1954 24 Hours of Le Mans

1954 24 Hours of Le Mans
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The 22ème Grand Prix d’Endurance les 24 Heures du Mans 1954 was a race for Sports Cars, staged on 12 and 13 June 1954, at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France. It was the 22nd 24 Hours of Le Mans and was also the fourth race of the 1954 World Sportscar Championship.[1] The race was won by José Froilán González and Maurice Trintignant driving a Ferrari 375 Plus.

Le Mans in 1954

A battle between brute force and science. That was how the most people viewed the line-up ahead of the race. In the high technology corner, clothed in its beautiful, wind-tunnel tested, aerodynamic bodywork was the Jaguar D-Type with its 3.4-litre, six-cylinder engine. In the brute force corner, Ferrari’s formidable 4.9-litre V12-engined 375 Plus. Ranged somewhere in between was everyone else. It was billed as one of the most tantalizing line-ups ever seen at the French circuit.[2]

Report

Entry

Following their 1953 success at la Sarthe, Jaguar arrived with three brand new works Jaguar D-Types. These were so new that they hadn’t even been painted when they got to Le Mans. However, in their limited testing, the Coventry marque beat the lap records by five seconds. These cars were purpose-built for the billiard-smooth tarmac of the Sarthe. The team, which won in 1951 with Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead, and in 1953 with Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamilton; entered three works D-Types – to be driven by Walker and Stirling Moss, Whitehead and Ken Wharton, and Rolt and Hamilton.[2][3]

A grand total 85 racing cars were registered for this event, of which only 58 arrived for practice. In spite of the anticipated battle between Coventry and Maranello concerns, the entry list did not have quite the appeal that the star-studded quality as in 1953. The major Italian teams, Scuderia Ferrari, Officine Alfieri Maserati and Automobili Osca had built new cars for this race. Ferrari’s reply to the D-type came in the form of three Tipo 375 Pluses, a Ferrari 375 MM, which bored out engine, now with a cubic capacity of 4,954cc and double-ignition, putting out some 345 bhp. Ferrari’s hope were in the hands of Umberto Maglioli and Paolo Marzotto, José Froilán González and Maurice Trintignant, and Robert Manzon and Louis Rosier. They were backed up by a Ferrari 375 MM from the American, Briggs Cunningham team. Cunningham also brought over to Europe, a pair of Cunningham C4-Rs.[4]

Race

In terms of handling and agility, the Jaguars were at the top of the class, but the Ferraris were quicker by far on acceleration. It came as no surprise when the 375’s of González/Trintignant, Manzon/Rosier and Maglioli/Marzotto stormed away in 1-2-3 formation at the start. Moss, sharing with Walker, kept the D-Type in touch the Maranello threesome during the early stages, while Rolt was never too far behind, quick to move into this select pack as a rain shower doused the track within the first couple of hours. The chase was on and these five men would start as if Le Mans were some kind of sprint race. The early pace played into the hands of González and the other Ferraris. The order stayed virtually intact until, by the end of the first hour, González remained in the lead, but Moss had managed to make his way up to 3rd.[2][5][6][7]

Although the Jaguars seemed to be pacing themselves extremely well, problems with blocked fuel filters delayed them during the third hour. By this time these issues were resolved, the trio of works Ferraris had tightened their grip on the race. As the race moved from evening to night, so González and Trintignant pounded onwards, but the 375 Plus Ferraris of Maglioli and Manzon dropped out with rear axle failure.[2][6][7]

A number of cars had fallen out of the race during the initial hours. Then, seven hours into the race, the number of retirements rapidly increased as the conditions began to change. The Aston Martin of Carroll Shelby and Paul Frère came out, and the Gordini of Jean Behra and André Simon would soon be gone.[6][7]

1954 Ferrari 375 Plus. From the Ralph Lauren collection

The D-types were now steadily hauling themselves back into contention. By midnight Whitehead and Wharton were up to second place, only two laps behind the leading Ferrari. Manzon/Rosier were third, ahead of Rolt and Hamilton, with the Aston Martins of Parnell/Salvadori and Collins/Bira completing the top six. The Lagonda had been eliminated after Eric Thompson dented its rear so badly when he spun into the bank at the Esses that the rear lights were destroyed, so it had to be withdrawn. Another casualty of the long night was Ian Stewart, who rolled his Aston Martin DBR3S on the fast stretch between Arnage and White House corners. The car was completely written off; Stewart sustained serious arm injuries.[2][6][7]

In the early hours of Sunday morning, Walker/Whitehead and Rosier/Manzon retired, both Jaguar and Ferrari succumbing to gearbox breakages. With the Moss/Walker car packed up with breaking problems late on Saturday evening, dawn arrived with the battle reduced to just one car for each team at the front of the field. What’s more, as the clouds built up and rain became an ever-present threat, the prospects for the aerodynamic D-types were starting to look promising. By breakfast time, the rain started to come down very heavily and the stage was set for a heroic chase. González and Trintignant could afford to take things cautiously, but any unnecessary delays would enable the pursuing Jaguar to open up a chink the Ferrari’s armour, and as the rain intensified, the sole remaining D-type piled on the pressure.[2]

Rolt and Hamilton had nothing to lose and everything to gain. They threw caution to the wind and raced their D-type as hard as they dared in defence of the title. On one lap Rolt glanced into the bank coming out of Arnage, and stopped for a bout of impromptu panel beating. He had been forced off the road by a slower car, but there were no recriminations from the former British Army Major, and the ferocious chase continued.[2]

1954 Jaguar D-Type. From the Heritage Motor Centre collection

The rain eased during the morning, allowing the Ferrari to use its power to better effect, but still the Jaguar would not give up. Then, around noon, the rain intensified again and the Jaguar drivers began to close the gap. With just two hours left to run, González and Trintignant were still almost two laps ahead of the English car. Despite the gallant efforts of Rolt and Hamilton, their battle seemed hopeless. But with only ninety minutes to run Trintignant brought the Ferrari in for a routine stop. González took over, but the V12 refused to start. After a few seconds the Argentine jumped out of the car while the mechanics fumbled with the plugs. Rolt was now in sight; the Englishman was intent on stopping for new goggles, but his pit crew waved him on; now the Jaguar was on the same lap as the leader. [2][6][7]

Still the Italian mechanics fiddled beneath the bonnet. The crew knew the car’s engine was running well as it had come into the pit lane under its own power, and it sounded strong enough to complete the rest of the race. Therefore, the problem had to be something else leading to the engine. The number 4 Ferrari would sit idle for seven agonizing minutes. Then suddenly the Ferrari’s engine burst back into life, González jumped back into the car and accelerated back onto the track. But he was barely ninety seconds ahead of the chasing Rolt, and his V12 sounded less healthy. With thunder and lightning now lashing the soaking circuit, and with one hour to go, Rolt handed over to Hamilton for the final assault. In a desperate sprint to the finish, Hamilton had cut the lead down to 1:26 mins, but as the track began to dry for the last few laps, González sped away to win by just under three minutes.[2][6][7]

González and Trintignant had driven their Ferrari 375 Plus to victory, covering a distance of 2,523.486 miles (4,061.15 km), over 302 laps, averaging a speed of 105.145 mph (169.215kph). Rolt and Hamilton, in second place was their D-Type, were classified as one lap behind at the finish. The podium was completed by the American pair, William Spear and Sherwood Johnston, in their Cunningham-Chrysler C4-R, who were 19 laps (over 157 miles) behind the winners.[2][8]

The Argentinian winner has a very special place in motorsport history, in relation to both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Formula One. Three years before this victory, José Froilan González scored Ferrari’s first F1 victory. Now, in his last appearance at La Sarthe, this victory gave González a new status: the first driver to win in a Ferrari in Formula 1 and Le Mans.[6]

Overall, the Jaguars were faster (Moss was timed at 154.44 mph/278kph), but the Ferrari had superior acceleration and better braking. Although finishing third and fifth, the Cunninghams were unable to match the pace of the leaders, with no Astons at the finish. The 1500cc class saw a lucky for Porsche KG, and their drivers Johnny Claes and Pierre Stasse, as the two leading Oscas, leading by 15 laps, both retired in the last hour.[7]

Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamilton had gone down fighting, but Le Mans had not heard the end of the Jaguar D-type...

Official results

Pos Class No Team Drivers Chassis Engine Laps
1 S
5.0
4 Italy Scuderia Ferrari Argentina José Froilán González
France Maurice Trintignant
Ferrari 375 Plus Ferrari 5.0L V12 302
2 S
5.0
14 United Kingdom Jaguar Cars Ltd. United Kingdom Duncan Hamilton
United Kingdom Tony Rolt
Jaguar D-Type Jaguar 3.4L I6 301
3 S
8.0
2 United States Briggs Cunningham United States William Spear
United States Sherwood Johnston
Cunningham C4-R Chrysler 5.5L V8 283
4 S
5.0
16 Belgium Ecurie Francorchamps Belgium Roger Laurent
Belgium Jacques Swaters
Jaguar C-Type Jaguar 3.4L I6 277
5 S
8.0
1 United States Briggs Cunningham United States Briggs Cunningham
United States John Gordon Bennet
Cunningham C4-R Chrysler 5.5L V8 274
6 S
3.0
30 France Equipe Gordini France André Guelfi
France Jacques Pollet
Gordini T15 Gordini 2.5L I6 263
7 S
2.0
35 United Kingdom Bristol Aeroplane Company United Kingdom Peter S. Wilson
United Kingdom Jim Mayers
Bristol 450 Bristol 2.0L I6 260
8 S
2.0
33 United Kingdom Bristol Aeroplane Company United Kingdom Tommy Wisdom
United Kingdom Jack Fairman
Bristol 450 Bristol 2.0L I6 257
9 S
2.0
34 United Kingdom Bristol Aeroplane Company United Kingdom Mike Keen
United Kingdom John Line
Bristol 450 Bristol 2.0L I6 255
10 S
750
57 France Automobiles Deutsch et Bonnet France René Bonnet
France Élie Bayol
DB-Panhard Barquette Panhard 0.7L Flat-2 240
11 S
2.0
36 United Kingdom Automobiles Frazer Nash Ltd. Netherlands Maurice Gatsonides
France Marcel Becquart
Frazer Nash Le Mans Coupe Bristol 2.0L I6 228
12 S
1.5
39 West Germany Porsche KG Belgium Johnny Claes
Belgium Pierre Stasse
Porsche 550/4 RS 1500 Spyder Porsche 1.5L Flat-4 228
13 S
750
55 France Ets. Monopole France Jean Hèmard
France Pierre Flahaut
Monopole X84 Panhard 0.6L Flat-2 222
14 S
1.1
47 West Germany Porsche KG United States Zora Arkus-Duntov
France Gustave Olivier
Porsche 550/4 RS 1100 Spyder Porsche 1.1L Flat-4 216
15 S
2.0
62 United Kingdom Edgar B. Wadsworth United Kingdom Edgar Wadsworth
United Kingdom John Brown
Triumph TR2 Triumph 2.0L I4 214
16 S
750
56 France Ecurie Jeudy-Bonnet France Marc Gignoux
France Louis Cornet
DB-Panhard Barquette Panhard 0.7L Flat-2 213

Not Classified

Failed to cover 70% of winner's distance (211 laps)

Pos Class No Team Drivers Chassis Engine Laps
17 S
750
59 France Automobiles Panhard et Levassor France René Cotton
France André Beaulieux
Panhard X88 Panhard 0.6L Flat-2 195
18 S
750
54 France P. Garzynski France René Breuil
France Jean Py
BG Le Mans Renault 0.7L I4 194

Disqualified

Pos Class No Team Drivers Chassis Engine Laps
19 S
5.0
11 France Georges Grignard France Jean Blanc
France Serge Nersessian
Talbot T26 Gran Sport Talbot 4.6L I6 206
20 S
1.5
43 Italy Automobili O.S.C.A. United Kingdom Lance Macklin
France Pierre Leygonie
United States James Simpson
O.S.C.A. MT-4 1500 O.S.C.A. 1.5L I4 247

Did Not Finish

Pos Class No Team Drivers Chassis Engine Laps
21 S
1.5
42 Italy Automobili O.S.C.A. France Jacques Péron
Italy Francesco Giardini
O.S.C.A. MT-4 1500 O.S.C.A. 1.5L I4 243
22 S
5.0
8 United Kingdom David Brown United Kingdom Reg Parnell
United Kingdom Roy Salvadori
Aston Martin DB3S SC Aston Martin 2.9L Supercharged I6 222
23 S
1.1
63 France Lucien Farnaud France Lucien Farnaud
Italy Adolfo Macchieraldo
O.S.C.A. MT-4 1100 O.S.C.A. 1.1L I4 199
24 S
750
49 France Automobiles VP France Yves Giraud-Cabantous
France Just-Emile Verney
VP 166R Renault 0.7L I4 190
25 S
5.0
5 Italy Scuderia Ferrari France Robert Manzon
France Louis Rosier
Ferrari 375 Plus Ferrari 5.0L V12 177
26 S
750
58 France Automobiles Panhard et Levassor France Pierre Chancel
France Robert Chancel
Monopole X88 Panhard 0.6L Flat-2 157
27 S
1.5
41 West Germany Porsche KG West Germany Hans Herrmann
West Germany Helmut Polensky
Porsche 550/4 RS 1500 Spyder Porsche 1.5L Flat-4 148
28 S
3.0
20 United Kingdom David Brown Thailand Prince Birabongse Bhanubandh
United Kingdom Peter Collins
Aston Martin DB3S Coupe Aston Martin 2.9L I6 138
29 S
5.0
15 United Kingdom Jaguar Cars Ltd. United Kingdom Peter Whitehead
United Kingdom Ken Wharton
Jaguar D-Type Jaguar 3.4L I6 131
30 S
3.0
27 France Jean-Paul Colas France Jean-Paul Colas
Brazil Hermano da Silva Ramos
Aston Martin DB2/4 Vignale Aston Martin 2.9L I6 121
31 S
5.0
6 United States Briggs Cunningham United States Phil Walters
United States John Fitch
Ferrari 375MM Ferrari 4.5L V12 120
32 S
2.0
28 Italy Officine Alfieri Maserati Spain Alfonso de Portago
Italy Carlo Tomasi
Maserati A6GCS Maserati 2.0L I6 116
33 S
2.0
38 United Kingdom Automobiles Frazer Nash Ltd.
Sweden Sture Nottorp
Sweden Sture Nottorp
Sweden Ivar Andersson
Frazer Nash Le Mans Bristol 2.0L I6 109
34 S
750
52 France Ecurie Jeudy-Bonnet France Marc Azéma
France Alphonse de Burnay
DB-Renault central-seater Renault 0.7L I4 102
35 S
2.0
44 France Alexandre Constantin France Edmond Mouche
France Alexandre Constantin
Constantin Barquette Peugeot 1.3L Supercharged I4 95
36 S
5.0
12 United Kingdom Jaguar Cars Ltd. United Kingdom Stirling Moss
United Kingdom Peter Walker
Jaguar D-Type Jaguar 3.4L I6 92
37 S
5.0
3 Italy Scuderia Ferrari Italy Umberto Maglioli
Italy Paolo Marzotto
Ferrari 375 Plus Ferrari 5.0L V12 88
38 S
1.1
46 United Kingdom Kieft Cars Ltd. United Kingdom Alan Rippon
United Kingdom William Black
Kieft Coventry Climax 1.1L I4 86
39 S
1.1
65 France Equipe Gordini Belgium André Pilette
Belgium Gilberte Thirion
Gordini T17S Gordini 1.1L I4 76
40 S
3.0
19 France Equipe Gordini France Jean Behra
France André Simon
Gordini T24S Gordini 3.0L I8 76
41 S
3.0
22 United Kingdom David Brown United States Carroll Shelby
Belgium Paul Frére
Aston Martin DB3S Aston Martin 2.9L I6 74
42 S
750
50 France Guy Michel et André Guillard France Guy Michel
France André Guillard
Renault 4CV Renault 0.7L I4 73
43 S
3.0
21 United Kingdom David Brown United Kingdom Ian Stewart
United Kingdom Graham Whitehead
Aston Martin DB3S Coupe Aston Martin 2.9L I6 64
44 S
5.0
9 France Ecurie Rossier France Jean-Louis Rosier
France Pierre Meyrat
Talbot-Lago T26 Gran Sport Talbot-Lago 4.5L I6 62
45 S
2.0
31 France Equipe Gordini France Charles de Clareur
France André Moynet
Gordini T15 Gordini 2.0L I6 54
46 S
2.0
37 United Kingdom Automobiles Frazer Nash Ltd. United Kingdom Rodney F. Peacock
United Kingdom Gerry A. Ruddock
Frazer Nash Le Mans Bristol 2.0L I6 49
47 S
5.0
10 France Pierre Levegh France Pierre Levegh
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Lino Fayen
Talbot-Lago T26 Gran Sport Talbot-Lago 4.4L I6 33
48 S
1.1
48 United Kingdom Kieft Cars Ltd. France Georges Trouis
United Kingdom Alfred P. Hitchings
Kieft Sport MG 1.1L I4 26
49 S
5.0
7 United Kingdom David Brown United Kingdom Eric Thompson
United Kingdom Dennis Poore
Lagonda DP115 Lagonda 4.5L V12 25
50 S
750
66 France Jacques Faucher France Jacques Faucher
France Jean Hébert
Renault 4CV Renault 0.7L I4 20
51 S
750
51 France Automobiles Deutsch et Bonnet France Pierre-Louis Dreyfus
Belgium Leon Dernier
France Jean Lucas
DB-Renault central-seater Renault 0.7L I4 8
52 S
750
53 Italy Nardi et Co. France Alexandre Gacon
Italy Dr. Mario Damonte
Nardi 750LM Crosley 0.7L I4 7
53 S
5.0
18 United States Luigi Chinetti Dominican Republic Porfirio Rubirosa
Italy Innocente Baggio
Ferrari 375MM Berlinetta Ferrari 4.5L V12 5
54 S
750
60 France Automobiles Panhard et Levassor France Lucien Pailler
France Jacques Dewez
Panhard X88 Panhard 0.6L Flat-2 5
55 S
1.5
40 West Germany Porsche KG West Germany Richard von Frankenberg
West Germany Helm Glöckler
Porsche 550/4 RS 1500 Spyder Porsche 1.5L Flat-4 4
56 S
750
64 France Ecurie Jeudy-Bonnet France Claude Storez
France Jean-Claude Vidilles
France Jean Lucas
DB-Renault central-seater Renault 0.7L I4 4
57 S
750
61 France Automobiles Panhard et Levassor France Eugéne Dussous
France Jacques Savoye
Panhard X84 Panhard 0.6L Flat-2 0

Standings after the race

Pos Championship Points
1 Italy Ferrari 22
2 Italy Lancia 14
3 United Kingdom Jaguar 9
4 Italy Osca 8
5 Italy Maserati 5

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 6 races could be retained by each manufacturer.

References

World Sportscar Championship
Previous race:
Mille Miglia
1954 season Next race:
RAC Tourist Trophy
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