Another 120 were "maimed," according to current writing, though initial news stories estimated around 70. Here is a full view of the crash site from the nearby stands. Levegh rear-ended Macklin at high speed, overriding Macklin's car and launching his own car through the air. Browse 305 le mans 1955 stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. What stands out in these pictures is the confusion. [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. then went back and tried to rescue others.". The scene in the aftermath was hellish. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. Jaguar driver Duncan Hamilton, and a teammate of Hawthorn, watched the tragedy unfold from the pit wall. So what are we, in 2014, left with? The importance of the crash is not how two cars crashed into each other. In the days after the disaster, several explanations were offered by Faroux for this course of action. The images may be black and white but even the faded frames of a tragedy 65 years ago still pack a powerful punch. Life in Harlem in 1970 Photographed by Jack Garofalo, The Burning Monk: The Story Behind the Shocking and Iconic Image of Thich Quang Duc Immolating Himself on a Saigon Street, 1963. The '55 Le Mans race looked like it would be one of the greatest since WWII. Le Mans, France: The wreckage of the death car and bodies of some of the victims felled by the explosion on Saturday. Macklin moves over to the right to let him pass. 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). "He came alongside me, and I gave him the thumbs-up sign as he overtook me to wish him luck. In the end the enquiry ruled that no specific driver was responsible for the crash, and that it was merely a terrible racing incident. 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. Having achieved that, Mercedes withdrew from motorsport. Levegh crashed into the back of the Austin-Healey. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. "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. Everything started when Hawthorn in his Jaguar cut in for the pits. "I felt the heat of his exhaust as he went by me, no more than three feet over my shoulder. outstanding team of sports writers. When the rest of Levegh's car landed on the embankment, the rear-mounted fuel tank exploded. The rear of Levegh's car landed on the berm and exploded into flames. Now it's recorded that Mercedes pulled out of the race following the crash. In 1955 Mercedes offered Levegh the opportunity to race with John Fitch in their 300SLR sports car. Tirez parti du rseau mondial GettyImages, avec plus de 340 000 crateurs, pour dvelopper un contenu exclusif, cr spcialement pour votre marque. (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. Jaguar concentrated their racing almost exclusively on Le Mans and had a very experienced driver line-up, including Formula 1 (F1) Ferrari driver Mike Hawthorn. Your email address will not be published. Search instead in Creative? The Mercedes' body was partially made of a magnesium alloy. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. However, an inopportune press photograph showed Hawthorn smiling on the podium swigging from the victors bottle of champagne. Vintage Everyday Browse 311 le mans 1955 stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Five days after his accident, Hansgen died in the American military hospital of Orlans, France, where he had been admitted. Being 98 years old, it is the oldest endurance racing event. Even at the scene, it doesn't look like anyone knows what's going on. It was the most catastrophic crash in motorsport history, and it prompted Mercedes-Benz to withdraw from motor racing until 1989. 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. The 1955 Le Mans disaster of 11th June 1955 during the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, Sarthe, France. On Sunday morning, Bonnier approached the Indianapolis bend before Arnage and tried to avoid the slowly driven Ferrari 365GTB4 #35 of Florian Vetsch. My instant reaction when he did it was, 'Bloody Mike Hawthorn, he must be out of his mind!' 2023 Getty Images. [9][14], The critical kink in the road put the car on a direct trajectory toward the packed terraces and grandstand. The cars touched, Bonnier's was launched over the barriers and ended up in the trees. Going into the second hour, Castellotti started dropping back, but Hawthorn and Fangio continued the duel, swapping the lead and dropping the lap record further and further, lapping most of the field.[4][5]. [42] The car retained the original engine SPL 261-BN,[41] but was reported to be in 'barn find' condition. At Le Mans 1955, 83 race fans were killed after debris from the highly-flammable magnesium-alloy bodied Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR went flying into the bleachers after it crashed on the track. Sixty started, but only 21 finished, with Britains Mike Hawthorn the winner in a Jaguar. [2] Sixteen during the race itself, five during pre-race practice and testing sessions, and one en route to the race. The shadow of World War Two crept over the race. "He pulled across in front of me, and then I remember being surprised to see his brake lights come on. Visible at left is the fire from burning Mercedes racer which careened crazily down the course, crashing into an earth barrier back of the picket fence. 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. RELATED: 10 Of The Coolest Le Mans Prototypes No One Remembers. At the 24 Hueres Du Mans in July 1955, the inevitable finally happened. I stood as if in a dream, too horrified to even think., Mike Hawthorn and the Jaguar team kept racing. Browse 312 le mans 1955 stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. The rear of Leveghs car landed on the berm and exploded into flames. Pierre Levegh, aged 49, had been hired by Mercedes-Benz . Eighty-four. It exploded like a grenade spewing debris through the grandstand, killing anyone within the blast radius. One newsreel, minutes after describing the crash, goes on to talk about a car getting stuck in a sandy embankment. [14] The bonnet lid scythed through the air, "decapitating tightly jammed spectators like a guillotine. It was the turning point in the industry as considerable changes were made towards improving the safety of drivers and spectators. During the first lap of Haller's stint (and his second participation) at 9 pm, his, Near the end of his driving stint and half an hour after the green flag came out, the Rondeau of Lafosse, who was lying in seventh place at 5:03 pm, was approaching the Lola T600 of, At 12:40 pm, part of the rear bodywork of Enjolras's WM came loose at Arnage, causing the car to go airborne over the safety barriers. [8][9] What caught Macklin out though was that Hawthorn, using the Jaguar's advanced disc brakes, braked hard enough to slow his Jaguar from such a speed in time.[10][11][12][13]. An American soldier at the race, Jimmy Prickett, was at the scene and took pictures immediately following the crash. Drivers run to their cars for the start of the Le Mans 24 hour race in Le Mans, France on June 11, 1955. Much recrimination was directed at Hawthorn, saying that he had suddenly cut in front of Macklin and slammed on the brakes near the entrance to the pits, forcing Macklin to take desperate evasive action into the path of Levegh. [39], Fitch became a major safety advocate and began active development of safer road cars and racing circuits. Mike Hawthorn celebrating the 1955 Le Mans victory despite causing the deadliest accident in history of racing. Three drivers were involved in the incident: Mike Hawthorne (Jaguar D Type), Lance Macklin (Austin Healey 100s), and Pierre Levegh (Mercedes 300SLR). The film cuts short as the recorder dives for cover. [14] Half an hour after the crash Fitch realised that news was probably being broadcast on the radio, and he needed to telephone his family to reassure them that he was not the driver of the crashed car. 2023 Getty Images. Search instead in Creative? 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. [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. But it's wrong to try and point fingers. Browse 63 1955 le mans disaster stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. In picture, car numbered '17' (Equipe Los Amigos, XKD 513, 'short-nose') was third at Le Mans in 1957. The wreckage was examined and tested and, finally, returned to Mercedes-Benz nearly 12 months after the catastrophe. "[16] Spectators who had climbed onto ladders and scaffolding to get a better view of the track, and those crowding to use the underpass to get to the pits, found themselves in the path of the lethal debris. Find Le Mans Disaster stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. [36], The official government inquiry into the accident called officials, drivers, and team personnel to be questioned and give evidence. Fitch approached one of the Mercedes team bosses and explained to him why it made sense for the very German team (many of those working at the team were very much active when Mercedes race cars had swastikas painted on the side) to pull out of this French race. The driver (Pierre Levegh) was killed, as were 83 spectators. The healthy carry bodies away from the wreckage. The Mercedes crashed into the embankment that bordered the track, killing Levegh instantly. Filmmaker Quentin Baillieux paints a picture of sport and tragedy at Circuit de la Sarthe. When he finally made it into the pits again, past what was then the scene of the crash, tears were streaming down his face. died when he crashed into an insufficiently protected tree, crashed and nearly careened over a low wall into a large row of photographers. Pierre Levegh, in a Mercedes Benz, was next on the scene. In 1957, D-Types were placed 1-2-3-4-6, with only a solitary Ferrari in 5th spoiling the parade. The crash happened only a few hours into the race, just as the leaders started making their first pit stops. Earlier this week an Audi R18 shot backwards into a wall and the driver survived with only a few friction burns. [25] In the end the enquiry ruled that no specific driver was responsible for the crash, and that it was merely a terrible racing incident. Search instead in Creative? It was a sort of victory for motorsports somehow, a pyrrhic victory, albeit. The circuit goes through a dedicated section of the racing track too. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. The behemoths of sports racing all featured their sports cars with their respective drivers for another car racing festival. Additional details emerged when the stills reviewed by Frre were converted to video form. [3], Jaguar driver Duncan Hamilton, watching from the pit wall, recalled, "The scene on the other side of the road was indescribable. Years later Fitch claimed, based on his own recollection and from what he heard from others, that Hawthorn had caused it. This became the semi-official pronouncement of the Mercedes team and Macklin's story. The circuit at Le Mans is incredibly long, and information was even more sparse away from the immediate vicinity of the crash. 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. 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. Future British F1 champion Mike Hawthorn drove for Jaguar and then-F1 champion Fangio drove for Mercedes, along with British phenom Stirling Moss, American John Fitch, and Frenchman Pierre Levegh. The deadliest crash ever in motor sports history happened in Le Mans, France, on June 12, 1955. Sign in The Worst Accident in. Two hours after the start, 77 were killed and another 77 injured when Pierre Le Veghs Mercedes somersaulted into the crowd. This was indeed one of the most terrible accidents in the early decades of motorsports. 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. Leveghs car, which was estimated to be travelling at over 150mph (240khm), flipped over and flew on before slamming into the bank by the spectator enclosure. The announcer claims that the sand trap has "claimed another victim." (AP Photo/Jimmy Prickett), A man holds a child in the left background while a woman bends over a lifeless body following the racing car crash and explosion during the 24 hour endurance race at Le Mans, France, June 11, 1955. The Le Mans endurance race is organized by France's Automobile Club de L'Ouest and has been held . This newsreel without sound shows the crash as it actually happened. Innocence - along with a tragic human toll - was lost forever. On the one hand: worst accident in autoracing so far, with one dead pilot and about 80 dead spectators. In the current world of social distancing, it is hard to imagine the crowd of spectators who had squeezed into Le Mans on the afternoon of June 11, 1955. The AP states that it's unclear how this body ended up as it lay. 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. 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. [43] It was then restored to its original condition.[44]. 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. 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. The Ferraris, current champions at the time, were very fast but fragile and prone to mechanical failure. 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. 312 Le Mans 1955 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images 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.