24 Hours of Le Mans: 1956
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24 Hours of Le Mans: 1956 |
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The 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans was a race for Sports Cars, and took place on 28 and 29 July 1956 on the Circuit de la Sarthe. The race was won by Ron Flockhart and Ninian Sanderson driving a Jaguar D-Type for the new Ecurie Ecosse team. This race also marked the golden jubilee of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) founded in 1906, however because of the previous year's terrible accident, celebrations were deferred to 1957 to go along with the imminent 25th anniversary of the race. Following the events of 1955, the front stretch and pit lane were redesigned in order to enhance driver and spectator safety. This involved a change to the layout of the Dunlop curve, shortening the overall length of the track by 31 meters. The official enquiry into the 1955 Le Mans disaster found severe deficiencies in the track layout along the main straight and for quite some time there were serious concerns for the future of the race. However, the ACO took all the recommendations on board and was able to convince the French government for continuation. The extensive renovations cost FF300 million, moving 70000 cubic metres of earth and meant the race was delayed 7 weeks to the end of July. The pit straight was redesigned: it was widened by 13m (giving room for a deceleration lane), the small kink removed by straightening the approach, and the Dunlop curve realigned, steepened and eased, moving the Dunlop Bridge. This all had the effect of shortening the lap by 31 metres. The grandstand was demolished and rebuilt with new spectator terraces beyond a ditch between the track. The postwar pits were also torn down and a new 3-storey complex built giving more space for crews and with hospitality suites above (although there was still no barrier out to the racing line). This limited the number of starters to 52, down from 60. Elsewhere on the track, the Indianapolis and Maison Blanche corners were also widened and resurfaced, and a dangerous hump on the road after Arnage was removed. A new “signalling pits” was built just after the Mulsanne corner (in the same place Bentley had used 20 years earlier with a phone-link back to the pits) so as to reduce crew congestion and driver distraction on the critical pit straight area. Regarding new regulations, the ACO also set a number of new restrictions with a view to limit maximum speeds. Prototypes were now given a maximum engine size of 2.5L. Production cars had to have 50 units “built, sold or provided for” and were still unrestricted in engine capacity. These new limits put the ACO out of step with the FIA and hence the race was dropped from the 1956 World Sportscar Championship. Full-width windscreens, at least 200mm, high were also mandatory further trimming top-speed. Other effects to encourage economy limited all fuel tanks to a maximum size of 130 litres, and the liquids replenishment (fuel, oil, water) window was extended again, from 32 to 34 laps (458 km / 284 miles) meaning a minimum practical fuel economy of 10.8mpg would be needed. Finally, drivers were now only allowed to do 72 consecutive laps and 14 hours in total. 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 |
|
1 |
 |
4 |
Ecurie Ecosse |
Ninian Sanderson |
Jaguar D-Type |
Jaguar 3.4L S6 |
300 |
|
2 |
(example) |
8 |
Aston Martin Ltd. |
Stirling Moss |
Aston Martin DB3S |
Aston Martin 2.9L S6 |
299 |
|
3 |
Still Looking |
12 |
Scuderia Ferrari |
Olivier Gendebien |
Ferrari 625 LM |
Ferrari 2.5L S4 |
293 |
|
4 |
 |
5 |
Equipe Nationale Belge |
Jacques Swaters |
Jaguar D-Type |
Jaguar 3.4L S6 |
284 |
|
5 |
 |
25 |
Porsche KG |
Graf Wolfgang von Trips |
Porsche 550A Coupe |
Porsche 1498cc F4 |
282 |
|
6 |
 |
1 |
Jaguar Cars Ltd. |
Mike Hawthorn |
Jaguar D-Type FI |
Jaguar 3.4L S6 |
280 |
|
7 |
(example) |
36 |
Lotus Engineering |
Reg Bicknell |
Lotus 11 |
Climax FWA 1098cc S4 |
253 |
|
8 |
Still Looking |
33 |
Cooper Car Company |
Ed Hugus |
Cooper T39 |
Climax FWA 1098cc S4 |
252 |
|
9 |
(example) |
30 |
C. Bourillot |
Claude Bourillot |
Maserati 150S |
Maserati 1497cc S4 |
245 |
|
10 |
(example) |
40 |
Automobiles |
Gérard Laureau |
DB HBR-5 Spyder |
Panhard 747cc F2 |
231 |
|
11 |
(example) |
45 |
Automobiles |
Jean-Claude Vidilles |
DB HBR-5 Coupé |
Panhard 747cc F2 |
225 |
|
12 |
(example) |
46 |
Automobiles |
André Héchard |
DB HBR-4 Spyder |
Panhard 747cc F2 |
220 |
|
N/C * |
(example) |
34 |
R. Bourel |
Roland Bourel |
Porsche 356A |
Porsche 1290cc F4 |
212 |
|
13 |
Still Looking |
41 |
Just-Emile Vernet |
Jean-Marie Dumazer |
VP 166R |
Renault 845cc S4 |
210 |
|
DNF |
 |
14 |
Aston Martin Ltd. |
Reg Parnell |
Aston Martin DBR1/250 |
Aston Martin 2.5L S6 |
246 |
|
DNF |
 |
17 |
Automobiles Talbot |
Jean Behra |
Talbot-Lago Sport |
Maserati 2.5L S6 |
220 |
|
DSQ |
 |
6 |
R. Walshaw |
Robert Walshaw |
Jaguar XK140 |
Jaguar 3.5L S6 |
209 |
|
DNF |
(example) |
9 |
Aston Martin Ltd. |
Peter Walker |
Aston Martin DB3S |
Aston Martin 2.9L S6 |
173 |
|
DNF |
(example) |
32 |
Lotus Engineering |
Colin Chapman |
Lotus 11 |
Climax FWB 1459cc S4 |
172 |
|
DSQ |
 |
22 |
Los Amigos |
François Picard |
Ferrari 500 TR |
Ferrari 1985cc S4 |
137 |
|
DNF |
(example) |
24 |
Porsche KG |
Umberto Maglioli |
Porsche 550A Coupé |
Porsche 1498cc F4 |
136 |
|
DNF |
Still Looking |
37 |
René Breuil |
Jean Py |
RB Sport |
OSCA 1093cc S4 |
116 |
|
DNF |
Still Looking |
10 |
Scuderia Ferrari |
Phil Hill |
Ferrari 625 LM |
Ferrari 2.5L S4 |
107 |
|
DNF |
 |
23 |
Automobiles Frazer Nash Ltd. |
Richard ‘Dickie’ Stoop |
Frazer Nash Sebring |
Bristol 1977cc S6 |
100 |
|
DNF |
Still Looking |
16 |
Automobiles Gordini |
Hermano da Silva Ramos |
Gordini T23S |
Gordini 2.5L S6 |
90 |
|
DNF |
(example) |
35 |
Lotus Engineering |
Cliff Allison |
Lotus 11 |
Climax FWA 1098cc S4 |
89 |
|
DNF |
Still Looking |
15 |
Automobiles Gordini |
Robert Manzon |
Gordini T15S |
Gordini 2.5L S8 |
80 |
|
DNF |
(example) |
19 |
J.-P. Colas |
Serge Nersessian |
Salmson 2300S Coupé |
Salmson 2.3L S4 |
80 |
|
DNF |
 |
20 |
Equipe Nationale Belge |
Lucien Bianchi |
Ferrari 500 TR |
Ferrari 1985cc S4 |
76 |
|
DNF |
Still Looking |
29 |
Automobiles Gordini |
André Milhoux |
Gordini T17S |
Gordini 1495cc S6 |
67 |
|
DNF |
Still Looking |
48 |
Moretti Automobili |
Marcel Lauga |
Moretti 750 Gran Sport |
Moretti 747cc S4 |
62 |
|
DNF |
(example) |
21 |
P. Meyrat |
Pierre Meyrat |
Ferrari 500 TR |
Ferrari 1985cc S4 |
61 |
|
DNF |
(example) |
26 |
Porsche KG |
Max Nathan |
Porsche 356 Carrera |
Porsche 1498cc F4 |
61 |
|
DNF |
(example) |
7 |
P. Metternich |
Fürst Paul von Metternich- Winneburg |
Mercedes-Benz 300SL |
Mercedes-Benz 3.0L S6 |
58 |
|
DNF |
Still Looking |
49 |
Automobiles Panhard |
Jean Hémard |
Panhard-Monopole X89 |
Panhard 745cc F2 |
50 |
|
DNF |
 (example) |
27 |
W. Seidel |
Carel Godin de Beaufort |
Porsche 550 RS Spyder |
Porsche 1498cc F4 |
48 |
|
DNF |
Still Looking |
50 |
Automobiles Panhard |
Pierre Chancel |
Panhard-Monopole X88 |
Panhard 745cc F2 |
46 |
|
DNF |
(example) |
28 |
G. Olivier |
Claude Storez |
Porsche 550 RS Spyder |
Porsche 1498cc F4 |
45 |
|
DNF |
(example) |
52 |
Automobili Stanguellini |
René-Philippe Faure |
Stanguellini 750 Sport |
Stanguellini 741cc S4 |
36 |
|
DNF |
(example) |
31 |
L. Cornet |
Louis Cornet |
Maserati 150S |
Maserati 1487cc S4 |
35 |
|
DNF |
(example) |
18 |
Automobiles Talbot |
Jean Lucas |
Talbot-Lago Sport |
Maserati 2.5L S6 |
32 |
|
DNF |
(example) |
53 |
Automobili Stanguellini |
Pierre Duval |
Stanguellini 750 Sport |
Stanguellini 741cc S4 |
23 |
|
DNF |
Still Looking |
47 |
Moretti Automobili |
Marceau Esculus |
Moretti 750 Gran Sport |
Moretti 747cc S4 |
22 |
|
DNF |
Still Looking |
51 |
L. Héry |
Louis Héry |
Monopole X86 |
Panhard 745cc F2 |
5 |
|
DNF |
 (example) |
42 |
Automobili O.S.C.A. |
Jean Laroche |
O.S.C.A. 750 S |
OSCA] 749cc S4 |
4 |
|
DNF |
 |
3 |
Jaguar Cars Ltd. |
Jack Fairman |
Jaguar D-Type |
Jaguar 3.4L S6 |
3 |
|
DNF |
(example) |
44 |
Automobiles |
Fernand Carpentier |
DB HBR-5 Coupé |
Panhard 747cc F2 |
2 |
|
DNF |
Still Looking |
11 |
Scuderia Ferrari |
Alfonso, Marquis de Portago |
Ferrari 625 LM |
Ferrari 2.5L I4 |
2 |
|
DNF |
 |
2 |
Jaguar Cars Ltd. |
Paul Frère |
Jaguar D-Type |
Jaguar 3.4L S6 |
2 |
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| Last Edit: 12/06/2024 | Page Created 19/08/2020 |