1955 LeMans

[aeronca65t]

Some of you realize that this is the 60th anniversary of the crash at LeMans. 83 people died as a result of that crash and it instituted a new era of safety for spectators of motorsports events everywhere.

I'm posting here because one of the three cars involved was Lance Macklin's Austin-Healey 100.

The fault of the actual crash has always been hard to exactly pinpoint but I think the greatest part of the blame was to Mike Hawthorn in his D-type Jaguar. The fact that he was using the new, efficient disk-type brakes was probably a contributing factor.

The BBC has marked the occasion by re-playing their 2010 interview with John Fitch:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00810tm


John's home track was Lime Rock (nearby me) and I saw him there many times. It's great to hear his voice again even about such a sad event.


Here's what Wikipedia says about that 1955 crash:

The 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans began on 11 June 1955, with Pierre Levegh behind the wheel of the #20 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR run by Daimler-Benz. American John Fitch was Levegh's assigned partner in the car, and he would take over driving duties later. Competition between Mercedes, Jaguar, Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Maserati was close, with all the marques fighting for the top positions early on. The race was extremely fast, with lap records being repeatedly broken.[1]
At the end of Lap 35, Levegh was following Mike Hawthorn's leading Jaguar D-type, just as they were entering the pit straight. Hawthorn had just passed Lance Macklin's slower Austin-Healey 100 when he belatedly noticed a pit signal to stop for fuel. Hawthorn slowed suddenly in an effort to stop rather than make another lap. Hawthorn's Jaguar, with the new disc brakes, could decelerate much faster than other cars using drum brakes, such as Levegh's Mercedes. The sudden, unexpected braking by Hawthorn caused Macklin in the Healey to brake hard, throwing up a small cloud of dust in front of Levegh, who trailed close behind. Macklin then swerved across the centre of the track, attempting to re-pass the slowing Jaguar, but also apparently out of control.[1] Macklin had not noticed Levegh nor Juan Manuel Fangio, in another 300 SLR, approaching rapidly from behind. Fangio was in second place at the time, but directly behind, and attempting to lap Levegh.[1]
Levegh, ahead of Fangio on the track, did not have time to react. Levegh's car made contact with the left rear of Macklin's car as he closed rapidly (at about 240 km/h (150 mph)) upon the slowed car. When Levegh's 300 SLR hit Macklin's Austin-Healey from behind, his car became airborne, soaring towards the left side of the track, where it landed atop the earthen embankment separating spectators from the track itself. The car struck the mound at such speed and angle that it was launched into a somersault, which caused some parts of the car, already damaged and loosened by the collision, to be flung from the vehicle at very great speeds. This included the bonnet and the front axle, both of which separated from the frame and flew through the crowd.

Macklin's Austin-Healey post crash:

Macklin's Austin-Healey from a 2011 photo during an auction (it had been rebuilt after the crash). It sold for $1.3 million.

 

[John Turney]

Thanks for the post, but a minor point. My calendar says today is June 8, not June 11. Lance Macklin's 100S would have looked more like this:

 

[aeronca65t]

Yeah, I meant to say "this week".

Your photo is the same car (NOJ-393) but after the recent restoration....correct?

 

[John Turney]

Yeah, I meant to say "this week".

Your photo is the same car (NOJ-393) but after the recent restoration....correct?

Yep.

 

[Keoke]

Your photo is the same car (NOJ-393) but after the recent restoration.

Thank goodness CUZ it was Plum ugly before. :welcoming:

 

[pan]

This is a subject close to my heart. As a lifelong fan of 'the Sport', it has always astonished me that motor racing managed to survive such a tragedy. The cause of the accident cannot be put down to any one factor. Macklin's 100S also featured disc brakes and photos show that his reaction to Hawthorn's manoeuvre seemed excessive. But that is easy to say from our standpoint sitting in an armchair sixty years after the event!
If anyone is interested in learning more I can suggest two books on the subject: "Death Race" by Mark Kahn (published by Barrie & Jenkins in 1976) and Christopher Hilton's "Le Mans '55" (Breedon Books, 2004). Kahn's book is also notable because it includes an extensive biography of Lance Macklin. The Hilton version is incredibly detailed with a rather turgid minute by minute count down to the collision.
During the 2011 Australian Austin-Healey National Rally, held in Adelaide I was approached by an English gentleman who, during our chat revealed that he was a spectator at Le Mans and saw the whole terrible thing, although neither he or anybody on the pits side of the track was aware of the magnitude of the tragedy.
Rest in peace Levegh, Macklin, Hawthorn and all the victims.

 

[catfood]

If it had been me I would have restored the car mechanically and left the body as is. Its lost all character to my mind. It could be any of the 100S replicas that are coming out of the restoration shops these days. Just my twopenneth...

 

[pan]

NOJ393 has a history beyond the 1955 Le Mans. It completed the 1953 event before being converted to Sebring specification. There was a hope that it would be rebuilt to the earlier specification, thus avoiding the inevitable association with the '55 tragedy.

 

[HealeyRick]

Interesting ride along with Hawthorne the year after the accident

 

[Editor_Reid]

Macklin's 100S also featured disc brakes and photos show that his reaction to Hawthorn's manoeuvre seemed excessive.

I have studied this accident extensively and agree. It appears that Macklin, driving the Healey, maneuvered excessively - veering to the left more than necessary to avoid Hawthorn's Jaguar in a double-cut maneuver - and into the path of Levegh's faster Mercedes, resulting in Levegh hitting the rear of the Healey and being launched into the crowd.

If Macklin's 100S had been left-hand drive, he likely would have been decapitated by Levegh's Mercedes.

But that is easy to say from our standpoint sitting in an armchair sixty years after the event!

Also agreed.

 

[DerekJ]

Steve, The blue and gold colour of the car has nothing to do with its history during its most important period of 1953 - 1955. That was just a bodged up repaint of what was essentially seen as a scrap car. The previous owner it bought it for £175 and then did nothing with it until selling it for £850,000!