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Mike Hawthorn Lotus Eleven crash Oulton Park 18th August 1956


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#1 56Lotus

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Posted 20 December 2014 - 10:21

 Hi Gents

 

I'm conducting some research on the identity of some Lotus Elevens.  Please could you help by searching your collections for any photo's of the Ecurie Demi-Litre Lotus Eleven raced by Mike Hawthorn at Oulton Park on the 18th August 1956.  The car was owned by Ivor Bueb.  The only reference to the accident is from Roy Salvadori who was driving the car behind.

 

"Suddenly the back of the Lotus broke away, the car mounted the bank and turned a complete somersault.  I tried to avoid the Lotus and instinctively ducked as parts of Mike's disintegrating car landed on top of my Cooper, hitting me on the head and breaking the windscreen.  Completely dazed I went off the road.........I cruised round to the pits.  Lofty England was in the pits and asked what happened to Mike.  Still badly dazed. I said, "He's dead".  This caused considerable, but rather needless panic, for, although he had been thrown from the car, he had only suffered bad bruising and a sprained wrist."

 

 

Mike's race number for this event was 37.  I'm trying to determine the extent of the damage to the car which was subsequently rebuilt and sold on by Performance Cars of Brentford. 

 

If you have any information or photo's of the car at Oulton Park or at any stage of its life I'd be very grateful.  Any information about who bought the Bueb car from Performance Cars in 1957 and where it went from then would also be great.

 

Thanks for your help

 

Jon Adams



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#2 Rupertlt1

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Posted 20 December 2014 - 11:45

Earlier picture of Hawthorn at Oulton Park, top right:

 

http://www.motorspor...ictorial-review

 

RGDS RLT



#3 Tim Murray

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Posted 20 December 2014 - 11:48

There's quite a bit about the accident in Challenge Me The Race, but Mike didn't say much about the damage to the car other than that he tore the door completely off as he was being thrown out.



#4 raceannouncer2003

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Posted 21 December 2014 - 07:04

The following edition of the Historic Lotus Register magazine has an article on "Ecurie Demi-Litre's Lotus XI".  Would that be the same one?

 

No 30 Winter 2001 Cover Goodwood 9 Hours 1955 Vol.5 No.5

 

Vince H.


Edited by raceannouncer2003, 21 December 2014 - 07:04.


#5 Roger Clark

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Posted 21 December 2014 - 12:45

David McKinnney's notes say that in 1958 the car was owned (or driven?) by Pat Massey-Dawson    



#6 56Lotus

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Posted 21 December 2014 - 14:55

Thanks for the replies

 

I've found the Motorsport report for the race and the accident barely gets a mention.

 

I dug out my copy of Challenge me the Race and it seems that the accident was bad and the car would have been seriously damaged but still can't find a photo.

 

Looking on Revs Digital Library Pat Massey-Dawson is seen driving a Lotus Eleven but I believe this is a Series 2 car, Bueb bought a series 2 car and raced this as well.

 

Seems strange, with todays media, that such a serious accident to a famous driver gets such little mention, but those were the times.

 

Jon Adams 



#7 Charles Helps

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Posted 21 December 2014 - 15:31

It seems that Ivor Bueb/Ecurie Demi-Litre had two Lotus Elevens:

 

a Series 1 with single seater cockpit that was involved in the Mike Hawthorn accident in August 1956 (and, according to Anthony Pritchard in his article in Historic Lotus, mentioned by Vince above, written off and scrapped) and

 

a Series 2 that Bueb was racing in 1957, chassis 309, that went to Pat Massey-Dawson.

 

The George Phillips photo taken at Goodwood on 26 April 1958 shows Pat Massey-Dawson in an S2 with appendix C bodywork (full width screen).



#8 Charles Helps

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Posted 21 December 2014 - 17:09

Some of the photos of Ivor Bueb's S1 in the Anthony Pritchard article also appear on the Duel at Goodwood page on Jay Sloane's website (LotusEleven.org).