5 replies to this topic

[D-Type]

Duncan Hamilton and Tony Rolt won the 1953 Le Mans in a C-Type Jaguar with race no 18 and registration number 774 RW (actually a trade plate number).
As related by Duncan Hamilton in Touch Wood they were nearly disqualified before the start because Norman Dewis had practiced with the team spare also bearing race no 18. He goes on to tell the classic tale of he and Rolt being found by William Lyons having a coffee at 10 a.m. having been imbibing all night and of the efforts to get to a race worthy condition by 4 p.m.
In Jaguar - the sporting heritage by Paul Skilleter there is a picture on page 91 showing the race car passing the spare car, also bearing race no 18, at the pits.
At a boot sale I recently bought Philip Porter's Jaguar - the complete illustrated history . On page 131 it has a photo of the four team cars outside the restaurant des Hunundieres. In the foreground are two cars both bearing race number 17. The one on the left carries registration number 164 WK, the Moss/Walker race car. The one on the right carries the registration number 210 RW, and again appears to be a trade plate. It is identified as the spare car.

The question is "Why do we have two photos showing the team spare with different race numbers?" I appreciate that it is easy to change a number, but why?

Any ideas folks?



Edit - typos corrected

[condor]

That story does sound full of intrigue ....perhaps Ian can help

[Richard Jenkins]

Originally posted by D-Type
He goes on to tell the classic tale of he and Rolt being found by William Lyons having a coffee at 10 a.m. having been imbibing all night and of the eforts to get to a race worthy condition by 4 p.m.

Classic, but wholly false. Let's try & bury this particular myth once & for all, eh?

Tony Rolt has said a number of times the story is false & the only reason they had coffee was because they had stayed up all night in worry over being allowed in & the work involved - not a drop of the hard stuff went into their lips until AFTER the race.

[Ian Stewart]

Richie is absolutely right. This myth is entirely forgiveable given the passage of time, but it is a myth.

Same with Peter Walker. The reason for his incapacity (!) on race day was digestive. Lofty decided against late practice on Friday, and we all went down to Indianapolis to watch the opposition. Unfortunately there was an astute marketeer standing by with tons of fraises du bois, and Peter couldn't stop eating them. Dire consequences.

It was a thrill to watch the Ferraris in the dusk, with their flamethrower exhausts on the over-run. Not something I'll forget.

[D-Type]

A possible answer to my original query is that the 1952 team cars were 17, 18, 19. The Hunundieres photograph shows the rear of the cars. Although the front was completely different did the 1952 cars use standard rear bodywork? If so the photo may be from 1952 although captioned 1953.
Sorry. I have no mens of scanning and posting pics.

[dretceterini]

Didn't all the 1952 LeMans Jag C-types have a long nose AND a long tail? For 1953, they reverted back to the same type coachwork as in 1951..