Brabham BT52 Owners' Workshop Manual

1983 - All Models

by Andrew van de Burgt

The Brabham BT52 was designed by F1 design genius Gordon Murray for the 1983 F1 season, and took driver Nelson Piquet to his second World Championship title after a classic season-long battle with Alain Prost (Renault) and Rene Arnoux (Ferrari). The car used the massively powerful turbocharged 1.5-litre, four-cyclinder BMW engine, which produced over 850bhp in qualifying, with the aid of specially developed 'rocket fuel' to boost power. Designed to suit new regulations, after ground-effect cars were banned at the end of 1982, the BT52 was very distinctive, with short, angular sidepods and a dart-shaped profile. During the 1983 season, the innovative Brabham team, with now F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone at the helm, introduced the first high-pressure fuel rig seen in F1, to speed up refuelling stops, and used 'ovens' to pre-heat tyres prior to pitstops. This manual provides a fascinating insight into the design, evolution, operation and maintenance of the Brabham BT52.

Hardbound | 156 pages