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. I stood as if in a dream, too horrified to even think."[17][18]. During trials the veteran. An estimated attendance of between 250,000 and 300,000 crammed together to witness one of the most spectacular driver line ups ever assembled to contest the venue's iconic 24-Hour race. It had been Levegh's unprecedented solo drive in the 1952 race that failed in the last hour, which allowed Mercedes-Benz their first Le Mans victory. The death toll led to an immediate temporary ban on motorsports in France, Spain, Switzerland, West Germany, and other nations, until racetracks could be brought to a higher safety standard. Racing fuel exploded. All of this was from one car cutting through the crowd alone. 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. It was the most catastrophic crash in motorsport history, and it prompted Mercedes-Benz to withdraw from motor racing until 1989. Even after modifications had been made to the Circuit de la Sarthe after 1955, Louis Hry was killed on his own just a year later. [citation needed], Over the next year, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) set about making extensive track improvements and infrastructure changes at the Circuit de la Sarthethe pit straight was redesigned and widened to remove the kink just before the start-finish line, and to give room for a deceleration lane. Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, and Mike Hawthorn were household names in the fifties with the marquee manufacturers of Ferrari, Jaguar along with Mercedes Benz all throwing resources at claiming the crown. Meanwhile, Macklin's car, heavily damaged, rammed the left-side barrier, then veered to the right of the track into the pit lane, narrowly missing Kling's Mercedes-Benz, Roberto Mieres's Maserati, and Don Beauman's Jaguar, all of which were already in the pits refuelling before the accident. Stewart's campaign gained momentum after the deaths of Lorenzo Bandini and Jim Clark. Innocence - along with a tragic human toll - was lost forever. Copyright 2023 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes, 40 Amazing Photos of 17th and 18th Century Buildings in Eastern Massachusetts, Historys Oldest Color Photos Show How The World Looked Like A Century Ago, Jean Harlow in Publicity Portraits for Hells Angels, Taken Late 1929. Aside from two layout changes to make the circuit shorter, the Circuit de la Sarthe was largely unaltered since the inception of the race in 1923, when top speeds of cars were typically in the region of 100km/h (60mph). Levegh's wife was inconsolable and Fitch stayed with her until she could be comforted. Waiting until 1:45 am, when many spectators had left, he stepped onto the track and quietly called his cars into the pits, at the time running first and third. The official government inquiry into the accident called officials, drivers, and team personnel to be questioned and give evidence. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. "I think he misjudged the speed of my car [which would have been around 120 at this point] and its position and that he was afraid of having to go around again and run the risk of running out of petrol. Its sloping back acted like a ramp for Levegh's Mercedes, however, which flew into the air. Amateur driver Kippeurth lost control of his. This was only a few hours after the crash. [3], Both Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz issued official statements, mainly in self-defense against the accusations leveled against them and their drivers. In the background of the picture below, you can see people on the other side of the track, standing on top of teams' pit garages, trying to see how bad things were. Having achieved that, Mercedes withdrew from motorsport. Drivers run to their cars for the start of the Le Mans 24 hour race in Le Mans, France on June 11, 1955. In 1957, D-Types were placed 1-2-3-4-6, with only a solitary Ferrari in 5th spoiling the parade. In all, a total of 22 drivers have died in and around the Circuit de la Sarthe,[1] with more than half occurring along the circuit's Mulsanne Straight. Tap into Getty Images global-scale, data-driven insights and network of over 340,000creators to create content exclusively for your brand. At the 24 Hueres Du Mans in July 1955, the inevitable finally happened. Two hours later, photographers captured priests performing last rites. At the Circuit de la Sarthe, the audience stands at the pits were demolished. However, there was a return to the sport in the '90s. The '55 Le Mans race looked like it would be one of the greatest since WWII. Just behind Hawthorn was a much slower Austin-Healey, actually a lap down on Hawthorn. 1955 June 11 Race car at Le Mans crashes into spectators, killing 82 On June 11, 1955, a racing car in Le Mans, France, goes out of control and crashes into stands filled with. Large pieces of debris flew into the crowd, killing 83 spectators and French driver Pierre Levegh, and injuring nearly 180 more. On that date, the Ministry of the Interior released new regulations for racing events and codified the approval process that future racing events would need to follow. That said, the circuit had been resurfaced and widened after the Second World War. A special Mass was held in the morning in the Le Mans Cathedral for the first funerals of the victims. "As I was rolling along backward I saw Levegh's car following me in the air, with Levegh sort of hunched over in the cockpit. With his eyes shut, Fangio with his own quick reflexes squeezed through the carnage and brushed Hawthorn's then-stationary Jaguar in the pits, allowing him to pass unscathed. Hawthorn!")[28][3]. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. 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. D-Type Jaguars won the Le Mans 24hr endurance race in 1955, 1956 and 1957. 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. Jaguar team manager "Lofty" England declined. [36] Tertre Rouge was moved about 200m and new tyre barriers were installed at the exit in 2014. On the other hand: damn those Jaguar D-types look nice. Le Mans, France: The wreckage of the death car and bodies of some of the victims felled by the explosion on Saturday. Levegh's car skipped over a protective earthen berm at 200km/h (125mph) and made at least two impacts within the spectator area, the last of which caused the car to disintegrate, throwing him onto the track where he was instantly killed. One of the main shortcomings of the Circuit de la Sarthe as at the period of the disaster was that there were no barriers between the pit stop and the racecourse, and every sudden pit stop by a driver was a heart in the mouth moment as any minor collision could result in something fatal. A photographer captured Hawthorn slugging from the customary bottle of champagne presented to the victory - just over 20 hours after the tragedy. Here is a full view of the crash site from the nearby stands. The accident reportedly occurred in heavy fog. Eighty-three spectators and driver Pierre Levegh died and 120 more were injured in the most catastrophic accident in motorsport history. Browse 305 le mans 1955 stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Your brain acts so fast you can see everything, and I can remember as I was spinning I saw the timekeepers watching me from their booth. They included: After an emergency meeting and vote of Mercedes-Benz company directors by telephone in Stuttgart, West Germany, Neubauer finally got the call approving his team's withdrawal just before midnight. [25], Opinions differed widely amongst the other drivers as to who was directly to blame for the crash, and such differences remain even today. Le Mans Motor Racing Disaster (1955) | British Path Watch on At least 83 spectators were killed and over a hundred more injured in the 1955 Le Mans Disaster. Just as the race was having the average pedestrian pace for a car race, there was an accident that changed the cause of motorsports history. Most vehicle manufacturers focus on this particular race to test the fuel efficiency of their vehicles and know the viability of their cars and engines throughout the 24 hours rather than learning how fast their cars can go. Maybe that's what makes these pictures still so very chilling. 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. [32][33] In 2015, the ban was relaxed for electric vehicles only, such as cars involved in Formula E electric racing. I stood as if in a dream, too horrified to even think., Mike Hawthorn and the Jaguar team kept racing. Extricating the Dead and Dying. Macklin swerved out from behind the slowing Jaguar into the path of Levegh, who was passing on the left in his much faster Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. The deadliest crash ever in motor sports history happened in Le Mans, France, on June 12, 1955. A major crash caused large fragments of debris to fly into the crowd, killing 83 spectators and French driver Pierre Bouillin (who raced under the name Pierre Levegh) and injuring nearly 180 more. [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. A reporter for Life magazine recounted that: the Mercedes took off like a rocket, struck the embankment beside the track, hurtled end over end and then disintegrated over the crowd. It's important to look at why so many people died that medical attention was so poor, that the Mercedes so easily split into multiple parts and sprayed out its fuel, that the crowd was so poorly protected. Indeed, the German company withdrew from all motor racing at the end of that season and did not return until 1987. The circuit at Le Mans is incredibly long, and information was even more sparse away from the immediate vicinity of the crash. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Macklin, who also braked hard, ran off the right-hand edge of the track, throwing up dust. The 1955 Le Mans disaster was a major crash that occurred on 11 June 1955 during the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, Sarthe, France. 77 deaths at Le Mans Mon 13 Jun 1955 04.33 EDT Le Mans, June 12 Le Mans is in mourning today for the 77 people killed when the blazing wreckage of a Mercedes sports car crashed through. [43] It was then restored to its original condition.[44]. The Mercedes trucks were packed up and gone by morning. It decided that auto racing detracted from its primary goals, and the United States Automobile Club was formed to take over the race sanctioning and officiating. Even for the 50's I am surprised they kept on racing. Tony Rolt and other drivers had been raising concerns about the pit straight since 1953. Cole was killed when his Ferrari left the road, impacting one of several farm houses lining the road at Maison Blanche. I am including all of his pictures preserved by the AP, as well as all of the photographs taken by the AP itself. 24 Hours du Mans (in French), held at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Northern France, is a 24 hours' endurance-focused sports car race that started in 1923. In 1957, D-Types were placed 1-2-3-4-6, with only a solitary Ferrari in 5th spoiling the parade. Profitez de millions dimages, de vidos et morceaux de musique de qualit. Le Mans 11th June 1955. There had been claims that when Lafosse attempted to make up for lost time, either suspension or tyre failure caused the car to veer off suddenly into the barrier.[2][30][31]. They saw the whole catastrophe unfold. Sixty started, but only 21 finished, with Britains Mike Hawthorn the winner in a Jaguar. [15][8], Macklin, on reading Hawthorn's 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. Look at how dense the crowd was. (AP Photo), Spectators flee the searing flames of a smashed Mercedes racing car after an accident at Le Mans, France, endurance race which killed more than 80 persons, June 11, 1955. The announcer claims that the sand trap has "claimed another victim." The 300 SLR featured a body made of an ultra-lightweight magnesium alloy called Elektron. [15][16], Prior to the crash, the car was involved in a previous incident with partial damage to the front bodywork, as photographic evidence shows. It was the turning point in the industry as considerable changes were made towards improving the safety of drivers and spectators. The dead and dying were everywhere; the cries of pain, anguish, and despair screamed catastrophe. Bueb in particular was very reluctant, but given Hawthorn's condition had no choice, as Dewis firmly pointed out to him.[3]. [25] Additional details emerged when the stills reviewed by Frre were converted to video form. . Sign in The Worst Accident in. Registered in Ireland: 523712. [41] In December 2011, the car, estimated to raise 800,000 before the auction,[41] was sold for 843,000. The French magazine L'Auto-Journal published it with the sarcastic caption, " votre sant, Monsieur Hawthorn!" The protagonists were Pierre Levegh representing Mercedes, Mike Hawthorn driving for Jaguar, and Lance Macklin of the Austin-Healey team. Fourteen people were decapitated with the death toll in the crowd recorded at 83 - though more were believed to have succumbed to their injuries in the weeks and months afterward. Another 120 were "maimed," according to current writing, though initial news stories estimated around 70. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. At the time of his mistake, the Mercedes were running 2 and 3 twenty-five miles behind the Talbot! Fifty-nine years ago, the 1955 Le Mans 24-hour race started like any other. 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John Fitch, Levegh's American co-driver, had suited up and was ready to take over the car at the upcoming pit stop, and was standing with Levegh's wife Denise Bouillin. The French police files have never been opened, and one long time Le Mans racing chief later estimated the death toll at 130. The car rolled over during the incident. Everything slows right down as if you were watching a slow-motion film. The Mercedes crashed into the embankment that bordered the track, killing Levegh instantly. With the Mercedes-Benz team withdrawn and the Ferraris all broken, Jaguars main competition had gone. The other team cars were being kept on tighter leashes to conserve the cars, but still racing in the top ten. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options await you. [14][15], Levegh's front-right wheel rode up onto the rear-left corner of Macklin's car, which acted as a ramp and launched Levegh's car into the air, flying over spectators and rolling end over end for 80 metres (260ft). These roads are not predictable and can have so many unforeseen dangers. They suggested that Mercedes-Benz had tampered with the official fuel-supply with an explosive additive, but the intensity of the fire was due instead to the magnesium-alloy construction of the chassis. Here, a man holds the body of a child. In the days after the disaster, several explanations were offered by Faroux for this course of action. This became the semi-official pronouncement of the Mercedes team and Macklin's story. Hawthorn and Bueb won the race by an easy margin of five laps from Aston Martin. Search instead in. Now it's recorded that Mercedes pulled out of the race following the crash. The pits and grandstands had been reconstructed, but there were no barriers between the pit lane and the racing line, and only a 4ft (1.2m) earthen bank between the track and the spectators. Catastrophe aux 24 heures du Mans en 1955 (France 3 Ouest, 2008), Apokalypse in Le Mans Das Rennen in den Tod (2010), Deadliest Crash: the Le Mans 1955 Disaster (Programme Website), "Crash and carnage at 150 mph This is how the worst racing accident happened", "1955 24 Hours of Le Mans - History, Profile, Information and Photos", "Mike Hawthorn & the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans: The Cause and the Effect", "BBC Four - The Deadliest Crash: the Le Mans 1955 Disaster", "1956 Sebring 12 Hours Grand Prix - Race Photos, History, Profile", "Switzerland Officially Lifts 67-Year Ban On Circuit Racing", "Sir Jackie Stewart and Halo: No stranger to F1 safety ridicule", "Historic Austin-Healey car in Le Mans disaster to fetch '1m at auction", "1953 Austin-Healey has been restored to its former glory", Le Mans 1955 from The Mike Hawthorn Tribute Site, Newsreel footage of the 1955 race and crash, Life Magazine report of the 1955 Le Mans Disaster, 1955 Le Mans Disaster depicted and analyzed in depth by a witness (currently available only in French), Deadliest Crash: The Le Mans 1955 Disaster, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1955_Le_Mans_disaster&oldid=1142738568, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2017, Articles with French-language sources (fr), Wikipedia articles needing clarification from March 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, that if the huge crowd of spectators had tried to leave, that firms participating in the race could have sued the race organizers for huge sums of money, that "the rough law of sport dictates that the race shall go on"; Faroux specifically pointing to the, that he did not, in fact, have the authority to stop the race at all, and that, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 02:57. An American soldier at the race, Jimmy Prickett, was at the scene and took pictures immediately following the crash. He had just lapped Levegh (running sixth) after Arnage (one of the corners of the race track) and was determined to keep Fangio at bay as long as possible. When Mercedes pulled out, they approached the Jaguar team. In 1969, it was bought for 155 (equivalent to 2,714 in 2021). In its silence, you sense the horror of what's being recorded. The crash started when Jaguar driver Mike Hawthorn pulled to the right side of the track in front of Austin-Healey driver Lance Macklin and started braking for his pit stop. . The importance of the crash is not how two cars crashed into each other. But widen the scope of the camera, and you get a real feel that this victory had been tainted with something utterly terrible. They use them to cover one of the bodies in the road. As callous as that might sound, there was a justifiable reason. In the background are the pit stalls for the racers. In the middle as many as 130 died in the most horrific disaster in motorsports history. There was much debate over blame for the disaster. [25][16][29][3] It has remained the most catastrophic crash in motorsport history. Levegh was killed outright as he was flung from the car and thrown onto the track. [2] Sixteen during the race itself, five during pre-race practice and testing sessions, and one en route to the race. In picture, shown on Finishing Straight, car numbered '25' (Jaguar Works, XKD 605, 'long-nose') was 6th at Le Mans in 1956. When the rest of Levegh's car landed on the embankment, the rear-mounted fuel tank exploded. Collect, curate and comment on your files. The driver (Pierre Levegh) was killed, as were 83 spectators. "He pulled across in front of me, and then I remember being surprised to see his brake lights come on. Earlier this week an Audi R18 shot backwards into a wall and the driver survived with only a few friction burns. The death of the spectators was blamed on inadequate safety standards for the track design. "Mike could have been mistaken about how fast my car was going," Macklin would tell Sports Illustrated in a 1986 interview. On the one hand: worst accident in autoracing so far, with one dead pilot and about 80 dead spectators. The media also speculated on the violent fire that engulfed the wreck, which intensified when fire marshals poured their water-based extinguishers on the flames. RELATED: 10 Of The Coolest Le Mans Prototypes No One Remembers. Le Mans, France: Rescue workers pursue the grim task of extricating . However, a press photograph showed Hawthorn smiling on the podium drinking from the victor's bottle of champagne. [14] When Fitch returned to his pit, he urged the Mercedes team to withdraw from the race, as continuing to compete would be a public relations disaster for Mercedes-Benz regardless of whether they won or lost. It remains the worst disaster in motorsports history. Lance Macklin, who had just been lapped in his slower Austin-Healey moved across to avoid Hawthorn and Levegh ran into the back of his car. These were the days of patriots racing Red, Blue, Green, White and Silver cars for the national glory of their country. Footage of the 1955 Le Mans Disaster. Years later Fitch claimed, based on his own recollection and from what he heard from others, that Hawthorn had caused it. (AP Photo/Jacques Marqueton), Spectators flee the searing flames of a smashed Mercedes racing car after an accident at Le Mans, France, endurance race which killed more than 80 persons, June 11, 1955. At first you can see people running from the fire. The only people on and around the podium that day who had mixed emotions at the race end were either race officials who were trying (and failing) to put on a faade for the camera and were grateful for an end to a disastrous race or other workers at the Le Mans circuit who had no stake in the race. 1950s, accident & disaster, event & history, footage & video, france, Le Mans, sports, vehicles Search instead in Creative? The weather had closed in on Sunday morning and there was no victory celebration. It turned friends into enemies, fans into critics, and winners into losers. 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. [14] Levegh's lifeless body, severely burned, lay in full view on the pavement until a gendarme hauled down a banner to cover it. [Warning: graphic content]. In the background are the pit stalls for the racers. then went back and tried to rescue others.". Norman Dewis ventured the opinions that Macklins move around Hawthorn was careless and that Levegh was not competent to meet the demands of driving at the speeds the 300SLR was capable of. Although Marchal was taken to the hospital, he died the following day. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. "But by overtaking me and braking sharply he forced me to overtake him again, which meant I had to pull out in front of Levegh and Fangio. On Sunday morning, Bonnier approached the Indianapolis bend before Arnage and tried to avoid the slowly driven Ferrari 365GTB4 #35 of Florian Vetsch. NEXT: Le Mans Hypercars And What It Means For Endurance Racing, Here's What Happened At The Tragic 1955 Le Mans Disaster, These Le Mans Racers Dominated The Worlds Most Famous Race, 10 Of The Coolest Le Mans Prototypes No One Remembers, Le Mans Hypercars And What It Means For Endurance Racing, Like A Phoenix: The Pontiac Sunfire Is The Affordable, Fun, American Coupe We Need, A New Toyota Celica Concept Shows What A Pure Toyota Sports Car Could Be Without BMW, A Modern Plymouth Road Runner Like This Could Shake Up Today's Pony Car Market, 10 Used German Performance Cars We'd Buy Over An American Muscle Car Any Day, The 2024 Chevrolet Impala SS: A Way To Save The Four-Door Muscle Car, 10 Most Reliable European Luxury Cars Ever. Within hours of the crash, the local police reported sixty five dead, as one racer remembered, and now the death toll is usually reported as something in the 80s. Hawthorn and his co-driver Ivor Bueb won the race the next afternoon. . The 1955 Le Mans tragedy was deemed a terrible accident but in truth was the end of an era that would never come again. Accounts put the death toll at 80 to 84 (spectators plus Levegh), either by flying debris or from the fire, with a further 120 to 178 injured. The pieces of the Mercedes ripped through the crowd, crushing and decapitating. Exiting the Tertre Rouge corner, Larivire lost control of his car and launched over a sandbank along the. Extricating the Dead and Dying. Bodies were strewn throughout the stands The majority of the dead were French, with the numbers injured running into the hundreds. 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. There is no question that racing cars today are almost infinitely safer than those of 1955. The accident caused, Just ten minutes into the race, Simonsen spun off the kerbs and into the Armco barrier on the exit of Tertre Rouge where it joined RD 338 (, This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 23:30. Macklin's car hit the unprotected pit-wall, just short of the Cunningham and Mercedes-Benz pits where Shell and Lockheed equipment were stationed, running down a policeman, a photographer and two officials (all seriously injured), then rebounded back across the track again to end up skating down the left-side fence for a second time. Other observers estimated the toll to be much higher. Levegh crashed into the back of the Austin-Healey. Search instead in Creative? Dewis ventured the opinions that Macklin's move around Hawthorn was careless and that Levegh was not competent to meet the demands of driving at the speeds the 300SLR was capable of. After his victory, Hawthorn celebrated with champagne. On the 11th of June 1955, about 300,000 spectators gathered at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Northern France for another endurance car race event. But after Hawthorne makes the move, he suddenly decides to cut right and breaks very hard to enter his pit area. He was not aware that a barrier had been placed across the escape lane and he crashed heavily. The weather had closed in on Sunday morning and there was no victory celebration. Mike Hawthorn celebrating the 1955 Le Mans victory despite causing the deadliest accident in history of racing. The 1955 Le Mans disaster occurred during the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race, when a crash caused large fragments of racing car debris to fly into the crowd.
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