1953 24 Hours of Le Mans

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]

1953 24 Hours of Le Mans
Previous: 1952 Next: 1954
Index: Races | Winners

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

Regulations

With the ongoing success of the World Championship of Drivers, this year saw the introduction by the FIA of a World Championship for Sports Cars, creating great interest from the major sports car manufacturers.[2] It also drew together the great endurance races in Europe and North America. The Le Mans race was the third round in the championship after the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Mille Miglia.

After the efforts by drivers in the recent races to drive almost single-handedly (Chinetti in 1949, Rosier and Hall in 1950, Levegh and Cunningham in 1952) and the consequent safety danger through exhaustion, the ACO set limits of maximum driving spells of 80 consecutive laps and 18 hours in total for each driver.

This year also marked the first use of a radar-‘gun’ to measure speeds across a flying kilometre on the Hunaudières Straight. The Cunningham would touch almost 156mph. Some 6 mph faster than last years winning Mercedes gull wing coupe. These results, not surprisingly, aligned with engine size but, significantly, also the impact of aerodynamics on top speed:[3][4]

Nation Manufacturer Engine Top Speed
United States Cunningham C-5R Chrysler 5.45L V8 249.1 km/h
Italy Alfa Romeo 6C/3000CM Alfa Romeo 3.5L S6 245.9 km/h
United Kingdom Jaguar C-Type Jaguar 3.45L S6 244.6 km/h
Italy Ferrari 340 MM Ferrari 4.1L V12 242.1 km/h
France Talbot-Lago T26 GS Talbot-Lago 4.5L S6 239.1 km/h
France Gordini T26S Gordini 2.5L S6 233.9 km/h
United Kingdom Allard J2R Cadillac 5.4L V8 233.8 km/h
Italy Lancia D.20 Lancia 2.7L V6 s/c 219.6 km/h
United Kingdom Aston Martin DB3S Aston Martin 2.9L S6 212.2 km/h
Germany Porsche 550 Coupé Porsche 1.5L F4 197.7 km/h
France DB HBR-4 LM Panhard 0.7L F2 160.6 km/h
France Panhard X88 Panhard 0.6L F2 169.8 km/h

Entries

The race was won by a Jaguar C-Type, similar to that pictured above

The prestige of the race, as well as the advent of the new championship generated intense interest in Le Mans. Of the 69 entrants and reserves, nineteen different marques (and their subsidiaries) were present. There were an unprecedented 56 works-entered cars officially represented, with over half in the main S-8000, S-5000 and S-3000 classes. Mercedes-Benz did not return to defend their title – they were busy preparing new cars for both the F1 and Sports Car championships. So the overall victory was shaping up as a contest between Italy (Scuderia Ferrari, S.P.A. Alfa Romeo and Scuderia Lancia), England (Jaguar supported by Aston Martin, Allard and Nash-Healey/Austin-Healey and the United States (Cunningham), with the French (Talbot and Gordini) being the ‘dark horses’.

Drivers included all three F1 World Champions to date (Alberto Ascari, Juan Manuel Fangio, Giuseppe Farina) and over 30 other current and up-and-coming Grand Prix racers.[5]

Ferrari 340 MM Berlinetta

The Italian teams had built new cars for the season and all had strong driver line-ups.[2][6] Ferrari entered two lightweight Ferrari 340 MM Berlinettas powered by the company's big 280 bhp 4.1 litre V12 engine built for a challenge at Mille Miglia,[7][4] All had Pinin Farina-designed bodies. Ascari and Luigi Villoresi were to share another lightweight coupé 375 MM converted to 4.5-litres,[8] while brothers Paolo and Gianni Marzotto (winner of the 2nd round of the championship: the Mille Miglia) and Giuseppe Farina and debutante Mike Hawthorn were down to drive the 340 MMs.[6] A third 340 MM Spyder was entered by American Ferrari agent Luigi Chinetti for himself, with Anglo-American Tom Cole (who had finished 3rd with Allard in 1950) as his co-driver. Such was the quality of the entry list that six other Ferraris could not make the starting list.[7]

Alfa Romeo was back at Le Mans for the first time since the war and fielded the beautiful new 6C/3000CM (‘’Cortemaggiore’’) powered by a 3.5L S6 engine (developing 270 bhp and 245 km/h) for Fangio and Onofre Marimón and Consalvo Sanesi and Piero Carini. The third car was driven by Mercedes-Benz works-drivers Karl Kling and Fritz Riess who also had their team manager, Alfred Neubauer, in the pits with them.[9] Lancia this year stepped up to the big class with three new D.20 Coupés. Having just won the non-Championship Targa Florio with a 3.0L V6 engine, team manager Vittorio Jano instead decided to install supercharged 2.7L engines. This proved to be a mistake as the small increase in power (to 240 bhp) increased unreliability and gave away over 20 km/h top speed to the rival Jaguars and Ferraris. GP-racers Louis Chiron and Robert Manzon, Piero Taruffi and Umberto Maglioli were in the team, with José Froilán González and endurance-race specialist Clemente Biondetti in the reserve car.[6]

Jaguar returned with their C-Types and after the debacle of the previous year, were determined not to repeat those mistakes, having undertaken a lot of development work. Team manager ‘Lofty’ England employed the same driver pairings as 1952, with 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 (now developing 218 bhp), and they were the first-ever Le Mans cars equipped with disc brakes, from Dunlop, whose greater efficiency gave the C-Types a distinct advantage over their drum-braked competitors.[10] The disc brakes had been available in 1952, but given the problems with the radiators they had been swapped out so the team could concentrate on just one potential issue in the race.[11] The works cars were supported by a standard production-body car entered by the new Belgian Ecurie Francorchamps team.[12]

Aston Martin entered their new DB3S cars for Reg Parnell and Peter Collins, George Abecassis and Roy Salvadori, and Eric Thompson and Dennis Poore. Using the same 3-litre engine as the DB3, it was put into a newly designed, shortened, chassis. However it was suffering from considerable lack of testing, being well down on speed.[13]

Donald Healey this year had two collaborations: his last year with Nash Motors with a pair of long-tailed models, and a new partnership with the Austin Motor Company using its 2.7L engine, producing only 100 bhp but capable of 190 km/h. Bristol also arrived with two cars for Lance Macklin / Graham Whitehead and Jack Fairman / Tommy Wisdom, and managed by former Bentley Boy and Le Mans winner Sammy Davis. The rear-engined 450 coupés were ugly and noisy but the 2 litre engine could get them to nearly 230 km/h.[6][14] Briggs Cunningham also brought three cars, all with 310 bhp 5.5L Chrysler V8 engines: a new C-5R (nicknamed “Le Requin” (the shark) by the French)[12] for Phil Walters and John Fitch who had won the inaugural championship race at Sebring; a C-4R for Cunningham himself and William "Bill" Spear and, a C-4RK coupé for veteran Charley Moran (the first American to race at Le Mans, back in 1929)[12] and Anglo-American John Gordon Bennett.

This year Talbot entered a full works-team, rather than just providing support to privateer entries. The trio of blue T26 GS cars were driven by Talbot regulars Guy Mairesse (with Georges Grignard), Louis Rosier and Elie Bayol, and Pierre Levegh and Charles Pozzi. Although still very fast, they were starting to show their age to the nimbler cars from Italy and Great Britain. André Chambas also returned with his supercharged modified SS spyder for a 5th and final time.[15][16] Gordini had intended to debut the new 3.0L T24S, but scratched it because of atrocious handling. Instead an uprated T16 design, the T26S with a 2.5L engine was prepared for Maurice Trintignant and Harry Schell. An older T15S was entered for Behra and Mieres. Though it only had a 2.3L engine it was lighter, and just as quick as its bigger brother.[17]

Borgward Hansa RS 1500, driven by Poch and Mouche

Without Mercedes-Benz, German representation fell to works teams from Borgward (here for the first and only time) and Porsche, both in the medium S-1500 class. Porsche stepped up from the S-1100 class with a new, purpose-designed race car, the 550 Coupé and its flat-four 1488cc engine, making only 78 bhp but a top speed of nearly 200 km/h.[18] There were also a pair of the smaller 356 SL in the S-1100 class.

As expected the French dominated the smaller-engined classes. The most eye-catching were the four from Panhard, bringing cars with their own badge this time under a new competition department, albeit under close collaboration with Monopole: with very aerodynamic designs from French aviation engineer Marcel Riffard using both of the Panhard engines.[19] Other works entries came from Renault, DB and Monopole themselves.

Practice

Pegaso Z-102 that crashed

In Thursday practice the Jaguars showed their class with all three works cars going under the lap record, but drama also happened when the 3rd car, of Rolt and Hamilton, was disqualified. It had been on track at the same time as another Jaguar which had the same racing number (the spare car being used as a precaution to qualify Norman Dewis, the Jaguar test driver, as a reserve), and a protest raised by the Ferrari team. Jaguar chairman, Sir William Lyon, agreed to pay the ACO fine, and ‘Lofty’ England successfully pleaded his case to the official that no intention to cheat had been meant and it was an honest mistake and so they were reinstated. But Hamilton's account of the affair has become one of the great motor racing legends:[20] Devastated by their disqualification, he & Rolt had gone into the city for the night to drown their sorrows, and when England found them at 10am the next day (race-day) at Gruber's restaurant, they were nursing hangovers and drinking copious amounts of coffee![21] Unfortunately, such a colourful story is an urban myth: England later said: "Of course I would never have let them race under the influence. I had enough trouble when they were sober!"[22] Tony Rolt also said the story was fiction.[23]

The Spanish Pegaso team withdrew both their entries after Juan Jover crashed his Z-102 Spyder during practice. Misjudging the speed of his approach to the corner after the Dunlop bridge, he hit the barriers at over 200 km/h and was thrown from the car, seriously injuring his left leg. With no apparent explanation for the crash, the team decided on safety first and scratched the other car. It was the first and last time they got to Le Mans.[24]

Race

Start

At 4:00pm on the Saturday, the flag fell and the race was on. As usual, Moss was lightning-quick out of the blocks and led the cars away, but the Allard blasted past him on the Mulsanne straight and was leading the closely bunched field at the end of the first lap. But Sydney Allard’s early lead barely lasted, and by lap four he had to retire with a collapsed rear suspension that severed a brake pipe. The first few laps at Le Mans means very little and it was not until after 30 minutes that the true nature of the race became apparent. Rolt had already put in a lap record at 96.48 mph, while Moss led the way, closely followed by Villoresi, Cole, Rolt, Fitch, with Karl Kling rounding out the top six. But Moss was also soon in trouble. Although he had smoothly pulled away from the chasing pack, a misfire had set in after only 20 laps, in the second hour. The unscheduled pitstop to change spark plugs, plus another later for the eventual fix – removal of a clogged fuel filter – dropped the car well down to 21st.[10] At least Jaguar had remembered the pit regulations: A Ferrari mechanic topped up the brake system on Mike Hawthorn’s 340 MM before the specified 28 laps had been completed, thereby Hawthorn/Farina were disqualified.[7] Whilst all this was going on, Villoresi had taken the lead.[5][25]

By 5pm, at the end of the first hour, the order had settled down and it became clear that the Jaguars, Ferraris and Alfa Romeos were the teams to be reckoned with. The Lancias and Talbots were quite outclassed, as were the medium-engined Aston Martins. The race continued at a fantastic pace and now it was Jaguar setting it: passing Villoresi, Rolt lifted his lap times by 5 seconds to push his lead.[21] Then Consalvo Sanesi, in his Alfa Romeo 6C, continued to lower the lap record. Just before 6:00pm, Fangio retired with engine troubles in his Alfa Romeo. At the three-hour mark, Rolt/Hamilton led from Ascari/Villoresi, followed by Cole and his co-driver Luigi Chinetti, Sanesi/Carini, and the Germans Kling and Riess. Already these five cars had pull out a two lap advantage over the rest of the field.[25]

Night

As darkness fell, the Ferrari-Jaguar battle continued unabated, between Ascari/Villoresi and Rolt/Hamilton, with the Alfa Romeos close behind and the overall order swapping around according to pit-strategy.[26] During the early hours of the morning, Rolt and Hamilton continued to lead with no sign of tiring, while the Ferrari was now losing ground – the big engine starting to stretch the rest of the powertrain.[7]

The Gordinis were once again punching above their weight, mixing it in the top-10 with the third works Jaguar, the other Ferraris and the Cunninghams. The smaller-engined car was a high as 7th ahead of its stable-mate until its rear-axle seized, necessitating long repairs that proved terminal soon after midnight.[17] In the other classes the Porsche 550s had the measure of all the smaller cars and, aside from those superfast Gordinis, were even running ahead of the S2.0 and S3.0 cars.

Just after midnight, Tommy Wisdom's Bristol had an engine fire (almost an identical problem had hit its sister-car earlier in the evening). Crashing, Wisdom was trapped for a short while before being rescued and taken to hospital with minor burns and a dislocated shoulder.[14]

Then just before 3am, the rear suspension on the Sanesi/Carini Alfa Romeo had collapsed, and they were out, along with George Abecassis and Roy Salvadori with oil getting into their Aston Martin's clutch.[13][25][26]

Although the Ascari and Villoresi car was still taking the fight to the Jaguars, the car was hindered by a sticking clutch and drinking a lot of water. However, the Italians, in a win-or-bust 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.[25]

Morning

Ferrari 375MM of Ascari/Villoresi during the race.
Ferrari 375MM of Ascari/Villoresi during the race, before it retired around 11AM.

Despite the night being very clear and fine, dawn approached with a certain amount of mist in the air, making driving conditions very tiring.[26] Just after 6.30am Tom Cole, running 7th, had just overtaken a back-marker when he lost control at the Maison Blanche corners. The Ferrari ploughed into the roadside ditch then rolled and struck a wooden hut nearby. Cole was hurled out of the car in the initial impact and died at the scene.[6][25]

The windscreen on the leading Jaguar had been smashed early in the race by bird-strike,[21] 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 led by a lap from the struggling Ferrari. Third place, over three laps adrift, was the Cunningham of Fitch/Walters and a lap further back were the fast Jaguars of Moss/Walker (back in the race after a terrific hard drive back through the field) and Whitehead/Stewart.

Shortly after 8:30am, the leading Jaguar and Ferrari both made routine refuelling stops at the same time. Hamilton had what would now be termed an “unsafe release” when, in the rush to beat the Ferrari, he pulled out right in front of one of the DB-Panhards coming in for its own pitstop.[21] Walters had a big moment when his Cunningham blew a tyre at high speed but he was able to catch it. But with the subsequent pitstop to fix the damage, Moss was able to move up to third.[12] By 9:00am, the clutch issues with the lead Ferrari gave it a long stop, and it was now back in fifth place. This left Rolt and Hamilton clear up front, but they could not rest as Fitch and Walters started to fight back and hound the Moss/Walker Jaguar for second place.[6][25][27][28][7]

The lame Ferrari retired just before 11am 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.[25]

The Lancias had never made an impression, none having made it into the top-10 and just after midday the engine of the last one running (of González and Biondetti) gave up.

Finish and post-race

Cunningham C-5R of Walters/Fitch, which finished 3rd overall and won the S 8.0 class.
Cunningham C-5R of Walters/Fitch, which finished 3rd overall and won the S 8.0 class.

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. Driving their British license-plated Jaguar C-Type they took the victory, covering a distance of 2,555.04 miles (4,088.064 km), doing 304 laps and averaging a speed of 106.46 mph (170.336 km/h). Moss and Walker were four laps adrift at the finish, in second place with their C-Type after their epic drive. The podium was completed by Walters and Fitch, in their Cunningham C-5R a lap back. The third works Jaguar finished fourth, two laps further behind the Americans, after a very conservative and reliable race.[25]

The Marzotto brothers brought home the sole remaining Ferrari in fifth, finishing with virtually no clutch but having stayed in the top 10 throughout the race.[7] A lap back was the Gordini, having had a trouble-free run.[17] Owner-driver Briggs Cunningham came in 7th followed by the works Talbot of Levegh, finishing this year, and the private Jaguar, entered by Ecurie Francorchamps for Roger Laurent and Charles de Tornaco, in their standard C-Type.[5][25][29][30]

In a race of attrition where only 1 car, if any, of the many other works teams finished, it was an effort of remarkable reliability that all cars of the Jaguar, Cunningham and Panhard works teams finished.[27] The Panhard team staged a formation finish, winning the Index of Performance by the narrowest of margins.[12]

As expected, the Porsches finished 1–2 in the S-1500 class with the win going to the car driven by racing journalists Paul Frère and Richard von Frankenberg

The little DB-Panhards had an extraordinary run, that of owner-driver René Bonnet winning the S-750 class ahead of its sister car, and finishing 5 laps clear of the OSCA winning the bigger S-1100 class. They were on course for the coveted Index of Performance win, but a bad engine misfire meant it used too much fuel on its very last lap. The streamlined Panhard won the Index by the tiniest fraction on a countback.[31]

Records were broken across the board – the first time a car completed the race with an average speed over 100 mph (in fact the first six finishers did) and covered over 2500 miles (4000 km). All the categories broke their class records, and a new lap record was set.[27]

With such a varied and competitive field there could be no better advertisement for the new Sports Car Championship going forward. However, it would be without several teams: after dominating the early Formula 1 championship, and a semi-successful year in sports cars, Alfa Romeo withdrew from motor racing. Jowett was already in receivership and it would also be the last Le Mans for Allard, Lancia and Nash-Healey.

Official results

Results taken from Quentin Spurring's book, officially licensed by the ACO[32]

Pos Class No Team Drivers Chassis Engine Laps
1 S
5.0
18 United Kingdom Jaguar Cars Ltd. United Kingdom Tony Rolt
United Kingdom Duncan Hamilton
Jaguar C-Type Jaguar 3.4L S6 304
2 S
5.0
17 United Kingdom Jaguar Cars Ltd. United Kingdom Stirling Moss
United Kingdom Peter Walker
Jaguar C-Type Jaguar 3.4L S6 300
3 S
8.0
2 United States Briggs Cunningham United States Phil Walters
United States John Fitch
Cunningham C-5R Chrysler 5.5L V8 299
4 S
5.0
19 United Kingdom Jaguar Cars Ltd. United Kingdom Peter Whitehead
United Kingdom Ian Stewart
Jaguar C-Type Jaguar 3.4L S6 297
5 S
5.0
15 Italy Scuderia Ferrari Italy Paolo Marzotto
Italy Giannino Marzotto
Ferrari 340 MM Berlinetta Ferrari 4.1L V12 294
6 S
3.0
35 France Automobiles Gordini France Maurice Trintignant
United States Harry Schell
Gordini T26S Gordini 2.5L S6 293
7 S
8.0
1 United States Briggs Cunningham United States Briggs Cunningham
United States William "Bill" Spear
Cunningham C-4R Chrysler 5.5L V8 290
8 S
5.0
7 France Automobiles Talbot-Darracq S.A. France Pierre “Levegh” (Pierre Bouillin)
France Charles Pozzi
Talbot-Lago T26GS Spyder Talbot-Lago 4.5L S6 276
9 S
5.0
20 Belgium Ecurie Francorchamps Belgium Roger Laurent
Belgium Charles de Tornaco
Jaguar C-Type Jaguar 3.4L S6 275
10 S
8.0
3 United States Briggs Cunningham United States Charles Moran Jr.
United States John Gordon Bennet
Cunningham C-4RK Chrysler 5.5L V8 269
11 S
5.0
11 United Kingdom Nash-Healey Inc. United Kingdom Leslie Johnson
United Kingdom Bert Hadley
Nash-Healey 4-litre Sport Nash 4.1L S6 265
12 S
3.0
34 United Kingdom Donald Healey Motor Company Netherlands Maurice Gatsonides
United Kingdom Johnny Lockett
Austin-Healey 100 Austin 2.7L S4 257
13 S
2.0
39 United Kingdom Automobiles Frazer Nash Ltd. United Kingdom Ken Wharton
United Kingdom Laurence Mitchell
Frazer Nash Le Mans Coupé Bristol 1971cc S6 253
14 S
3.0
33 United Kingdom Donald Healey Motor Company France Marcel Becquart
United Kingdom Gordon Wilkins
Austin-Healey 100 Austin 2.7L S4 252
15 S
1.5
45 West Germany Porsche KG West Germany Richard von Frankenberg
Belgium Paul Frère
Porsche 550 Coupé Porsche 1488cc F4 247
16 S
1.5
44 West Germany Porsche KG West Germany Helmut 'Helm' Glöckler
West Germany Hans Herrmann
Porsche 550 Coupé Porsche 1488cc F4 247
17 S
750
57 France Automobiles Deutsch et Bonnet France René Bonnet
France André Moynet
D.B. HBR-4 LM Panhard 745cc F2 237
18 S
1.1
48 Italy Automobili O.S.C.A. Italy Dr. Mario Damonte
France ”Heldé” (Pierre-Louis Dreyfus)
OSCA MT-4 1100 Coupé O.S.C.A. 1093cc S4 232
19 S
750
58 France Automobiles Deutsch et Bonnet France Marc Gignoux
France Marc Azéma
D.B. HBR-4 LM Panhard 745cc F2 231
20 S
1.1
50 France Automobiles Panhard et Levassor France Charles Plantivoux
France Guy Lapchin
Panhard X89 Panhard 851cc F2 227
21 S
750
61 France Automobiles Panhard et Levassor France Pierre Chancel
France Robert Chancel
Panhard X88 Panhard 611cc F2 223
22 S
1.1
51 France Automobiles Panhard et Levassor France Raymond Stempert
France Georges Schwartz
Panhard X87 Panhard 851cc F2 218
23 S
750
53 France R.N.U. Renault France Jean-Louis Rosier
France Robert Schollmann
Renault 4CV-1068 Spyder Renault 747cc S4 218
24 S
750
60 France Automobiles Panhard et Levassor France Jean Hémard
France Jean de Montrémy
Monopole X85 Panhard 611cc F2 212
[25]* S
3.0
66
(Reserve)
France A. Constantin
(private entrant)
France Alexis Constantin
France Michel Arnaud
Peugeot 203C Peugeot 1290cc S4
Supercharged
200
26 S
750
56 France J.-É. Vernet & J. Pairard France Just-Émile Vernet
France Jean Pairard
V.P. 166R Coupé Renault 747cc S4 183
  • Note: Not Classified because of Insufficient distance, as car failed to cover 70% of its class-winner's distance.

Did Not Finish

Pos Class No Team Drivers Chassis Engine Laps Reason
27 S
5.0
12 Italy Scuderia Ferrari Italy Alberto Ascari
Italy Luigi Villoresi
Ferrari 375 MM Berlinetta Ferrari 4.5L V12 229 Clutch (20hr)
28 S
1.5
41 West Germany Borgward GmbH France Jacques Poch
France Edmond Mouche
Borgward-Hansa 1500 ‘Rennsport’ Borgward 1498cc S4 228 Overheating (24hr)
29 S
8.0
63
(Reserve)
Italy Scuderia Lancia Argentina José Froilán González
Italy Clemente Biondetti
Lancia D20 Lancia 2.7L V6
Supercharged
213 Engine (21hr)
30 S
3.0
27 United Kingdom Aston Martin Ltd. United Kingdom Eric Thompson
United Kingdom Dennis Poore
Aston Martin DB3S Aston Martin 2.9L I6 182 Engine (18hr)
31 S
5.0
16 United States Luigi Chinetti United States Luigi Chinetti
United States Tom Cole Jr.
Ferrari 340 MM Vignale Spyder Ferrari 4.1L V12 175 Fatal accident
(16hr)
32 S
8.0
31 Italy Scuderia Lancia France Robert Manzon
Monaco Louis Chiron
Lancia D20 Lancia 2.7L V6
Supercharged
174 Engine (18hr)
33 S
1.1
49 West Germany Porsche KG France Auguste Veuillet
Germany Petermax Müller
Porsche 356 SL Porsche 1091cc F4 147 Engine (18hr)
34 S
2.0
40 United Kingdom Automobiles Frazer Nash Ltd. United Kingdom Bob Gerard
United Kingdom David Clark
Frazer Nash Le Mans MkII Replica Bristol 1971cc S6 135 Overheating (14hr)
35 S
5.0
23 Italy SpA Alfa Romeo West Germany Karl Kling
West Germany Fritz Riess
Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 CM Alfa Romeo 3.5L S6 133 Transmission (12hr)
36 S
5.0
21 Italy SpA Alfa Romeo Italy Consalvo Sanesi
Italy Piero Carini
Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 CM Alfa Romeo 3.5L S6 125 Rear Suspension (12hr)
37 S
5.0
9 France Automobiles Talbot-Darracq S.A. France Guy Mairesse
France Georges Grignard
Talbot-Lago T26 GS Spyder Talbot-Lago 4.5L S6 120 Engine (12hr)
38 S
8.0
30 Italy Scuderia Lancia Italy Piero Taruffi
Italy Umberto Maglioli
Lancia D20 Lancia 2.7L V6
Supercharged
117 Electrics (12hr)
39 S
1.1
46 France G. Olivier
(private entrant)
France Gonzague Olivier
France Eugène Martin
Porsche 356 SL Porsche 1091cc F4 115 Engine (18hr)
40 S
750
55 France J. Lecat
(private entrant)
France Jacques Lecat
France Henri Senfftleben
Renault 4CV-1063 Renault 747cc S4 84 Engine (12hr)
41 S
3.0
36 France Automobiles Gordini France Jean Behra
Argentina Roberto Mieres
Gordini T15S Gordini 2.3L S6 84 Transmission (10hr)
42 S
1.5
47 United States Rees T. Makins United States Phil Hill
United States Fred Wacker Jr.
O.S.C.A. MT-4 O.S.C.A. 1343cc S4 80 Transmission (10hr)
43 S
3.0
26 United Kingdom Aston Martin Ltd. United Kingdom George Abecassis
United Kingdom Roy Salvadori
Aston Martin DB3S Aston Martin 2.9L S6 74 Clutch (10hr)
44 S
2.0
38 United Kingdom Bristol Aeroplane Company United Kingdom Jack Fairman
United Kingdom Tommy Wisdom
Bristol 450 Coupé Bristol 1979cc S6 70 Accident / Fire
(10hr)
45 S
8.0
32 Italy Scuderia Lancia Italy Felice Bonetto
Italy Luigi "Gino" Valenzano
Lancia D20 Lancia 2.7L V6
Supercharged
66 Transmission (6hr)
46 S
8.0
5 United Kingdom Allard Motor Company United States Zora Arkus-Duntov
United States Ray Merrick
Allard J2R Cadillac 5.4L V8 65 Engine (10hr)
47 S
1.5
67
(Reserve)
France Capt. M. Crespin
(private entrant)
France André Guelfi
France Roger Loyer
Gordini T15S Gordini 1490cc S4 40 Transmission (10hr)
48 S
5.0
8 France Automobiles Talbot-Darracq S.A. France Élie Bayol
France Louis Rosier
Talbot-Lago T26 GS Spyder Talbot-Lago 4.5L S6 37 Transmission (4hr)
49 S
750
54 France R.N.U. Renault France Jean Redélé
France Louis Pons
D.B. 4CV-1066 Renault 747L S4 35 Engine (4hr)
50 S
2.0
37 United Kingdom Bristol Aeroplane Company United Kingdom Lance Macklin
United Kingdom Graham Whitehead
Bristol 450 Coupé Bristol 1979cc S6 29 Fire (10hr)
51 S
1.5
42 West Germany Borgward GmbH West Germany Hans-Hugo Hartmann
West Germany Adolf Brudes
Borgward-Hansa 1500 ‘Rennsport’ Borgward 1498cc S4 29 Out of fuel
(4hr)
52 S
+8.0
6 France A. Chambas
(private entrant)
France André Chambas
France Charles de Cortanze
Talbot-Lago SS Spyder Talbot-Lago 4.5L S6
Supercharged
24 Accident (4hr)
53 S
5.0
22 Italy SpA Alfa Romeo Argentina Juan Manuel Fangio
Argentina Onofre Marimón
Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 CM Alfa Romeo 3.5L S6 22 Engine (3hr)
54 S
3.0
25 United Kingdom Aston Martin Ltd. United Kingdom Reg Parnell
United Kingdom Peter Collins
Aston Martin DB3S Aston Martin 2.9L S6 16 Accident (2hr)
55 S
750
52 France R.N.U. Renault France André Briat
France Yves Lesur
V.P. 4CV-1064 Renault 747cc S4 14 Engine (7hr)
56 S
5.0
14 Italy Scuderia Ferrari Italy Giuseppe Farina
United Kingdom Mike Hawthorn
Ferrari 340 MM Ferrari 4.1L V12 12 Disqualified (1hr)
57 S
5.0
10 United Kingdom Nash-Healey Inc. France Yves Giraud-Cabantous
France Pierre Veyron
Nash-Healey Sports Nash 4.1L S6 9 Engine (2hr)
58 S
750
59 France Établissements Monopole France Eugène Dussous
France Pierre Flahaut
Monopole X84 Panhard 612cc F2 9 Engine (7hr)
59 S
2.0
62 France Etablissements Fiat Dagrada France Norbert Jean Mahé
Italy ComteGiovanni 'Johnny' Lurani
Fiat 8V Fiat 1996cc V8 8 Electrics (1hr)
60 S
8.0
4 United Kingdom Allard Motor Company United Kingdom Sydney Allard
United Kingdom Philip Fotheringham-Parker
Allard J2R Cadillac 5.4L V8 4 Transmission (1hr)
DNS S
1.5
43 West Germany Borgward GmbH West Germany Karl-Heinz Schaufele
West Germany Adolf Brudes
Borgward-Hansa 1500 ‘Rennsport’ Borgward 1498cc S4 0 withdrawn
DNS S
3.0
28 Spain Empresa Nacional de Autocamiones S.A. Spain Juan Jover
West Germany Paul Metternich
Pegaso Z-102 Spyder Pegaso 2.8L V8
Supercharged
0 accident
DNS S
3.0
29 Spain Empresa Nacional de Autocamiones S.A. Spain Joaquin Palacio Pover
Spain Pablo Julio Reh Cardrona
Pegaso Z-102 Spyder Pegaso 2.8L V8
Supercharged
0 withdrawn

Index of Performance

Pos Class No Team Drivers Chassis Score
1 S
750
61 France Automobiles Panhard et Levassor France Pierre Chancel
France Robert Chancel
Panhard X88 1.319
2 S
750
57 France Automobiles Deutsch et Bonnet France René Bonnet
France André Moynet
D.B. HBR-4 LM 1.317
3 S
5.0
18 United Kingdom Jaguar Cars Ltd. United Kingdom Tony Rolt
United Kingdom Duncan Hamilton
Jaguar C-Type 1.307
4 S
3.0
35 France Automobiles Gordini France Maurice Trintignant
United States Harry Schell
Gordini T26S 1.301
5 S
5.0
17 United Kingdom Jaguar Cars Ltd. United Kingdom Stirling Moss
United Kingdom Peter Walker
Jaguar C-Type 1.292
6 S
750
58 France Automobiles Deutsch et Bonnet France Marc Gignoux
France Marc Azéma
D.B. HBR-4 LM 1.283
7 S
5.0
19 United Kingdom Jaguar Cars Ltd. United Kingdom Peter Whitehead
United Kingdom Ian Stewart
Jaguar C-Type 1.279
8 S
8.0
2 United States Briggs Cunningham United States Phil Walters
United States John Fitch
Cunningham C-5R 1.271
9 S
5.0
15 Italy Scuderia Ferrari Italy Paolo Marzotto
Italy Giannino Marzotto
Ferrari 340 MM Berlinetta 1.251
10 S
750
60 France Automobiles Panhard et Levassor France Jean Hémard
France Jean de Montrémy
Monopole X85 1.250
  • Note: Only the top ten positions are included in this set of standings. A score of 1.00 means meeting the minimum distance for the car, and a higher score is exceeding the nominal target distance.[33]

19th Rudge-Whitworth Biennial Cup (1952/1953)

Pos Class No Team Drivers Chassis Score
1 S
750
61 France Automobiles Panhard et Levassor France Pierre Chancel
France Robert Chancel
Panhard X88 1.319
2 S
8.0
1 United States Briggs Cunningham United States Briggs Cunningham
United States William "Bill" Spear
Cunningham C-4R 1.233
3 S
750
53 France R.N.U. Renault France Jean-Louis Rosier
France Robert Schollmann
Renault 4CV-1068 Spyder 1.211
4 S
5.0
11 United Kingdom Nash-Healey Inc. United Kingdom Leslie Johnson
United Kingdom Bert Hadley
Nash-Healey 4-litre Sport  ?

Statistics

Taken from Quentin Spurring's book, officially licensed by the ACO

  • Fastest Lap in practice – Hamilton / Whitehead, #18 Jaguar C-Type – 4m 37.0s; 175.27 kp/h (108.91 mph)
  • Fastest Lap – Alberto Ascari, #12 Ferrari 375 MM – 4m 27.4s; 181.64 kp/h (112.87 mph)
  • Fastest Car in Speedtrap – #2 Cunningham C-4R – 249.14 kp/h (154.81 mph)
  • Distance – 4088.06  km (2540.32 miles)
  • Winner's Average Speed – 170.34 km/h (108.85 mph)
  • Attendance – est. 200 000 (start)[34]

World Championship Standings after the race

Pos Championship Points
1= United Kingdom Jaguar 12
United States Cunningham 12
3 Italy Ferrari 11
4 United Kingdom Aston Martin 8
5 Italy Alfa Romeo 6
6 Italy Lancia 4
7 Italy O.S.C.A. 4
8= Italy Maserati 1
France Gordini 1

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.

Citations
  1. "Le Mans 24 Hours 1953". Racing Sports Cars. 1953-06-14. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
  2. Clausager 1982, p.85
  3. Moity 1974, p.51
  4. Clarke 1997, p.91: Road & Track Sep 1953.
  5. "Le Mans 1953: Jaguar's gigantic leap — History, Le Mans". Motor Sport Magazine. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
  6. "Le Mans 1953". Sportscars.tv. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
  7. Spurring 2011, p.158
  8. "375 MM PF Berlinetta 0318AM". barchetta.cc. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  9. Spurring 2011, p.170
  10. Spurring 2011, p.154
  11. Spurring 2011, p.126
  12. Spurring 2011, p.156
  13. Spurring 2011, p.169
  14. Spurring 2011, p.167
  15. Spurring 2011, p.168
  16. Clarke 1997, p.77: Autocar June 1953
  17. Spurring 2011, p.161
  18. Spurring 2011, p.164
  19. Spurring 2011, p.159
  20. Foreword by Earl Howe to "Touch Wood!" Archived 2009-02-28 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 3 August 2008.
  21. Spurring 2011, p.155
  22. Daily Telegraph obituary of Tony Rolt, 2 February 2008. Retrieved on 3 August 2008.
  23. Obituary of Tony Rolt by Alan Henry, 9 February 2008. Retrieved on 3 August 2008.
  24. Spurring 2011, p.151
  25. "1953 Le Mans 24 Hours report — History, Le Mans". Motor Sport Magazine. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
  26. Clarke 1997, p.85: Motor Jun 1953
  27. Clausager 1982, p.86
  28. Spurring 2011, p.153
  29. "1953 24 Hours of Le Mans Results and Competitors". Experiencelemans.com. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
  30. 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.
  31. Spurring 2011, p.163
  32. Spurring 2011, p.2
  33. Clarke 1997, p.88: Motor June 1953
  34. Clarke 1997, p.82: Motor June 1953

References

  • Spurring, Quentin (2011) Le Mans 1949-59 Sherborne, Dorset: Evro Publishing ISBN 978-1-84425-537-5
  • Clarke, R.M. - editor (1997) Le Mans 'The Jaguar Years 1949-1957' Cobham, Surrey: Brooklands Books ISBN 1-85520-357X
  • Clausager, Anders (1982) Le Mans London: Arthur Barker Ltd ISBN 0-213-16846-4
  • Laban, Brian (2001) Le Mans 24 Hours London: Virgin Books ISBN 1-85227-971-0
  • Moity, Christian (1974) The Le Mans 24 Hour Race 1949-1973 Radnor, Pennsylvania: Chilton Book Co ISBN 0-8019-6290-0
  • Pomeroy, L. & Walkerley, R. - editors (1954) The Motor Year Book 1954 Bath: The Pitman Press
  • Racing Sports Cars – Le Mans 24 Hours 1953 entries, results, technical detail. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  • Le Mans History – Le Mans History, hour-by-hour (incl. pictures, YouTube links). Retrieved 20 October 2016..
  • Formula 2 – Le Mans 1953 results & reserve entries. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
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