Le Mans in the 1950s
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Film now showing
Newsreel of the 1957 Le Mans 24 hour race
The famous Dunlop bridge in 1951, one of
the most recogniseable sights in motor sport
The C-type (#20) on its way to earning
Jaguar its first Le Mans victory in 1951
Driving throughout the night has always been one of the key features of the race
During the 1950s, limited safety measures meant drivers wore only the most basic head protection
Duration of video: 1 mins. 16 seconds
The famous Le Mans start ensures
plenty of drama from the very beginning
Stirling Moss on his way to setting a
new lap record in his C-type Jaguar, 1951
The winning 1953 C-type has been fully restored and
is now one of the most prized Jaguar cars in the world
The D-type Jaguar was a more aerodynamic version
of the C-type and first raced at Le Mans in 1954
The rush of spectators towards the winning car was one of the traditions at the end of the races in the 1950s
Another tradition was Champagne for the winners. In 1959, Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori tasted victory
The winning 1953 C-type driven by Tony Rolt
and Duncan Hamilton takes a break in the pits
Ron Flockhart and Ninian Sanderson's
D-type on its way to victory in the 1956 race
The Scottish Ecurie Ecosse team
won Le Mans again in a D-type in 1957
Le Mans in the 1950s was a decade unlike any other. In terms of success, Jaguar C and D types were to dominate with victories in 1951, 1953, 1955, 1956 and 1957. But Le Mans, and motor racing the world over, was to change forever after the 1955 race when a Mercedes Benz 300 SLR went out of control, dived into a packed stand and killed more than 80 spectators, as well as the driver, Pierre Levegh.
Many lessons were learnt and it is believed that the lives of many other drivers and spectators have subsequently been saved by the new safety measures which were introduced at Le Mans, and other race tracks, following the tragic incident.
The decade heralded the apearance of Jaguar as a newcomer to the ranks of leading race car manufacturers, spurred on by the introduction of the impressive XK120 production car at the end of the 1940s, along with its special, lightweight, racing derivative, the XK120-C or C-type, as it was commonly known.
C-type Jaguar
The C-type was specifically designed to win the Le Mans 24 hour race and succeeded in the first year it entered, 1951, with the car being driven by Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead, averaging 93.5 mph.
This inaugural success provided a huge boost to Jaguar and gave the company’s founder, Sir William Lyons, the appetite to seek more glory with further victories.
But they had to wait. The 1952 race was dominated by the arch rival Mercedes Benz who took first and second place, with Jaguar’s C types nowhere to be seen. In fact, all three competing cars retired with overheating problems just a few hours into the race.
The 1950s was still an era when enthusiastic amateur teams would come to Le Mans dreaming of victory themselves, and while this was unlikely bearing in mind the increasing competition from the mainstream manufacturers who employed the world’s leading race drivers, there were still plenty of Triumphs, Rileys, Arnotts, Jowetts and others in attendance who more than made up the numbers.
In 1953, Jaguar returned to Le Mans and were much better prepared. This time, the C-types had a lighter chassis, strengthened rear suspension and Weber carburettors and trounced the opposition, finishing first, second and fourth. The winning drivers Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamiton were also the first to average more than 100 miles an hour over the 24 hour event.
D-type Jaguar
Still, Jaguar did not rest on their success and were hungry for more. They returned in 1954 with their new, improved, D-type cars. But despite heroic efforts to recover lost ground at the start of the race, they could only finish second to the overall winners, Gonzales and Trintignant, driving a Ferrari 375.
Mike Hawthorn and Ivor Bueb did win for Jaguar in 1955, but the result was overshadowed by the horrific accident which saw Mercedes Benz temporarily withdraw from motor racing.
D-types won again in 1956, but this wasn’t the factory team, but a private entry from Ecurie Ecosse, driven by Ninian Sanderson and Ron Flockhart.
Flockhart, along with Ivor Bueb, won again for the Scottish team in 1957, with D-types so dominant they also claimed second, third and fourth place.
Following Ferrari’s success in 1958, Britain enjoyed more triumph in 1959 when Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori won in an Aston Martin.
The decade belonged to Jaguar, though. The company’s success at Le Mans drew accolades from around the world and resulted in a notable growth in sales. It was also the perfect preparation for the introduction of the e-type in 1961 which fully cemented the company’s position as one of the world's leading and most prestigious sports car manufacturers.
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Film provided courtesy of www.auto-history.tv
(c) Universal Motoring History Enterprises