Hawthorn, Mike

[TimD]

Last night, I was bored with waiting for Eurosport to get around to showing me any rallying, so I went to the old video collection.

I found a compilation of Jaguar archive film, which included a glorious bit of footage of Mike Hawthorn taking us in his D-Type on an on-board lap of Le Mans during practice for the 1956 race. Not only superb pictures, but Mike was wired for sound, so we had his commentary for the whole lap.

It was a fascinating look at how little the track has changed, and an intriguing insight into Mike and his approach. He mentioned the previous year's disaster, which surprised me, considering his close involvement with it, and it was telling that he only mentioned in passing Desmond Titterington's huge off at Indianapolis corner, dismissing it as not serious, because Titterington had been able to walk away from it.


And I found myself pondering on the coincidence of finding this film tonight. Because 42 years ago today, was the day Mike Hawthorn lost his life. In a banal and stupid road accident on the Guildford bypass. Some have speculated that he was racing Rob Walker on the public road when his Jaguar saloon came unstuck. Certainly other drivers such as John Cooper and Lance Macklin dreaded seeing Mike's Jag or Lancia in the rear view mirror in that part of Surrey, because he would invariably want to "dice".

And yet it is also said that if the road accident hadn't got him, then his kidneys would have done. He had been excused National Service (conscription) because of his medical condition, and it is not well known that he often raced Grands Prix in abject agony due to the illness inside him.

Was he thus somehow just a bit reckless? He was the first British world champion, but was he the equal of his great rival Stirling Moss, or even of his "Mon Ami Mate" Peter Collins?

[Marshal]

Its an interseting one, Mike Hawthorn has always struck me as not a particularly appealing character, and reading "Mon Ami Mate" has done nothing to change that view. However he did seem to engender great loyalty from his friends, so must have been a charasmatic fellow.

And he was Britains first World Champion, despite the fact that Moss, Collins and Tony Brooks were all probably better drivers. I think Hawthorn was at his best in big sportscars, particulaly Jaguar D-Types.

Finally, if the condition of his kidneys was as bad as was stated in "Mon Ami Mate", then hitting that tree on the hogs back, might of been a much kinder way to shake off his mortal coil...

[yelwoci]

I remember reading an interview with Rob Walker where he said that at court he was asked what speed they were doing.

He said something like, well your honour we had only just changed out of 3rd into top, when Mr Hawthorne over took me.

Rob understood the average man changed into top at about 50mph if he was pushing it, and therefore racing drivers must have been doing 70-80mph.

Rob said he never changed into top much below 110mph when 'having fun' and he was pushing it, but Mike shot past him.

He acknowledged that it was probably in the order of 130mph.
I think he also noted that the hand-throttle had been fitted, but that it wasn't on the car by the time it was in the police pound.

I have driven down this piece of road (modern tarmac, dual carriage way, modern car) and THEY WERE MAD!!!!!!!

Passing point, it is remarkable the difference between Hawthorne and Moss, achieved the same result in driving skill (IMHO)

TimD...where can I get a copy of that Video?

ianc

[TimD]

Ian,

The video I have is the one that Motor Sport magazine put out about a year ago called "Jaguar - The Racing History". As well as the D-Type years, it has sequences of XK120s at the International Trophy meetings, TWR XJ-S touring cars and Bob Tullius' E-Type Group 44 SCCA campaign. Oh yes - and a fluff piece on the new Jaguar R1 which seems rather touching in its optimism in retrospect.

I must have seen a dozen copies of this in stalls at race meetings this year. But if you can't find one, then I think the Le Mans footage is also on Heritage Films' "Jaguar at Le Mans 1955/56". Have a check with Duke Video about the contents first, though!

[John Turner]

Mike Hawthorn was born at Mexborough, 10 April, 1929, and died in the road accident mentioned earlier, near Guildford, on 22 January 1959. He was the reigning (1958) World Champion at the time, and the first British driver to achieve this.

He won 3 Grand Prix - French (1953), Spanish (1954), and the French again in his Championship winning year. I think that his 1953 French GP win, in a wonderful duel with Fangio is considered his best, and is one of the finest contested GPs ever.

Hawthorn also had a number of major sports car wins to his name - 1953 Spa 24 hours, 1954 Tourist Trophy, 1955 Sebring and the ill fated and tragic 1955 Le Mans 24 hours (following the withdrawal of the Mercedes team), all with co-drivers of course.

[thebear]

Originally Posted by yelwoci

TimD...where can I get a copy of that Video?

ianc

Return with us to Le Mans in 1956!

Actually it must have been at one of the `test days' or what ever they were called back then.

Also see my Motorsports History thread.

[ianric]

I was a child when he won the world championship and I have been a Ferrari fan ever since. Those guys and the ones up to, I guess, Jackie Stewart, had real b--ls of steel. The circuits were death traps and the cars had no or little safety equipment and they did it for relatively little money. They also would drive in other races on the same day because they were drivers. An F2, sports car or saloon race were also included. Those were the days when they were GODS. Now they are business men who can crash to order if there is a corporate need.

Sorry, rant over.:]