Bernard Rubin

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For the American businessman, see Bernard D. Rubin.

Bernard Rubin
Bentley Motors
Best finish1st (1928)
Class wins1 (1928)

Bernard Rubin (6 December 1896 – 27 June 1936) was an Australian

Bentley Motor Company and winner of the 1928 24 Hours of Le Mans
.

Personal life

The son of

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 behalf of Bernard's father, the Broome Pearler Mark Rubin. 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 and then the Royal Flying Corps 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 Australia's Northern Territory, before his interest in auto racing developed in 1928.

Motorsports

Rubin became close friends with

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. Rubin and Barnato won the event in a Bentley 4½ Litre, despite the car being damaged during the race. He remained at Bentley for Le Mans in 1929
, but his car failed after only seven laps.

Rubin was the first Australian to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As at 2017, four Australians have won Le Mans: Rubin (1928), Vern Schuppan (1983), Geoff Brabham (1993) and David Brabham (2009).

In July 1929 he came eighth in the

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.[citation needed
]

In April 1934 Rubin flew to Australia in a

de Havilland Comet in the air race but was unable to compete due to severe illness. Waller and former Royal Navy pilot Owen Cathcart-Jones finished fourth in the green Comet and, returning to England, set a round-trip record of 130 flying hours. They also set a new record Darwin-London of 130 hours total and for this earned a Royal Aero Club silver medal.[citation needed
]

Bernard Rubin died in England of

pulmonary tuberculosis in 1936. His body was taken back to Australia, where he is buried in Fawkner Crematorium and Memorial Park
, Melbourne.

Career results

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
pos.
1928 United Kingdom Bentley Motors Ltd. United Kingdom Woolf Barnato Bentley 4½ Litre 5.0 154 1st 1st
1929 United Kingdom Bentley Motors Ltd. United Kingdom Lord Howe Bentley 4½ Litre 5.0 7 DNF DNF

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bernard Rubin.
  • "Rubin, Mark (1867–1919)". Rubin, Mark (1867? – 1919) Biographical Entry. Australian Dictionary of Biography Online. 1988. Retrieved 13 April 2008.
  • "Bernard Rubin". Benjafield Racing Club. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2008.
Sporting positions
Preceded by Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
1928 with:
Woolf Barnato 		Succeeded by
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