1953 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 21th 24 -hour Le Mans race, the Grand Prix d' Endurance les 21e 24 Heures du Mans, was held from June 13 to 14 in 1953, at the Circuit des 24 Heures.

  • 2.1 pilots after Nations
  • 2.2 Final ranking
  • 2.3 Only in the message list
  • 2.4 Class Winner
  • 2.5 racing data

The race

Changes to the regulations

As a result, the solo drive from Pierre Levegh from the previous year changed or clarified the Automobile Club de l' Ouest the regulations. No driver was allowed to sit for more than 80 rounds in a row at the wheel and drive a total of not more than 18 hours. After 1953, the first World Sportscar Championship was held, the technical code had to be adapted. Cars with supercharged engines were still allowed, but their coefficient in the Index of Performance has been multiplied by two, which made it impossible for this racing car to win this competition.

The first time, velocity measurements were carried out in Le Mans. The Cunningham C5 -R by John Fitch and Phil Walters was there on the Mulsanne straight 249 km / h top speed of the fastest sports cars.

The race teams

Triggered by the first World Sportscar Championship was a wealth of factory teams to Le Mans. Of the 60 starters were no less than 50 company cars. Favorites were the factory Jaguar C-Type with its revolutionary disc brakes and the works Ferraris. The C -Types had received a new engine and in addition the disc brakes. The 3.4 - liter engine now made ​​220 ​​horsepower. The top car of the Scuderia was the 4.5-liter 340MM by Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi. Ascari exceeded the 340MM in the race with a lap of 4:27:00 the 180-km/h-Hürde for the cut over one lap.

For the first time since 1949 was also the works team of Alfa Romeo at the start. Four vehicles were reported, three approved for launch. The 3.5-liter 6C 3000 CM were driven by Juan Manuel Fangio, Onofre Marimon, Consalvo Sanesi, Piero Carini and German last year's winner Fritz Riess and his compatriot Karl Kling.

Gordini brought new prototypes at the Sarthe and the Talbots were given new bodies. Briggs Cunningham came from overseas also with new prototypes to France. The C5 -R had a 310 hp Chrysler engine.

Also, Lancia came with factory cars to Le Mans. The rapid D20 coupes had 2.7 - liter supercharged engines. Panhard had the French aircraft designer Riffard committed, who missed the 0.7 -liter race car aerodynamic bodies. Also, Aston Martin and Renault participated with works cars.

From Germany Porsche came back to Le Mans. For use three factory cars, two 550 coupe and a 356 Not came at the start was the work team of Mercedes -Benz. The team of Stuttgart in 1952 had celebrated a double victory after the failure of Pierre Levegh, who was not very popular in France. Nevertheless, a second German team at the start was: Borgward Hansa 1500 was the racing his Le Mans debut. How Porsche 1951 entrusted the racing line from Borg Ward at one of the two vehicles a French driver pairing. In contrast, Mercedes had invariably committed in the previous year German driver.

Both Spanish Pegasos injured in training and could not participate in the race. One of the two coupes shared the Spaniard Juan Jover and later President of the FIA ​​, Paul Alfons von Metternich - Winneburg.

The race course

After the start was surprisingly the factory Allard J2R with Philip Fotheringham -Parker at the helm in the lead. However, this only lasted four rounds, then the car had a brake failure, and the British had to give up. There was a fierce exchange of blows between Stirling Moss in a Jaguar and a Ferrari works driver Luigi Villoresi, which lasted until unforeseen pit stop Moss due to a dirty fuel filter.

Even after the relapse of the Jaguar Moss remained the toughest opponent of the works Ferraris. The failure of the fast Villoresi/Ascari-340MM-Berlinetta because of clutch failure after 229 laps, won the race in favor of Rolt and Hamilton. The Scuderia but had suffered far worse: In the night Tom Cole was killed in an accident at the dangerous stretch Maison Blanche.

All Aston Martin, Lancia and Bristol were canceled. Tommy Wisdom suffered in an accident at Bristol severe burns to his hands and legs. One of the most original explanation for a failure by accident gave Reginald Parnell, of a factory Aston Martin DB3S with Peter Collins split. He was thinking of his pigs and have lost both the concentration as well as the rule of his car.

Results

Pilot after Nations

  • Elder drivers: Italy Clemente Biondetti (55 years )
  • Youngest Driver: United Kingdom Peter Collins (22 years)

Final ranking

Withdrawn 1 accident in training 2 accident in training accident in training 3 4 5 replacement car not started 6 7 ​​Reserve Reserve 8 Reserved 9 Reserved 10 Reserved 11 Reserved 12 reserve 13

Only in the message list

Here are the teams, drivers and vehicles that were originally registered for the competition, but it did not participate for various reasons.

Class winner

Race data

  • Reported: 127
  • Starter: 60
  • Weather during the race weekend: warm and dry
  • Distance: 13.492 km
  • Honorary starter of the race: Jean Masson, French Secretary of State for Education
  • Distance of the winning team: 4088.064 km
  • Winners section: 170.336 km / h
  • Fastest race lap: Alberto Ascari - Ferrari 340MM Berlinetta (# 12) - 4.27.400 = 181.642 km / h
  • Race series: 3rd Round of the World Sportscar Championship
Goodwood Festival of Speed Circuit de la Sarthe 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans John Fitch (racing driver) 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans Alfa Romeo 6C Sports prototype Porsche 550 Mercedes-Benz in motorsport 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans Reg Parnell Peter Collins (racing driver) Argentina Jaguar Cars Tony Rolt Duncan Hamilton (racing driver) Peter Walker (racing driver) Peter Whitehead (racing driver) Ian Stewart (racing driver) Gianni Marzotto Maurice Trintignant Harry Schell Charles Pozzi Roger Laurent Charles de Tornaco Austin-Healey 100 Ken Wharton Bristol Cars Richard von Frankenberg Hans Herrmann DB (car) O.S.C.A. Pierre Louis-Dreyfus Jean-Louis Rosier Peugeot Eric Thompson (racing driver) Dennis Poore Louis Chiron Bob Gerard Guy Mairesse Georges Grignard Piero Taruffi Jean Behra Fred Wacker George Abecassis Roy Salvadori Jack Fairman Bristol 450 Felice Bonetto Roger Loyer Louis Rosier Lance Macklin Graham Whitehead Adolf Brudes Giuseppe Farina Pierre Veyron Sydney Allard Jean Lucas Aston Martin DB2 Dorino Serafini Porfirio Rubirosa BMW 328 Singer Motors Kieft Cars Automobili Stanguellini Roberto Bonomi Lancia Aurelia 1923 24 Hours of Le Mans 1924 24 Hours of Le Mans 1925 24 Hours of Le Mans 1926 24 Hours of Le Mans 1927 24 Hours of Le Mans 1928 24 Hours of Le Mans 1929 24 Hours of Le Mans 1930 24 Hours of Le Mans 1931 24 Hours of Le Mans 1932 24 Hours of Le Mans 1933 24 Hours of Le Mans 1934 24 Hours of Le Mans 1935 24 Hours of Le Mans 1936 24 Hours of Le Mans 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans 1938 24 Hours of Le Mans 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans 1958 24 Hours of Le Mans 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans 1961 24 Hours of Le Mans 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans 1973 24 Hours of Le Mans 1974 24 Hours of Le Mans 1975 24 Hours of Le Mans 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans 1980 24 Hours of Le Mans 1981 24 Hours of Le Mans 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans 1984 24 Hours of Le Mans 1985 24 Hours of Le Mans 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans 1987 24 Hours of Le Mans 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans 1993 24 Hours of Le Mans 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans 2002 24 Hours of Le Mans 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans 1953 Carrera Panamericana
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