24 Hours of Le Mans: 1955
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24 Hours of Le Mans: 1955 |
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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. World Sports Car Championship. During the race, Pierre Levegh crashed into a crowd of spectators, killing 80/84 and injuring 120 in the deadliest accident in motor racing history. The actual death toll is uncertain, put at from 80 to 84, including Levegh, with many more than that number severely injured. The next round of the World Sports Car Championship at the Nürburgring was cancelled, as was the Carrera Panamericana. The accident caused widespread shock and immediate bans on auto racing in many countries. A number of racing teams including Mercedes-Benz, MG and Bristol had disbanded and withdrawn from racing by the end of the season. The scale of the accident caused some drivers present, including Phil Walters (who had been offered a drive with Ferrari for the rest of the season), Sherwood Johnston, and John Fitch (after completing the season with Mercedes-Benz), to retire from racing. Fitch was coaxed out of retirement by his friend Briggs Cunningham to help the Chevrolet Corvette effort at Le Mans in 1960 and later worked to develop traffic safety devices including the sand-filled "Fitch barrels". Less than three months later, Lance Macklin decided to retire after being involved in a twin fatality accident during the 1955 RAC Tourist Trophy race at Dundrod Circuit. Juan-Manuel Fangio never raced at Le Mans again. Although Hawthorn was relieved to have gotten his first Le Mans victory, he was devastated by the tragedy. A press photo showed him smiling on the podium swigging from the victor's bottle of champagne, and the French press ran it with the sarcastic headline "Here's to You, Mr Hawthorn". The official enquiry concluded that no one driver was to blame and that it was instead a tragic combination of circumstances that had caused the accident, including serious deficiencies in the track design and safety. A few days after the race, a full ban on motor racing events was put into effect by the French government, pending the creation of new rules to ensure the safety of the sport. This complete ban was lifted on September 14, 1955. At this time, the Ministry of the Interior released new regulations for racing events, and codified the approval process that future racing events would need to follow. On the same day, the ACO announced their intent to hold the Le Mans race in 1956, and to make modifications to the Circuit de la Sarthe as necessary to adhere to the Ministry's new regulations. Before the 1956 event, the grandstands and pits were demolished, as well as straightening and widening the track at and approaching the pits, and realigning Dunlop Curve. They increased the separation between the road and the spectators including a wide ditch, and revised other hazardous stretches of the track. Track safety technology and practices evolved slowly until Formula 1 driver Jackie Stewart organized a concerted campaign to advocate for better safety measures 10 years later. Stewart's campaign gained momentum after the deaths of Lorenzo Bandini and Jim Clark. Where we have not had a model of the car as raced through the business I've added another example of the car as an illustration (where I have one)
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Pos |
Car |
No |
Team |
Drivers |
Chassis |
Engine |
Laps |
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1 |
 |
6 |
Jaguar Cars Ltd. |
Mike Hawthorn |
Jaguar D-Type |
Jaguar 3.4L S6 |
307 |
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|
2 |
 |
23 |
Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd |
Peter Collins |
Aston Martin DB3S |
Aston Martin 2.9L S6 |
302 |
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|
3 |
(example) |
10 |
Ecurie Francorchamps |
Jacques Swaters |
Jaguar D-Type |
Jaguar 3.4L S6 |
296 |
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4 |
 (example) |
37 |
Porsche KG |
Helmut Polensky |
Porsche 550 RS Spyder |
Porsche 1498cc F4 |
284 |
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5 |
(example) |
66 |
Ecurie Belge / |
Wolfgang Seidel |
Porsche 550 RS Spyder |
Porsche 1498cc F4 |
276 |
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6 |
(example) |
62 |
Porsche KG |
Helmut 'Helm' Glöckler |
Porsche 550 RS Spyder |
Porsche 1498cc F4 |
273 |
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7 |
 |
34 |
Bristol Aeroplane Co. |
Peter Wilson |
Bristol 450C |
Bristol 1979cc S6 |
271 |
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8 |
(example) |
33 |
Bristol Aeroplane Co. |
Mike Keen |
Bristol 450C |
Bristol 1979cc S6 |
270 |
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9 |
(example) |
32 |
Bristol Aeroplane Co. |
Tommy Wisdom |
Bristol 450C |
Bristol 1979cc S6 |
268 |
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10 |
 |
35 |
Automobiles Frazer Nash Ltd. |
Marcel Becquart |
Frazer Nash Sebring |
Bristol 1971cc S6 |
260 |
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11 |
 (example) |
40 |
Edgar Fronteras |
Giulio Cabianca |
O.S.C.A. MT-4 |
O.S.C.A. 1491cc S4 |
256 |
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12 |
(example) |
41 |
MG Cars Ltd. |
Ken Miles |
MG EX.182 |
MG 1489cc S4 |
249 |
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13 |
 |
49 |
Porsche KG |
Auguste Veuillet |
Porsche 550 RS Spyder |
Porsche 1097cc S4 |
245 |
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14 |
 (example) |
28 |
Standard Triumph Ltd. |
Ninian Sanderson |
Triumph TR2 |
Triumph 1991cc S4 |
242 |
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15 |
(example) |
29 |
Standard Triumph Ltd. |
Ken Richardson |
Triumph TR2 |
Triumph 1991cc S4 |
242 |
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16 |
Still Looking |
63 |
Ecurie Jeudy-Bonnet |
Louis Cornet |
DB HBR-MC |
Panhard 745cc F2 |
236 |
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17 |
(example) |
64 |
MG Cars Ltd. |
Ted Lund |
MG EX.182 |
MG 1489cc S4 |
234 |
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18 |
(example) |
65 |
Gustave Olivier |
Gonzague Olivier |
Porsche 550 RS Spyder |
Porsche 1498cc F4 |
234 |
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N/C * |
(example) |
68 |
Standard Triumph Ltd. |
Leslie Brooke |
Triumph TR2 |
Triumph 1991cc S4 |
214 |
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19 |
Still Looking |
59 |
Ecurie Jeudy-Bonnet |
Louis Héry |
DB HBR Spyder |
Panhard 745cc F2 |
209 |
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N/C * |
Still Looking |
47 |
Cooper Car Co. |
John Brown |
Cooper T39 |
Coventry Climax 1098cc S4 |
207 |
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DNF |
 (example) |
16 |
Officine Alfieri Maserati |
Luigi Musso |
Maserati 300S |
Maserati 3.0L S6 |
239 |
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DNF |
Still Looking |
22 |
Briggs Cunningham |
Briggs Cunningham |
Cunningham C6-R |
Offenhauser 2.9L S4 |
196 |
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DNF |
(example) |
7 |
Jaguar Cars Ltd. |
Tony Rolt |
Jaguar D-Type |
Jaguar 3.4L S6 |
186 |
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DNF |
Still Looking |
30 |
Automobiles Gordini |
Hermano da Silva Ramos |
Gordini T15S |
Gordini 1987cc S8 |
145 |
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DNF |
Still Looking |
52 |
Société Monopole |
Jean Hémard |
Monopole X86 |
Panhard 745cc F2 |
145 |
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DNF |
(example) |
60 |
Automobili Stanguellini |
René Philippe Faure |
Stanguellini S750 Bialbero |
Stanguellini 740cc S4 |
136 |
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DNF |
 |
19 |
Daimler-Benz AG |
Juan Manuel Fangio |
Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR |
Mercedes-Benz 3.0L S8 |
134 |
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DNF |
(example) |
21 |
Daimler-Benz AG |
Karl Kling |
Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR |
Mercedes-Benz 3.0L S8 |
130 |
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DNF |
Still Looking |
51 |
Automobiles Panhard |
René Cotton |
Panhard VM-5 |
Panhard 850cc F2 |
108 |
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DNF |
 |
5 |
Scuderia Ferrari |
Maurice Trintignant |
Ferrari 735 LM |
Ferrari 4.4L S6 |
107 |
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DNF |
(example) |
8 |
Jaguar Cars Ltd. |
Don Beauman |
Jaguar D-Type |
Jaguar 3.4L S6 |
106 |
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DNF |
(example) |
24 |
Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd |
Roy Salvadori |
Aston Martin DB3S |
Aston Martin 2.9L S6 |
105 |
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DNF |
(example) |
12 |
"Heldé" |
"Heldé" (Pierre Louis-Dreyfus) |
Ferrari 750 Monza |
Ferrari 3.0L S4 |
104 |
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DNF |
Still Looking |
58 |
Ecurie Jeudy-Bonnet |
Paul Armagnac |
DB HBR-MC |
Panhard 745cc F2 |
101 |
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DSQ |
(example) |
48 |
Lotus Engineering |
Colin Chapman |
Lotus Mark IX |
Coventry Climax 1098cc S4 |
99 |
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DNF |
(example) |
31 |
Officine Alfieri Maserati |
Carlo Tomasi |
Maserati 200S |
Maserati 1986cc S4 |
96 |
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DNF |
Still Looking |
50 |
Automobiles Panhard |
Pierre Chancel |
Panhard VM-5 |
Panhard 850cc F2 |
94 |
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DNF |
 |
1 |
Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd |
Reg Parnell |
Lagonda DP-166 |
Lagonda 4.5L V12 |
93 |
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DNF |
(example) |
25 |
Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd |
Tony Brooks |
Aston Martin DB3S |
Aston Martin 2.9L S6 |
83 |
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DNF |
(example) |
27 |
J.-P. Colas |
Jean-Paul Colas |
Salmson 2300S Cabriolet |
Salmson 2.3L L4 |
82 |
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DNF |
(example) |
3 |
Scuderia Ferrari |
Umberto Maglioli |
Ferrari 735 LM |
Ferrari 4.4L S6 |
76 |
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DNF |
(example) |
38 |
W. Ringgenberg |
Walter Ringgenberg |
Porsche 550/4 |
Porsche 1498cc F4 |
65 |
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DNF |
(example) |
43 |
Connaught Engineering |
Kenneth McAlpine |
Connaught AL/SR |
Lea-Francis 1484cc S4 |
60 |
|
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DNF |
(example) |
4 |
Scuderia Ferrari |
Eugenio Castellotti |
Ferrari 735 LM |
Ferrari 4.4L S6 |
52 |
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DNF |
Still Looking |
69 |
A. Constantin |
Jacques Savoye |
Constantin 203C Spyder |
Peugeot 1425cc S4 |
52 |
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DNF |
Still Looking |
46 |
Kieft Cars Ltd. |
Alan Rippon |
Kieft Sport |
Coventry Climax 1098cc S4 |
47 |
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DNF |
Still Looking |
57 |
Ecurie Jeudy-Bonnet |
René Bonnet |
D.B. HBR |
Panhard 745cc F2 |
44 |
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DNF |
 |
9 |
Briggs Cunningham |
Phil Walters |
Jaguar D-Type |
Jaguar 3.4L S6 |
43 |
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DNF |
 |
11 |
Cooper Car Co |
Peter Whitehead |
Cooper T38 |
Jaguar 3.4L S6 |
38 |
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DNF |
(example) |
20 |
Daimler-Benz AG |
"Pierre Levegh" (Pierre Bouillin) |
Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR |
Mercedes-Benz 3.0L L8 |
34 |
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DNF |
(example) |
36 |
Automobiles Frazer Nash Ltd. |
Cecil Vard |
Frazer Nash Sebring |
Bristol 1971cc S6 |
33 |
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DNF |
Still Looking |
53 |
Société Monopole |
Francis Navarro |
Monopole Sport X88 |
Panhard 745cc F2 |
30 |
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DNF |
 |
26 |
Lance Macklin |
Lance Macklin |
Austin-Healey 100 S |
BMC A90 2.7L S4 |
28 |
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DNF |
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42 |
MG Cars Ltd. |
Dick Jacobs |
MG EX.182 |
MG 1489cc S4 |
27 |
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DNF |
Still Looking |
56 |
Automobiles VP |
Yves Giraud-Cabantous |
VP 166R |
Renault 747cc S4 |
26 |
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DNF |
(example) |
15 |
Officine Alfieri Maserati |
Roberto Mieres |
Maserati 300S |
Maserati 3.0L S6 |
24 |
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DNF |
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14 |
"Mike Sparken" |
"Mike Sparken" (Michel Pobejersky) |
Ferrari 750 Monza |
Ferrari 3.0L S4 |
23 |
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DNF |
Still Looking |
61 |
Ufficine Nardi |
Dr. Mario Damonte |
Nardi ‘Damolnar’ Bisiluro |
Giannini 735cc S4 |
5 |
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DNF |
Still Looking |
39 |
Kieft Cars Ltd. |
Berwyn Baxter |
Kieft Sport |
Turner 1493cc S4 |
4 |
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DNS |
 (example) |
2 |
Ecurie Rosier |
Louis Rosier |
Talbot-Lago T26 GS Spyder |
Talbot 4.5L S6 |
0 |
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DNS |
Still Looking |
17 |
Automobiles Gordini |
Robert Manzon |
Gordini T24S |
Gordini 3.0L S8 |
0 |
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DNS |
Still Looking |
45 |
Arnott Racing Cars |
Jim Russell |
Arnott Sports |
Coventry Climax 1098cc S4 |
0 |
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DNS |
Still Looking |
54 |
Moretti Automobili |
Lino Fayen |
Moretti 750S |
Moretti 750cc S4 |
0 |
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DNS |
Still Looking |
55 |
Moretti Automobili |
Giorgio Ubezzi |
Moretti 750S |
Moretti 750cc S4 |
0 |
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Reserve |
Still Looking |
70 |
Société Pierre Ferry |
Jacques Blaché |
Ferry Sports F750 |
Renault 747cc S4 |
0 |
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Reserve |
Still Looking |
72 |
Automobiles VP |
Jean-Marie Dumazer |
VP 155R |
Renault 747cc S4 |
0 |
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Reserve |
 (example) |
75 |
Ecurie Rosier |
Jean-Louis Rosier |
Renault 4CV/1068 Spyder |
Renault 747cc S4 |
0 |
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| Last Edit: 12/06/2024 | Page Created 17/07/2020 |