The 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 23rd 24 Hours of Le Mans and took place on 11 and 12 June 1955 on Circuit de la Sarthe.It was also the fourth round of the F.I.A. The Lola was completely destroyed, debris from the car were all around the forest, Bonnier had been killed upon impact. Le design Getty Images est une marque de Getty Images. The '55 Le Mans race looked like it would be one of the greatest since WWII. [41] In December 2011, the car, estimated to raise 800,000 before the auction,[41] was sold for 843,000. The weather had closed in on Sunday morning and there was no victory celebration. The body fell one way, the engine broke free and shot off, and the hood and front axle flew further. [8] Coming out of the Maison Blanche portion of the course, he rapidly caught Lance Macklin in his Austin Healey 100S, who had seen him and moved over to the right to let him pass. The 1955 Le Mans tragedy was deemed a terrible accident but in truth was the end of an era that would never come again. The official inquiry cleared all drivers of any fault. 1955 - the Le Mans Crash in 90+ pictures from the Mike Hawthorn Tribute Site. Jaguar went on to win the race. The first media accounts were wildly inaccurate, as shown by subsequent analysis of photographic evidence conducted by Road & Track editor (and 1955 second-place finisher) Paul Frre in 1975. In other racing events where a car's ability is based on how fast it moves and in record time, this is a test of car reliability. It ended with the usual champagne, as well. By clicking on 'Sign Up' you will be the first to know about our latest and best sporting content on this browser. An explosion followed, sending metal into the crowd of spectators. The most recent death is Allan Simonsen, who died in the race of 2013. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. It smacked the barrier and the road shoulder rolling at hurtling speeds through 85 yards and over a further 100 yards, the engine, radiator, and suspension already ablaze were flung through a cluster of spectators destroying everything and anything in its part. Innocence - along with a tragic human toll - was lost forever. Vintage Everyday Shortly before he died, he wrote of the race: "It was as though we were at the point where a great rock had been hurled into a pond, sending out waves of shock and horror and indignation which would later flow back, bringing consequences which no one could foresee. The official inquiry held none of the drivers specifically responsible and criticised the layout of the 30-year-old track, which had not been designed for cars as fast as those involved in the crash. Macklin, on reading Hawthorns 1958 autobiography, Challenge Me the Race, was embittered when he found that Hawthorn now disclaimed all responsibility for the crash without identifying who had caused it. Irish Examiner Ltd, Linn Dubh, Assumption Road, Blackpool, Cork. It was a sort of victory for motorsports somehow, a pyrrhic victory, albeit. But you quickly start to see people running towards the smoldering wreck, hoping to rescue anyone still alive. A special mass was held in the morning in the Le Mans Cathedral for the first funerals of the victims. 312 Le Mans 1955 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images CREATIVE EDITORIAL All Sports Entertainment News Archival Browse 312 le mans 1955 stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Other observers estimated the toll to be much higher. Tony Rolt and other drivers had been raising concerns about the pit straight since 1953. Select from premium Le Mans Disaster of the highest quality. Levegh was thrown from the car and killed, while burning pieces of the car were flung into the crowd and caught fire, killing 83 others. It's not long before you see bodies piled up. It was the most catastrophic crash in motorsport history, and it prompted Mercedes-Benz to withdraw from motor racing until 1989. Fitch said that in light of "recent unpleasantness," Mercedes "should not win this race over the bodies of however many.. French people." Most spectators at the race were still oblivious to the accident that just happened. . It was an appalling tragedy that shocked the world and changed the face of motorsports forever. The opening hours were a fast and furious affair with drivers battling for early supremacy. Additional details emerged when the stills reviewed by Frre were converted to video form. It's hard to say just how many people died in the crash. Three drivers were involved in the incident: Mike Hawthorne (Jaguar D Type), Lance Macklin (Austin Healey 100s), and Pierre Levegh (Mercedes 300SLR). 58 men, 15 women, and 6 children were reported dead at the time, but there was a further casualty of 5 people after later findings, with 170 (approximate figure) people suffering injuries of varying degrees. After his victory, Hawthorn celebrated with champagne. These were the days of patriots racing Red, Blue, Green, White and Silver cars for the national glory of their country. Les tableaux sont le meilleur endroit pour sauvegarder des images et des vidos. Although Marchal was taken to the hospital, he died the following day. Tap into Getty Images global-scale, data-driven insights and network of over 340,000creators to create content exclusively for your brand. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. However, a press photograph showed Hawthorn smiling on the podium drinking from the victor's bottle of champagne. In the United States, the American Automobile Association (AAA) dissolved their Contest Board that had been the primary sanctioning body for motorsport in the U.S. (including the Indianapolis 500) since 1904. French Memorial Site. Fifty-nine years ago, the 1955 Le Mans 24-hour race started like any other. The behemoths of sports racing all featured their sports cars with their respective drivers for another car racing festival. In picture, car numbered '17' (Equipe Los Amigos, XKD 513, 'short-nose') was third at Le Mans in 1957. Instead it pointed the finger of blame at the track layout which was deemed unsuitable for such high- speed racing. Mercedes-Benz won both of these events, and was able to secure the constructors championship for the season. World Sports Car Championship.During the race, Pierre Levegh crashed into a crowd of spectators, killing 84 (including himself) and injuring 120 in the deadliest accident in motor racing history. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [25][26] Their retirement was briefly announced over the public address system. The 1955 Le Mans disaster occurred during the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France on June 11, 1955. The fuel fire raised the temperature of the remaining Elektron bodywork past its ignition temperature, which was lower than that of other metal alloys due to its high magnesium content. At the time of his mistake, the Mercedes were running 2 and 3 twenty-five miles behind the Talbot! On 10 June 2009, the Stnderat (upper house of the Swiss parliament) defeated a proposal to lift the ban for the second time. This would be unbelievably flippant today. Two hours later, photographers captured priests performing last rites. [36], The official government inquiry into the accident called officials, drivers, and team personnel to be questioned and give evidence. The deadliest crash ever in motor sports history happened in Le Mans, France, on June 12, 1955. . The scene in the aftermath was hellish. then went back and tried to rescue others.". Large pieces of debris flew into the crowd, killing 83 spectators and French driver Pierre Levegh, and injuring nearly 180 more. 1950s, accident & disaster, event & history, footage & video, france, Le Mans, sports, vehicles Noticing that Hawthorn was slowing down, Macklin swerved left to avoid Hawthorn, whether it was an instinctive reaction, a loss of control from going onto the change of road-surface, or his car's disc brakes operating unevenly. The alloy burst into white-hot flames, showering the track and crowd with magnesium embers, made worse by rescue workers unfamiliar with magnesium fires who poured water onto the inferno, greatly intensifying the fire. Ivor Bueb and Norman Dewis, both Le Mans debutants, had to step into their respective cars for their first driver stints. "Mike could have been mistaken about how fast my car was going," Macklin would tell Sports Illustrated in a 1986 interview. One spectator actually recorded the crash head-on. You can see a man here, his arms outstretched in shock. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. A police officer helps carry out an injured man, dazed. It turned friends into enemies, fans into critics, and winners into losers. Macklin moves over to the right to let him pass. The rest of the 1955 World Sportscar Championship season was completed, with the remaining two races at the British RAC Tourist Trophy and the Italian Targa Florio, although they were not run until September and October, several months after the catastrophe. 63 1955 Le Mans Disaster Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 63 1955 LE MANS DISASTER Premium High Res Photos Browse 63 1955 LE MANS DISASTER stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Chief engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut had gone to the Jaguar pits to ask if the Jaguar team would respond in kind, out of respect for the crash victims. In total, two drivers died in the 1920s, another two in the 1930s, one in the 1940s, five in the 1950s, six in the 1960s, two in the 1970s, two in the 1980s, one in the 1990s, none in the 2000s, and one in the 2010s. A large tree behind the Armco has been considered to be an integral part of the impact, causing an aortal separation in the driver's chest. D-Type Jaguars won the Le Mans 24hr endurance race in 1955, 1956 and 1957. It became part of the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2012 after previous stints in the Sportscar Championship and the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. In the middle as many as 130 died in the most horrific disaster in motorsports history. The momentum of the heaviest components of the car the engine block, radiator, and front suspension hurtled straight on into the crowd for almost 100 metres (330ft), crushing all in their path. The rear of Leveghs car landed on the berm and exploded into flames. Macklin survived the incident without serious injury, jumping out of the wreck and over the bank. Hawthorn retired from motorsport soon after but was ironically killed when overtaking a Mercedes on a slippery road near his Surrey home in 1959. Hawthorn and Bueb won the race by a margin of five laps from Aston Martin. It was Hawthorn's Jaguar that started the whole incident, after all. Years later Fitch claimed, based on his own recollection and from what he heard from others, that Hawthorn had caused it. The 1955 Le Mans disaster occurred during the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France on June 11, 1955.
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