LE MANS 1955: MOTORSPORT’S DARKEST DAY
When Pierre Levegh’s Mercedes broke up and caught fire as it catapulted into the crowd at Le Mans in 1955, 83 men, women and children perished and at least 120 more were injured. It remains the single biggest loss of life in the history of motorsport and was the catalyst for urgently needed change.
Spectator safety came into sharp focus and motor racing was found badly lacking. Like so many serious accidents, the crash brought a series of factors and actions together to create a shocking disaster that rocked the way motorsport could continue.
The build-up to one of the most famous races in the world was full of anticipation for a great race as the might of Ferrari, Mercedes and Jaguar lined up incredibly strong teams to contest the 24-hour classic. First run in 1923 on a circuit made up of public roads, this was to be 23rd running of the twice-round-the-clock race, which had resumed in 1949 after a gap of nine years while Europe was at war and, subsequently, while France was rebuilt.
All three manufacturers had won the race in the previous three years. Mercedes triumphed in 1952 with the W194 of Hermann Lang and Fritz Reiss as the German company returned to international competition for the first time since the Second World War. A year later, Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamilton won for Jaguar as their C-type broke all records in the fastest Le Mans to date. They completed 27 laps more than the 1952-winning Mercedes as speeds rocketed. Then, in 1954 Ferrari took its second Le Mans win with the sleek 375 Plus of Maurice Trintignant and
