iain (and Brenda)!
Surprised that we didn't find out how she came to the attention of Enzo Ferrari in the first place. He must of known her to have asked her to come work for him all the way from London.
I was wonderering the same 👏👏
What a greate woman!
Thanks a lot to Brenda for being so lovely to appear for an interview
What a delightful interview was a fascinating lady. I am of the same vintage as Brenda and greatly enjoyed hearing about her experiences with Enzo and life in Maranello. My wife and I were there a few years ago and enjoyed both the Ferrari museum as well as our lunch at Ristorante Cavallino. You were masterful as the host Iain. Splendid job. Many thanks!
Iain has pulled a fabulous treat out of the bag with this one! What a fascinating insight into a time gone by and some truly remarkable experiences Brenda has kindly relived for us today!
A golden age with Enzo. Classic times now just a memory for many.
That was a tricky interview but your delicate patient etiquette paid off Iain, well done. Turned out to be gold.. What an amazing lady. She must’ve been a legend at Ferrari during that time. Dependable ,safe and maternal instinct that must’ve been so important for these young men, keeping up the fearless macho image so prevalent in that Italian era and in motor sport in general. Good surprise. Excellent 👌
You just need let her talk and know when to interact something some haven’t learned on other channels looking at you Jodie 😉
The comment section on this video is a treasure trove. Thanks so much for the video, introducing us with this lovely and unusually sharp-mined lady (who reminds of my mom, weirdly). Greetings from Latvia, another gem in the channel's history. Well done!
Happy New Year to you Mr Tyrrell and the team there.
That felt like about 12 minutes, I was engrossed and fascinated
I was lucky in my earlier life to know somebody a lot like Brenda. Straight talker, but a wonderful, loyal and knowledgeable person: sadly, no longer with us.
I wouldn’t get bored of listening to Brenda talk, if I sat with her for 24 hours, I don’t think
So glad you did this video, please thank Brenda for participating and sharing in her candid and forthright manner.
Thank you for the video Iain. With the recent sad passing of Patrick Tambay, it was quite poignant hearing Brenda talking about the Ferrari drivers as her boys.
Thanks for an amazing story - not what I actually expected to spend a late evening on, but that was just "the icing on the cake". That variety is what makes your channel absolutely fantastic (including your british, ironic humour and modesty). "Why would anybody send a car from the US to you......."
Brenda’s story highlights all the good things that an Italian team brings to the table. These elements made Scuderia Ferrari the most legendary and unbeatable racing team of the 20th Century. Enzo knew talent when he saw it. Brenda certainly deserved her seat at the top table. Brava!
Great trip down memory lane. She would have had such a wonderful life. Many years ago in the mid 1980's my wife and I were on holidays in Italy from Australia. I arrived at the original Ferrari factory in Maranello, and miraculously talked our way in. The receptionist said we could join a group of 'concessionaires', today we call them dealers from the Netherlands and Germany who were going on a factory tour. A highlight was seeing one of the first few Testarossa's that were being made ready for shipping. I was surprised to hear that each car is taken on a test drive before being shipped out. An unforgettable day, in an era of less security and more openness.
This chat is gold, soo interesting to listen to, we need to hear people's stories from this golden era from the people who were actually involved, Brenda is a proper character and Iain's knowledge is second to none as we know, my knowledge of classic Italian cars has been enhanced since i've been watching this channel.
What a force of nature that lovely lady is. Her forthrightness reminds me of my own mother. You dealt with the ‘Why do they send them here?’ question with your signature humbleness, Mr Tyrrell. Marvellous stuff, as always. 👏🏻
A type of interview rarely found. Not from fame, but amazing insights. Definitely a book to be written without upsetting anyone. Fantastic entertainment, thank you so much for doing this, no one else has the credibility and access in producing these types of videos.
Iain, I had to get back to this one but so glad I did. What a gem, this lady. As, when you meet may of the greats, Brenda put it well, they are generally down to earth people. One of the most enjoyable posts, even without a car. sublime content as always..don’t stop and looking forward to your 2023 efforts. Thankyou !
At any company I have worked for the Big Bosses personal assistant/secretary is almost always the second most important person in the operation. They know everyone and everything.
But to be the one at Ferrari is extra special. What wonderful memories and stories to have and to share and the people she knows/knew. Thanks for interviewing her.
Great interview Iain. I had the pleasure of having lunch with her the day before with the Ferrari Club. She's really genuine, and how do you even know what to ask her. I plan to meet up with her on my next visit to Maranello, which will be sometime later this year.
This is my favorite TH-cam interview ever and is an instant classic. Quality ! How many mechanics do this? Special Ian..a classic too
Best of wishes to everyone, and thank you so much both Brenda and Iain for this astute memorable and most lovely experience. To imagine that she must have been profoundly in the centre of an exquisite privileged circle whilst all being so natural down-to-earth as “just another business”, is quite the occurrence. Thank you so much for sharing the wonderful and amusing stories.
Fascinating to listen to this lady. What a wonderful life she has lived. Thank you for bringing her stories to this channel.
Tyrrell , you are beginning to be my hero..............
Nice and interesting! 👍😃
Excellent interview, magic, with Brenda's stories and your knowledge of the cars and the people it just worked, low key, understated but brilliant to hear her stories. And one bit of more modern stuff I agree with her was Kimi, a real person, thanks, Peter.
Happy New Year, just thinking of this fine lady last week! Top interview as usual.
Happy new year to you too!
I think this must be one of the best.. Thanks Ian and team⛽
really enjoyed watching this and brenda is such a character probably had the best job in the world without even realising at the time , as for iain he must be a genius with classic cars to have people from the states sending cars to him , keep up the great work and look forward to the next video
Bringing us content from people that no other channel could - thank you so much Ian and the team!
Half an hour of shivers every time she called Him "The Old Man". I'm Italian by the way...
Iain , a national treasure ! She had me in stiches ! My goodness if only she could oblige you with her life story ! But l'm sure she will take all these amazing stories to heaven . I've met many people of this generation and l can eek stories from them but only because l promise l will never divilge their secrects . I'm sure that off camera you could as well . Blessing's to you Brenda and so many thanks to you lain .
An absolutely brilliant classic interview Iain… definitely one to be stored in the archives for future generations…. Thank you for sharing Brenda’s reminiscences with us… she clearly is one of a kind and probably never to be repeated
What a remarkable lady Really down to earth Even though she's lived through the racing years that were the most crazy
What a treasure!! Thank you and Happy New Year to you and your team
Thanks- happy new year to you too!
What a cracking interview! I liked how Brenda referred to the drivers as "my boys" and Enzo as "the old man". 🤣
Being an F1 fan since 1972 when I was 6 watching with my old man, these stories are just priceless.....many thanks Iain
Brilliant. Completly agree with Brenda from what I have experienced with meeting drivers/engineers/owners/team principles in F1 and most other forms of motorsport over the past 13 years.... They are just normal and lovely!!! Its the "entourage" that are the worst!
What a lovely lady, she must have SO many stories to tell about Enzo and that wonderful years.
Brenda is a legend. She hosted FOC trips in the Eighties and was totally charming. She recounted a story of Gilles collecting an employee from the airport one wet evening in a 308. Accelerating away from the toll both the car snapped sideways and spun several times. The terrified employee was white with fear while Gilles carried on with the story he was telling, dropped it in to second and floored it up the motorway.
Wow! 👏👏👏😁😁😁
Totally priceless! A great great lady. Thank you so much for this treat. Happy New Year.
Thanks. Happy new year to you too!
Great video! She has a great personality! I was working at Watkins Glen race track as a teenager in the '70s, just by chance I had lunch with Paul Newman in the driver's tent (he was racing scca at the time). He said, "Kid whats your future?" I said I'm going to be an architect. He said, "Thata boy". Very nice guy very cool.. Cheers from the Finger Lakes!!
A humble soul tends to deflect from their own story to amplify the merits and importance of others. I'm sure Enzo's attention to detail was keen and he wasn't a man for guesswork. Everything he possessed had worth and significant value.
When you are the treasurer's treasure...that speaks volumes.
She's a genuine treasure
🥂 Cheers dearest
Well done and lovely that you showed her your workshop , I’m sure you both had a really enjoyable time together .
Awesome video. I have a collection of Ferrari books and the thing that always fascinated me was the human story of the company. Everyone was proud of their contribution and went above and beyond.
What a way to start the New Year. Is always so interesting to hear from people that worked at a place or project, how was the day to day and culture in that place. What a lovely lady! Thanks for sharing her testimony.
A fascinating interview, and a delightful way to finish the video with a tour of the workshop. Grazie, Brenda!
Just a wonderful guest and interview. Thanks for a jolly good entry into a new year
I love brenda she became a legend ❤
What a fantastic video. Properly enjoyed that. What a life Brenda has lived!
What a lovely interview. Love the way the first thing cshe said when seeing The F40 was never drive it in the wet.
This is one of the best interviews I've seen regardless of subject. Thank you Iain and Brenda for the memories and stories, very enjoyable indeed.
Lovely woman, god bless her. Understandable how everyone she met was kind to her.
Passion with compassion, a meeting of standards and care, thank you both.
What a gem of a video! Many thanks to Brenda!
Fantastic Episode...............Love hearing Brenda's Stories............Please bring her back on.....
Thank you for bringing in such interesting guests.Your youtube contribution has been something special. Well done
Happy New Year, Iain, you've set the bar high for 2023! What a treat to hear from Brenda. Long form interviews are rare, so please do some more!
That, Iain, was one of the best interviews I think I have ever seen. You are a natural chat show host, and as for Brenda Vernor, I could listen to her life story all day long. When the days of petrol cars are gone and we are all forced to drive high powered milk floats, there will be a job for you as a chat show host.
Wishing you, your family and all at the Workshop a fabulous and very prosperous 2023.
Cheers, Bob
Thanks indeed! Very best to you and yours for 2023 too
Many thanks Iain for a wonderful interview, only it was not long enough. I do wish she would write a book about her life and times at Ferrari. IMO this is you best interview and will take some beating.
Price less. The history. Thank you. Great work. Love the channel.
A wonderful insight into the hallowed world of Ferrari and a priceless opportunity to hear such interesting stories straight from the horse’s mouth (as it were). Many thanks Iain.
WOW! What a great Christmas present, thank you! Reminded me of my mother, they just don't make them like that anymore, along with the cars.
How fantastic. No holes barred view into life at the office. Possibly the most interesting office in the history of motorsport and car production! What a book Brenda's life would make...
This is now my favorite Ferrari video. I could listen to her talk forever so thank you for this special lady.
Another wonderful insight in to the Italian world of cars, and a lovely lady to share her life with Enzo.
I saved watching this until I had a Sunday off and time to do it justice. I was not disappointed. Remarkable woman. Just watched 'Villeneuve Pironi' which she also appears in. It's worth a watch and very moving. Although ultimately a tragic tale for both drivers and their families, it has an uplifting end, I felt.
Love watching conversations like this. The historians will call it "oral histories".
Wow! What a great chat. Reminded me of my own visit to the Ferrari factory in 1976 where 4 Aussie lads were lucky enough to be shown through the place, including the race department, which was only a week after the famous F1 race at Monza (the one featured in the movie Rush). Before the tour we met Enzo's Secretary (a man) in his office and he gave each of us a poster of an F1 car on the Fiorano track (I still have it). I asked him if we could take photos in the factory and he replied yes, but not in the race department. Being a bit naughty at the time we did manage to sneak a couple though, just before exiting the room! (Well, what are you going to do when a German bloke on the tour was snapping away with HIS camera!?) We didn't go into the foundry, but there were large stacks of V12 engine blocks outside, and I also recall that they must have made their own stormwater grates, because they all had "Ferrari" on them as part of the casting. We didn't get to meet Enzo himself, but a few days before the visit my mate and I were parked outside the factory, only a few metres along from the factory gates, and we saw the "old man" (as Brenda calls him) come out of the gates and walk across to the Ristorante Cavallino. We ate there a few days later (of course!) BTW, they were making the 512BB at the time and Wikipedia says it was made from 1973.
Great comment! 😁😁😁
As a Canadian, I loved hearing about G.V.
What a privilege it was to watch and listen to this video as I worked on cars at home. This is why I subscribe. Thank you so much
So precious and valuable witness of the golden age, truly thankful for giving all of us the opportunity to feel a bit that air!
What a lovely lady and fantastic to hear her, thank you and all the best.
This is exceptional!
Living Ferrari history. You can't get much closer to the Mythos Ferrari than this.
Amazing, truly amazing. Could sit & listen to these stories all day long. The things that she must have seen & heard over the years would be incredible.
Just like everyone else, she is just a normal person doing the job she was asked to do & says still say that they are normal. Normal has just been redefined.
What can you say, thank you for making this video, I could listen to that woman all day with her wonderful stories. As usual your videos are absolutely spot on 😁😁😁👍👍👍
Back in the sixties or seventies I first saw a Daytona in a magnificent blue and I can still see it in my mind . It was in a showroom at the Tolworth roundabout in Surrey. this showroom was owned by Roy Salvedory. Think I have the spelling right? I also remember this roundabout because at the time I had my first car in 1960 which was a Ford 8 7y 1938, on one icy day i skidded off this roundabout crashed into a Sunbeam Tolbert 90. Strange how car prices have changed bought the Ford for £25- 00p. Sold it after the crash for £10-00p. By the way great TH-cam channel very informative.
My mate was Enzo's English butler at the house on the Riviera. As yacht boys, we just dicked about in the garage, playing with all the toys. Some good stuff in there.
Oh, the Lancia Delta drop-top S2 2-door coupe was my Hit-Song as an Alfa Boy.
What a fantastic interviewer, getting out the best in the interviewee.
Absolutely wonderful!! Thank you for doing this interview. Loved it.
Great video. Nice to see and hear the legend. Thank you Ian and Brenda.
A remarkable lady, thanks for posting. HNY to all
Thanks- same to you!
It’s fabulous interviews like this that make your already fantastic content even better.
What a wonderful woman. True walking history of Ferrari and “ The Old Man “ I recon that’s a meeting you will never forget. It’s an interview I will not forget. Thank you 🙏