1953 24 Hours of Le Mans

1953 24 Hours of Le Mans
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The 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 21st Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 13 and 14 June 1953, at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans (France). It was also the third round of the F.I.A. World Sports Car Championship.^[1] British drivers Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamilton won the race with one of three factory-entered Jaguar C-Types, the first cars ever to race at Le Mans with disc brakes.

Le Mans in 1953

Report

Entry

Nineteen marques, totalling 50 works-entered cars out of the 60 starters, were officially represented, with Jaguar, Scuderia Ferrari, S.P.A. Alfa Romeo, Scuderia Lancia, Talbot, Aston Martin and Cunningham among the teams that each fielded three cars. Drivers included all three World Champions to date, and several Grand Prix winners: Alberto Ascari, Giuseppe Farina, Piero Taruffi, José Froilán González, and Juan Manuel Fangio.^[2]

Ferrari 340 375 MM Berlinetta

Cunningham C4-R

The major Italian teams had all built new cars for the race.^[3] Ferrari entered a lightweight 340 375 MM Berlinetta powered by the company's 375 bhp 4.5 litre V12 Grand Prix engine, plus two 340 bhp 4.1 litre 340 MMs. All had Pinin Farina-designed bodies. Ascari and Luigi Villoresi were to share the lightweight coupé, while brothers Paolo and Giannino Marzotto were entered for one of the less powerful cars, with Giuseppi Farina and Mike Hawthorn down to drive the other.^[3] Alfa Romeo fielded a trio of 6C 3000s, powered by 3.5 liter I6 engines, for Fangio and Onofre Marimón, Karl Kling and Fritz Riess, and Consalvo Sanesi and Piero Carini. Lancia had three supercharged 2.7 liter D20 Coupés for Gonzalez and Clemente Biondetti, Louis Chiron and Robert Manzon, and Taruffi and Umberto Maglioli.^[3]

Jaguar entered C-Types for the driver pairings of Peter Walker and Stirling Moss, Peter Whitehead and Ian Stewart, and Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamilton. The cars reverted to the aerodynamic design prior to that of the 1952 Le Mans cars, whose revised nose and tail had adversely affected stability at speeds over 120 mph. For 1953 the cars were lighter and more powerful, and they were the first-ever Le Mans cars equipped with disc brakes, whose greater efficiency gave the C-Types an advantage over their drum-braked competitors.

Aston Martin entered DB3Ss for Reg Parnell and Peter Collins, George Abecassis and Roy Salvadori, and Eric Thompson and Dennis Poore. Talbot T26s with revised bodies and supercharged 4.5 litre I6 engines were entered for Guy Mairesse and Georges Grignard, Louis Rosier and Elie Bayol, and Pierre Levegh and Charles Pozzi. Briggs Cunningham also brought three cars, all with 310 bhp 5.5 litre Chrysler V8 engines: a C4-R for himself and William Spear, a C4-RK for Charles Moran and John Gordon Bonnet, and a C5-R for Phil Walters and John Fitch.

Gordini debuted a new 2.5 litre car, while Allard brought two Cadillac V8-engined J2Rs. Nash-Healey entered two purpose-built 4.1 litre cars, one for Leslie Johnson and Bert Hadley, the other for Pierre Veyron and Yves Giraud-Cabantous. Two Austin-Healey 100s were entered, and Bristol also fielded two cars, both 2 litre 450 coupés, for Lance Macklin with Graham Whitehead and Jack Fairman with Tommy Wisdom.^[3]

Practice

Pegaso Z-102 that crashed

Rolt and Hamilton were disqualified for practising in a Jaguar that had the same racing number as another on the circuit at the same time, but they were reinstated. Hamilton's account has become a motor racing legend:^[4] when Jaguar team manager Lofty England persuaded the organisers to let them race, both drivers were already drunk in a local bar. England said: "Of course I would never have let them race under the influence. I had enough trouble when they were sober!"^[5] Tony Rolt also said the story was fiction.^[6]

Pegaso withdrew both their entries after Juan Jover crashed his Z-102 BS during practice. Misjudging the speed of his approach to the corner after the Dunlop bridge, he hit the barriers and was thrown from the car, seriously injuring his left leg.

Race

At 4:00pm on the Saturday, the flag fell and the race was on. At the end of the first lap, the Allard led the field, which was closely bunched behind. The first few laps at Le Mans means very little and it was not until after the 30 minutes that the true picture really become close. Rolt had already put in a lap record at 96.48 mph, while Moss led the way, closely followed by Villoresi, Tom Cole, Rolt, John Fitch, with Karl Kling rounding out the top six. Sydney Allard early lead lasted hardly any time, and by lap four he had to retire with a collapsed rear suspension that severed a brake pipe. Moss was also in trouble. Although he had smoothly pulled away from the chasing pack, until a misfire set in. His subsequent unplanned pitstop for spark plugs, plus another later to the eventual cure – removal of a clogged fuel filter. At least Jaguar remembered the pit regulations. Ferrari topped up the brake system on Mike Hawthorn’s 340 MM before the specified 28 laps had been completed, thereby Hawthorn/Farina were disqualified. Whilst all this was going on, Villoresi had taken the lead.^[2][7]

By 5:00pm, the order had settled down, and it became clear that the Jaguars, Ferraris and Alfa Romeos were the forces to be reckoned with. The Lancias and Talbots were quite outclassed, as was the Aston Martins. Consalvo Sanesi in his Alfa Romeo 6C, continued to lower the fastest lap, with Rolt moving into the lead for Jaguar. Just before 6:00pm, Fangio retired with engine troubles in his Alfa Romeo. The pace continued at a fantastic pace and now it was Jaguar setting it. At the three-hour mark, Rolt/Hamilton led from Ascari/Villoresi, followed by Cole and his partner, Luigi Chinetti, Sanesi with Piero Carini, and the Germans of Kling and Fritz Riess. Already these five cars had pull out a two lap advantage over the rest of the field.^[7]

As darkness fell, the Ferrari-Jaguar battle continued unabated, between Ascari/Villeoresi and Rolt/Hamilton, with the Alfa Romeos close behind. During the early hours of the morning, Rolt/Hamilton continued to lead with no sign of tiring, while Ascari/Villoresi was now losing ground. By 3:00am, the rear suspension on Sanesi/Carini car has collapsed, and they were out, along with George Abecassis and Roy Salvadori as oil was getting into their Aston Martin’s clutch.^[7]

Although the Ascari and Villeroesi still was taking the fight to the Jaguars, the car was lame, for it was suffering from a sticking clutch and drinking a lot of water. However, the Italians, in a win-or-burst attempt were driving flat out at all times, but it had no effect on Rolt and Hamilton. Their Jaguar now had a lap lead over the Ferrari.^[7]

Despite the night being very clear and fine, dawn approached a certain amount of mist in the air, making driving conditions very tiring. The windscreen on the leading Jaguar had been smashed early in the race, and as result Rolt and Hamilton were suffering from wind buffering, but the pair kept up the pace, nevertheless, with an average speed of well over 105 mph. By the time the mist had cleared, Rolt and Hamilton still lead by a lap ahead of the Ascari and Villoresi’s lame Ferrari. Third place was over three adrift was the Cunningham of Fitch/Walters. A lap further back was the fast Jaguars of Moss/Walker and Whitehead/Stewart. It was during this period, when disaster struck at Maison Blanche, when Cole crashed his Ferrari and was killed instantly.^[3][7]

Shortly after 8:30am, the leading Jaguar and Ferrari both made routine refuelling stops at the same time, while Moss moved up to third when the Cunningham came for its stop. At 9:00am, the lame Ferrari was dropping back, and was now back in fifth place, following clutch issues. Rolt and Hamilton were now clear up front, but they could not rest as the American of Fitch/Waters started to challenge the Moss/Walker Jaguar for second place.^[7]

The lame Ferrari retired at 11:00am having dropped down the order to sixth place. This left only the Marzotto car to challenge the Jaguars and the lead Cunningham. It could not do it and raced to finish in fifth, keeping the Gordini of Maurice Trintignant and Harry Schell behind them.^[7]

With three hours to ago, the Jaguars were still lapping at over 105 mph, however the pace had slackened a little. In the closing stages the order did not change, as Hamilton took over from Rolt to complete the last stage of the race, they were followed home by Moss, Fitch, Stewart, Giannino Marzotto, and Trintignant.^[7]

Rolt and Hamilton driving their British license plated Jaguar C-Type, to victory covering a distance of 2,555.04 miles (4,088.064 km), over 304 laps, averaging a speed of 106.46 mph (170.336 km/h). Their team-mates, Moss and Walker were four lap adrift at the finish, in second place was their C-Type. The podium was completed by Walters and Fitch, in their Cunningham-Chrysler C5-R. The third works Jaguar finished fourth, two laps behind the Americans. The fourth Jaguar, entered by Ecurie Francorchamps for Roger Laurent and Charles de Tornaco, although supported the works team, with a standard C-Type, but still finished in ninth place.^[2][7][8][9]

Official Classification

Pos	Class	No	Team	Drivers	Chassis	Engine	Laps
1	S 5.0	18	Jaguar Cars Ltd.	Tony Rolt Duncan Hamilton	Jaguar C-Type	Jaguar 3.4L I6	304
2	S 5.0	17	Jaguar Cars Ltd.	Stirling Moss Peter Walker	Jaguar C-Type	Jaguar 3.4L I6	300
3	S 8.0	2	Briggs Cunningham	Phil Walters John Fitch	Cunningham C5-R	Chrysler 5.5L V8	299
4	S 5.0	19	Jaguar Cars Ltd.	Peter Whitehead Ian Stewart	Jaguar C-Type	Jaguar 3.4L I6	297
5	S 5.0	15	Scuderia Ferrari	Paolo Marzotto Giannino Marzotto	Ferrari 340MM Berlinetta	Ferrari 4.1L V12	294
6	S 3.0	35	Automobiles Gordini	Maurice Trintignant Harry Schell	Gordini T24S	Gordini 2.5L I6	293
7	S 8.0	1	Briggs Cunningham	Briggs Cunningham William Spear	Cunningham C4-R	Chrysler 5.5L V8	290
8	S 5.0	7	Automobiles Talbot-Darracq S.A.	Pierre Levegh Charles Pozzi	Talbot-Lago T26GS	Talbot-Lago 4.5L I6	276
9	S 5.0	20	Ecurie Francorchamps	Roger Laurent Charles de Tornaco	Jaguar C-Type	Jaguar 3.4L I6	275
10	S 8.0	3	Briggs Cunningham	Charles Moran John Gordon Bonnet	Cunningham C4-RK	Chrysler 5.5L V8	269
11	S 5.0	11	Nash-Healey Inc.	Leslie Johnson Bert Hadley	Nash-Healey Sport	Nash 4.1L I6	265
12	S 3.0	34	Donald Healey Motor Company	Johnny Lockett Maurice Gatsonides	Austin-Healey 100	BMC 2.7L I4	257
13	S 2.0	39	Automobiles Frazer Nash Ltd.	Ken Wharton Laurence Mitchell	Frazer Nash Le Mans Touring Coupe	Bristol 2.0L I6	253
14	S 3.0	33	Donald Healey Motor Company	Marcel Becquart Gordon Wilkins	Austin-Healey 100	BMC 2.7L I4	252
15	S 1.5	45	Porsche KG	Richard von Frankenberg Paul Frère	Porsche 550 Coupé	Porsche 1.5L Flat-4	247
16	S 1.5	44	Porsche KG	Helmut Glöckler Hans Herrmann	Porsche 550 Coupé	Porsche 1.5L Flat-4	247
17	S 750	57	Automobiles Deutsch et Bonnet	René Bonnet André Moynet	DB HBR	Panhard 0.7L Flat-2	237
18	S 1.1	48	Automobili O.S.C.A.	Dr. Mario Damonte Pierre Louis-Dreyfus	O.S.C.A. MT-4 1100 Coupe	O.S.C.A. 1.1L I4	232
19	S 750	58	Automobiles Deutsch et Bonnet	Marc Gignoux Marc Azéma	DB HBR	Panhard 0.7L Flat-2	231
20	S 1.1	50	Automobiles Panhard et Levassor	Charles Plantivoux Guy Lapchin	Panhard X89	Panhard 0.9L Flat-2	227
21	S 750	61	Automobiles Panhard et Levassor	Pierre Chancel Robert Chancel	Panhard X88	Panhard 0.6L Flat-2	223
22	S 1.1	51	Automobiles Panhard et Levassor	Raymond Stempert Georges Schwartz	Panhard X87	Panhard 0.9L Flat-2	218
23	S 750	53	R.N.U. Renault	Jean-Louis Rosier Robert Schollemann	Renault 4CV	Renault 0.7L I4	218

Not Classified

Failed to cover 70% of winner's distance (213 laps)

Pos	Class	No	Team	Drivers	Chassis	Engine	Laps
24	S 750	60	Automobiles Panhard et Levassor	Jean Hémard Jean de Montrémy	Panhard X85	Panhard 0.6L Flat-2	212
25	S 3.0	66	Alexis Constantin	Alexis Constantin Michel Aunaud	Constantin Barquette	Peugeot 1.3L Supercharged I4	200
26	S 750	56	Just-Émile Vernet & Jean Pairard	Just-Émile Vernet Jean Pairard	VP 166R	Renault 0.7L I4	183

Did Not Finish

Pos	Class	No	Team	Drivers	Chassis	Engine	Laps
27	S 5.0	12	Scuderia Ferrari	Alberto Ascari Luigi Villoresi	Ferrari 340MM Berlinetta	Ferrari 4.5L V12	229
28	S 1.5	41	Borgward GmbH	Jacques Poch Edmond Mouche	Borgward-Hansa 1500 Rennsport	Borgward 1.5L I4	228
29	S 8.0	63	Scuderia Lancia	Clemente Biondetti José Froilán González	Lancia D20 Compressor	Lancia 2.7L Supercharged V6	213
30	S 3.0	27	Aston Martin Ltd.	Eric Thompson Dennis Poore	Aston Martin DB3S	Aston Martin 2.9L I6	182
31	S 5.0	16	Luigi Chinetti	Luigi Chinetti Tom Cole Jr.	Ferrari 340MM Vignale S	Ferrari 4.1L V12	175
32	S 8.0	31	Scuderia Lancia	Robert Manzon Louis Chiron	Lancia D20 Compressor	Lancia 2.7L Supercharged V6	174
33	S 1.1	49	Porsche KG	Auguste Veuillet Peter Max Müller	Porsche 356	Porsche 1.1L Flat-4	147
34	S 2.0	40	Automobiles Frazer Nash Ltd.	Bob Gerard David Clark	Frazer Nash Le Mans MkII Coupe	Bristol 2.0L I6	135
35	S 5.0	23	SpA Alfa Romeo	Karl Kling Fritz Riess	Alfa Romeo 6C/3000 CM	Alfa Romeo 3.5L I6	133
36	S 5.0	21	SpA Alfa Romeo	Consalvo Sanesi Piero Carini	Alfa Romeo 6C/3000 CM	Alfa Romeo 3.5L I6	125
37	S 5.0	9	Automobiles Talbot-Darracq S.A.	Guy Mairesse Georges Grignard	Talbot-Lago T26 GS	Talbot-Lago 4.5L I6	120
38	S 8.0	30	Scuderia Lancia	Piero Taruffi Umberto Maglioli	Lancia D20 Compressor	Lancia 2.7L Supercharged V6	117
39	S 1.1	46	Gustave Olivier	Gustave Olivier Eugène Martin	Porsche 356	Porsche 1.1L Flat-4	115
40	S 750	55	Jacques Lecat	Jacques Lecat Henri Senfftleben	Renault 4CV	Renault 0.7L I4	84
41	S 3.0	36	Automobiles Gordini	Roberto Mières Jean Behra	Gordini T15S	Gordini 2.3L I6	84
42	S 1.5	47	Rees T. Makins	Fred Wacker Jr. Phil Hill	O.S.C.A. MT-4 1300	O.S.C.A. 1.3L I4	80
43	S 3.0	26	Aston Martin Ltd.	George Abecassis Roy Salvadori	Aston Martin DB3S	Aston Martin 2.9L I6	74
44	S 2.0	38	Bristol Aeroplane Company	Tommy Wisdom Jack Fairman	Bristol 450 Coupe	Bristol 2.0L I6	70
45	S 8.0	32	Scuderia Lancia	Felice Bonetto Luigi Valenzano	Lancia D20 Compressor	Lancia 2.7L Supercharged V6	66
46	S 8.0	5	Allard Motor Company	Zora Arkus-Duntov Ray Merrick	Allard J2R	Cadillac 5.4L V8	65
47	S 1.5	67	Capt. Marceau Crespin	André Guelfi Roger Loyer	Gordini T15S	Gordini 1.5L I4	40
48	S 5.0	8	Automobiles Talbot-Darracq S.A.	Élie Bayol Louis Rosier	Talbot-Lago T26 GS	Talbot-Lago 4.5L I6	37
49	S 750	54	R.N.U. Renault	Louis Pons Jean Redélé	Renault 4CV	Renault 0.7L I4	35
50	S 2.0	37	Bristol Aeroplane Company	Lance Macklin Graham Whitehead	Bristol 450 Coupé	Bristol 2.0L I6	29
51	S 1.5	42	Borgward GmbH	Hans-Hugo Hartmann Adolf Brudes	Borgward-Hansa 1500 Rennsport	Borgward 1.5L I4	29
52	S +8.0	6	André Chambas	Charles de Cortanze André Chambas	Talbot-Lago T26 GS Compressor	Talbot-Lago 4.5L Supercharged I6	24
53	S 5.0	22	SpA Alfa Romeo	Juan Manuel Fangio Onofre Marimón	Alfa Romeo 6C/3000 CM	Alfa Romeo 3.5L I6	22
54	S 25	25	Aston Martin Ltd.	Reg Parnell Peter Collins	Aston Martin DB3S	Aston Martin 2.9L I6	16
55	S 750	52	R.N.U. Renault	Yves Lesur André Briat	Renault 4CV	Renault 0.7L I4	14
56	S 5.0	14	Scuderia Ferrari	Giuseppe Farina Mike Hawthorn	Ferrari 340MM Coupé	Ferrari 4.1L V12	12
57	S 5.0	10	Nash-Healey Inc.	Pierre Veyron Yves Giraud-Cabantous	Nash-Healey Sports	Nash 4.1L I6	9
58	S 750	59	Ets. Monopole	Eugéne Dussous Pierre Flahaut	Monopole X84	Panhard 0.6L Flat-2	9
59	S 2.0	62	Ets. Fiat Dagrada	Giovanni Lurani Norbert Jean Mahé	Fiat 8V	Fiat 2.0L V8	8
60	S 8.0	4	Allard Motor Company	Sydney Allard Philip Fotheringham-Parker	Allard J2R	Cadillac 5.4L V8	4

Statistics

• Fastest Lap – #12 Scuderia Ferrari – 4:27.4
• Distance – 4088.064 km
• Average Speed – 170.336 km/h

Standings after the race

Pos	Championship	Points
1=	Cunningham	12
	Jaguar	12
3	Ferrari	11
4	Aston Martin	8
5	Alfa Romeo	6

• Note: Only the top five positions are included in this set of standings.

Championship points were awarded for the first six places in each race in the order of 8-6-4-3-2-1. Manufacturers were only awarded points for their highest finishing car with no points awarded for positions filled by additional cars. Only the best 4 results out of the 7 races could be retained by each manufacturer. Points earned but not counted towards the championship totals are listed within brackets in the above table.

References

1. "Le Mans 24 Hours 1953". Racing Sports Cars. 1953-06-14. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
2. "Le Mans 1953: Jaguar's gigantic leap — History, Le Mans". Motor Sport Magazine. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
3. "le mans 1953". Sportscars.tv. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
4. Forward by Earl Howe to "Touch Wood!" Retrieved on 3 August 2008.
5. Daily Telegraph obituary of Tony Rolt, 2 February 2008. Retrieved on 3 August 2008.
6. Obituary of Tony Rolt by Alan Henry, 9 February 2008. Retrieved on 3 August 2008.
7. "1953 Le Mans 24 Hours report — History, Le Mans". Motor Sport Magazine. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
8. "1953 24 Hours of Le Mans Results and Competitors". Experiencelemans.com. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
9. 8/26/10 12:30pm 8/26/10 12:30pm. "1953 24 Hours of Le Mans: Night of the Disc Brakes". Jalopnik.com. Retrieved 2014-05-18.