Mike Hawthorn's voice

Dear Hawthorn fans,

A few years ago I bought a book "Mon Ami Mate" which increased my interest for all Mike Hawthorn related things. Since then I've seen a lot of very nice images (mainly from Motorfilms Quarterly... whih are superb!) but I've never heard Mike's voice ... until an old record showed up and a friend of mine copied it on CD. It's an interview taken during the Le Mans race (1955?) in which he drove a Ferrari with Luigi Musso... It's only a few short phrases but that's better than nothing!

Last september we went to Farnham... I hoped to see a statue or sthg, but there's absolutely nothing which was quite deceiving. On the Farnham graveyard we saw his grave and the man who looks after the cemetary told us very interesting stories such as where exactly did he died, where the TT Garage was etc. (The TT Garage... instead of being a motorsport museum is a Carpet and Barbecue store...) He said his grave is often visited by enthusiasts coming from all over the world and "plans should be made to do something in the future"

Then we went to the Motor Museum in Beaulieu... to see his Riley chassis... Woaw, that was great but a few pictures of Mike working on his Riley would be nice. I was a bit sad to notice that there's almost nothing to see about Mike's championship in 1958. Was it because he didn't get it on an English car... Who knows... At Goodwood there's a nice tribute in the form of a statue of Mike and Lofty England.

Since a few years I'm collecting all kind of 'Hawthorn stuff' going from pictures (mostly) to model cars etc. Should you have any pictures of Mike Hawthorn and it's not a problem for you to share them, I'll be very happy to receive (references will be mentionned of course) them for a website I'm planning to make on Mike Hawthorn! (jean@debarsy.be)

What a wonderful time it must have been for racing fans... Cars were accessible, drivers walking freely among the spectators, machines that were beautiful to look at (Lancia D50, the BRM v16 etc). It was dangerous too, but that was part of the game. Now it's "poisoned" by publicty and big money... Well, it's a good thing we have this forum...

The last time I was in Farnham, the former TT Garage was the Hawthorns TVR dealership in East Street. In the showrooms was a glass cabinet with memorabilia and the front pages of a national newspaper telling the story of Hawthorn's fatal crash. His grave in the West Street Cemetary was in very good condition (with his late father's a few yards away) although I was told that it had previously fallen into disrepair but that the TVR dealership had paid for it's restoration.

Yes that story about the TVR dealership looking after Hawthorn's grave was told by the guy on the cemetary. But that dealership is gone now it seems.

There is a very brief conversation with Mike on the 1958 Sounds of Sebring album (Riverside Records.) It may be available on CD now.
.
.
.
.

Jean,

I trust you know this site: https://www.britishpathe.com ??

You can download for free if you click "free preview" and go to the checkout etc. There are several clips involving Mike

BTW, Lovely site you have I'm off to sign the guestbook!


Justin (fellow Lancia owner)

edit: Welcome to the group btw! Make sure to introduce yourself Here

obviously, there's that famous film clip from Le Mans on-board with the D-type where Mike drives us, and commentates his way round virtually all the lap.

I believe this video is the one Gary is referring to.


Justin

Woaw thanks a lot. The Pathé link is AWESOME!!!! I do have the "Le Mans with Mike Hawthorn" and you hear is voice too that's right (forgot that one...) It's a damn good clip!

And I have that "SOUNDS OF SEBRING" record but no turntable!!!!!!!

There's another one where Mike shows the benefits of the Jag MK VII. Very nice images but no sound on that one.

There must be some BBC interviews out there somewhere.... I'm sure.

I've just downloaded a free WMV movie from this website. It shows Mike Hawthorn at a dinner party where he announces his retirement. SUPER

The interview that was made at Le Mans is actually the Sound Stories LP of the 1957 race.
On his Ferrari’s retirement he says “ Musso said there was a clanking noise, and that was, it”. Narration is by Neville Loyd who mentions that the car had set fastest lap “Going like a rocket” replies Hawthorn.

There is a very brief conversation with Mike on the 1958 Sounds of Sebring album (Riverside Records.) It may be available on CD now

From memory:

Interviewer: "So Mike, where you off to after the race?"

JMH: "Eahhm, going down to Palm Springs, have a sniff around there..."

Interviewer: "I mean racing."

JMH: "Oh! Eah, Goodwood, the Easter Monday Meeting. I've got, eahm, a Grand Prix car...for the circuit."


There is more to the interview than this. I did always wonder what transpired on his Palm Springs trip.