4 juillet 1948 - Bremgarten accident mortel Kautz
1 juillet 1948 - Bremgarten accident mortel Varzi
where can be found pictures or articles or info about these accidents ?
Varzi - Kautz accident 1948 Bremgarten Swiss
Started by
Boniver
, Apr 22 2012 19:26
5 replies to this topic
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#2
Tim Murray
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Posted 22 April 2012 - 19:50
Varzi's accident is discussed in the Achille Varzi thread - see this and subsequent posts:
http://forums.autosp...w...t&p=4009888
http://forums.autosp...w...t&p=4009888
#3
uechtel
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Posted 22 April 2012 - 22:00
As always the Swiss magazine "Automobil Revue" has a detailed report on the event. I don´t know whether you find access somewhere to the French edition, so I have to try for a translation of the German report:
Varzi:
"According to the statements of the very few eyewitnesses - which admittedly are somewhat contradictive - the tragic incident, to which the famous Italian champion driver Achille Varzi of the Alfa Romeo team fell victim shortly before the end of thursday practise around 6:40 PM, has happened like this: In appalling rainy conditions Varzi was following Wimille and Trossi apparently with slightly overspeed through the long S-bends in the Jorden, where at the end of this passage (in the left-hander), directly near post 4, he started skidding and hit the guardrail a first time with the right rear side of his Alfa Romeo, from which he was rebound heavily. Then he hit the protective wall again and with tremendous impact - now with the 'nose' - broke thorugh its two lower bars (in direction to Eymatt) and continued the disastrous drive onto the grassy ramp until he lost ground contact. After this the car overturned sideways onto the road and buried Varzi, who was still behind the wheel, beneath it for a moment. After another rotation - and with Varzi himself now lying at the side of the road - it came back onto its wheels again. Finally the driverless machine speed again against the ramp, drilling its front into the ground for a moment, lifted nearly straight up into the air and fell down onto the track again, gioving the tragedy, which happened in extreme speed, its finish. But Varzi was found by the men of post 4 and by Chrion, who had followed him in short distance and witnessing the catatsrophy had stopped immediately, with awfully gaping head injuries and without any sign of life. It is likely that he had immediately died from the severity of the impact when the car hit the road with him upside down.
Kautz:
"In the second lap a dark shadow appears over the event: in vain the crowd waits for Kautz to turn up, until after a short while news is broadcasted over the speaker, that he lost control over his car on the entrance of the Waldkurve in the Eymatt and seriously injured. Later the devastating information, that the sympathic Swiss, who lost the road at the same place as before Tenni (on his motorcycle), but to the right side and then after crashing into a tree was trapped inside the cockpit of his Maserati and died."
Varzi:
"According to the statements of the very few eyewitnesses - which admittedly are somewhat contradictive - the tragic incident, to which the famous Italian champion driver Achille Varzi of the Alfa Romeo team fell victim shortly before the end of thursday practise around 6:40 PM, has happened like this: In appalling rainy conditions Varzi was following Wimille and Trossi apparently with slightly overspeed through the long S-bends in the Jorden, where at the end of this passage (in the left-hander), directly near post 4, he started skidding and hit the guardrail a first time with the right rear side of his Alfa Romeo, from which he was rebound heavily. Then he hit the protective wall again and with tremendous impact - now with the 'nose' - broke thorugh its two lower bars (in direction to Eymatt) and continued the disastrous drive onto the grassy ramp until he lost ground contact. After this the car overturned sideways onto the road and buried Varzi, who was still behind the wheel, beneath it for a moment. After another rotation - and with Varzi himself now lying at the side of the road - it came back onto its wheels again. Finally the driverless machine speed again against the ramp, drilling its front into the ground for a moment, lifted nearly straight up into the air and fell down onto the track again, gioving the tragedy, which happened in extreme speed, its finish. But Varzi was found by the men of post 4 and by Chrion, who had followed him in short distance and witnessing the catatsrophy had stopped immediately, with awfully gaping head injuries and without any sign of life. It is likely that he had immediately died from the severity of the impact when the car hit the road with him upside down.
Kautz:
"In the second lap a dark shadow appears over the event: in vain the crowd waits for Kautz to turn up, until after a short while news is broadcasted over the speaker, that he lost control over his car on the entrance of the Waldkurve in the Eymatt and seriously injured. Later the devastating information, that the sympathic Swiss, who lost the road at the same place as before Tenni (on his motorcycle), but to the right side and then after crashing into a tree was trapped inside the cockpit of his Maserati and died."
#4
taylov
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Posted 23 April 2012 - 09:39
Varzi:
"According to the statements of the very few eyewitnesses - which admittedly are somewhat contradictive - the tragic incident, to which the famous Italian champion driver Achille Varzi of the Alfa Romeo team fell victim shortly before the end of thursday practise around 6:40 PM, has happened like this: In appalling rainy conditions Varzi was following Wimille and Trossi apparently with slightly overspeed through the long S-bends in the Jorden, where at the end of this passage (in the left-hander), directly near post 4, he started skidding and hit the guardrail a first time with the right rear side of his Alfa Romeo, from which he was rebound heavily. Then he hit the protective wall again and with tremendous impact - now with the 'nose' - broke thorugh its two lower bars (in direction to Eymatt) and continued the disastrous drive onto the grassy ramp until he lost ground contact. After this the car overturned sideways onto the road and buried Varzi, who was still behind the wheel, beneath it for a moment. After another rotation - and with Varzi himself now lying at the side of the road - it came back onto its wheels again. Finally the driverless machine speed again against the ramp, drilling its front into the ground for a moment, lifted nearly straight up into the air and fell down onto the track again, giving the tragedy, which happened in extreme speed, its finish.
This report of Varzi's accident (which is the most comprehensive that I have seen) seems to be supported by the well-known photograph of the Alfa when it had been returned in the garage. It shows the damage to the nose and the missing screen which is reported to have caused his injuries. A second less commonly seen press-photograph also shows some damage to the tail and a partly distorted steering wheel. Overall the external damage to the 158 seems relatively minor.
For those who want to see the photo of the car, post-accident, it can be found by searching "Alfa 158 Varzi" on Google Images.
Tony
Edited by taylov, 23 April 2012 - 12:22.
#6
aldo
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Posted 26 April 2012 - 21:13
Doug Nye in his post dated 2010 gave the correct picture of Varzi accident, which is rather different from the one published in the Swiss paper.
I can add that in the set of photos of the car taken in Milano after the accident, an unknown fact surfaces. The car on which Varzi had the accident was not his official mount, but, maybe, a T car to be used by any works driver, if needed. In one of the photos, a 158 racing number 28 appears clear and clean. From the known photos published at page 186 of the Terruzzi book, new edition 2010 by Giorgio Nada, the racing numbers appear to be hastily painted, the varnish close to the filling cap is heavily stained. Both details are unusual for the AR Team.
It's well known that Varzi was unsatisfied with his mount, therefore it is highly likely that, near the end of practice, they sent him out on the track with the T car to give him the option to compare the handling.
Either he was not fully acquainted with the new car or, like his personal doctor told me many years ago, he suffered from a sudden lack of nervous response in his legs which delayed the brake-declutch action. The doctor explained that such a lack of response of the lower limbs has a good probability to happen in persons who went through drug addiction and recovery theraphy.
The damage to the car was marginal, yet poor Varzi was trapped under the car with the head pushed backwards to the side of the headrest and the stone guard on the roadside.
I can add that in the set of photos of the car taken in Milano after the accident, an unknown fact surfaces. The car on which Varzi had the accident was not his official mount, but, maybe, a T car to be used by any works driver, if needed. In one of the photos, a 158 racing number 28 appears clear and clean. From the known photos published at page 186 of the Terruzzi book, new edition 2010 by Giorgio Nada, the racing numbers appear to be hastily painted, the varnish close to the filling cap is heavily stained. Both details are unusual for the AR Team.
It's well known that Varzi was unsatisfied with his mount, therefore it is highly likely that, near the end of practice, they sent him out on the track with the T car to give him the option to compare the handling.
Either he was not fully acquainted with the new car or, like his personal doctor told me many years ago, he suffered from a sudden lack of nervous response in his legs which delayed the brake-declutch action. The doctor explained that such a lack of response of the lower limbs has a good probability to happen in persons who went through drug addiction and recovery theraphy.
The damage to the car was marginal, yet poor Varzi was trapped under the car with the head pushed backwards to the side of the headrest and the stone guard on the roadside.
