Just been watching on Thursday evening at 9.30pm called "The Deadliest Crash" on BBC 4, about the Le Mans Crash in 1955 envolving Mike Hawthorne, John Levegh, Fangio and Lance Macklin. Some very interesting archive film with interviews with some of the Drivers of the day and a reconstruction of the crash using still photos taken at the time.
I found the programme both fascinating and ultimately very moving, particularly the interviews with some of the witnesses who where in the crowd.
I was completely unaware of the programme going out until a friend told me about it, so its well worth catching on BBC i Player.
Le Mans 1955
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Philip Tisdall
- Posts: 417
- Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2005 6:10 pm
- Location: Warwickshire
Re: Le Mans 1955
Andrew,
Thanks for the post, I will have to look at it on my laptop. My "late" father in law was there. Saddly I never met him as he died when my wife was 16. Mother in law said that he was there and close and saw it happen. He was with a few very good friends one of which was Mike Head (Patrick Head's father) Story does not relate if Mike was racing a C typeJag then. I have seen pictures taken by M in L at various tracks with them either in around or about cars. Also do have one of my wife sitting on a straw bale about 2 ft from the track at Goodwood having a picknick. Thoes were the days!! As were on this topic one more anecdote. My inlaws were at Silverstone (in the early 50's) with racing chums, and they rented 2 farm workers cottages for the event. The cottages was just off a small lane quite near the track at that time. So to get a better view they took the kitchen tables out and across the road onto the side of the track and used them to stand on . No TFW's in 2 tone dayglow jackets in those days to stop the fun!!!!
Thanks for the post, I will have to look at it on my laptop. My "late" father in law was there. Saddly I never met him as he died when my wife was 16. Mother in law said that he was there and close and saw it happen. He was with a few very good friends one of which was Mike Head (Patrick Head's father) Story does not relate if Mike was racing a C typeJag then. I have seen pictures taken by M in L at various tracks with them either in around or about cars. Also do have one of my wife sitting on a straw bale about 2 ft from the track at Goodwood having a picknick. Thoes were the days!! As were on this topic one more anecdote. My inlaws were at Silverstone (in the early 50's) with racing chums, and they rented 2 farm workers cottages for the event. The cottages was just off a small lane quite near the track at that time. So to get a better view they took the kitchen tables out and across the road onto the side of the track and used them to stand on . No TFW's in 2 tone dayglow jackets in those days to stop the fun!!!!
Philip
Re: Le Mans 1955
This item has been shown a few times recently and provoked a great deal of discussion on the 'Autosport' Nostalgia forum, it was also the subject of an article printed in the HSCC News Issue 38 October 2004 written by a certain Bob Bull, who was also a witness to the accident.
Bob was seated in the Tribune Guy Bouriot opposite the Jaguar pit, which is where the Mercedes driven by Pierre Levegh crashed.
Michael Head father of Patrick Head of Williams GP raced a C-Type Jaguar in the 1950's.
Perhaps, given the nature of the tradgedy, it is not suprising that people still find the details fascinating even after 55 years, and many still attempt to apportion blame despite not being born when it happened. I have always considered it just a 'racing accident' with particularly horrendous consequences.
BB
Bob was seated in the Tribune Guy Bouriot opposite the Jaguar pit, which is where the Mercedes driven by Pierre Levegh crashed.
Michael Head father of Patrick Head of Williams GP raced a C-Type Jaguar in the 1950's.
Perhaps, given the nature of the tradgedy, it is not suprising that people still find the details fascinating even after 55 years, and many still attempt to apportion blame despite not being born when it happened. I have always considered it just a 'racing accident' with particularly horrendous consequences.
BB
Ace Photograp…… you know!
Regards
Regards
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Leigh Sebba
- Morgan Class C
- Posts: 1164
- Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 11:09 am
Re: Le Mans 1955
Yes I happened to notice it was on a few weeks ago (I think BBC 4) and I recorded it and found it interesting, particularly as having gone to Le Mans Classic recently.
Always a balance of how much safety to impose – for example at Le Mans there is glass to stop one hanging over the pit wall – whereas at Snetterton yesterday I was hanging over the wall to take pics as Jack, Mary and the rest ‘shot by’ in the Citoren 2cv
I seem to recall when Donington was reopening (and certainly when they started having rock concerts there) there was much fuss about the danger of being so close to the airport landing flight paths and the mega disaster that could occur (not unreasonably given the plane crash nearby on M1 )
Always a balance of how much safety to impose – for example at Le Mans there is glass to stop one hanging over the pit wall – whereas at Snetterton yesterday I was hanging over the wall to take pics as Jack, Mary and the rest ‘shot by’ in the Citoren 2cv
I seem to recall when Donington was reopening (and certainly when they started having rock concerts there) there was much fuss about the danger of being so close to the airport landing flight paths and the mega disaster that could occur (not unreasonably given the plane crash nearby on M1 )