4 replies to this topic

[Hans Etzrodt]

At the Swedish Summer Grand Prix on August 6, 1933 a crash happened on the first lap where seven drivers were supposedly eliminated. Apparently the Swede Dahlin drove his Mercedes-Benz into a telephone pole, which killed his mechanic on the spot. Then the Swede Bergström’s car caught fire and the next six following cars crashed with none of those drivers seriously injured.
Another account states that the Swede Lundberg and his mechanic died in that crash.

Does anyone know what really happened?

[David McKinney]

The incident occurred 4km from the start. The grid had been formed in order of race number and Börje Dahlin was in the lead when he spun off, throwing his riding mechanic, Erik Lafrenz, onto the road. The unfortune man was run over and killed by Bennström’s Ford which overturned in someone’s garden and burst into flames. John Forsberg's car meanwhile somersaulted into a house and caught fire, destroying itself and the house. Bennström and Forsberg were seriously injured, and had to spend long spells in hospital. Among others involved were Chiron, who had been the fastest qualifier, and Widengren.

I regret I don't have a source for this - perhaps it tallies with one of yours?

[Vitesse2]

Wistedt's MG Midget was among the retirees on lap 1, but he had dropped out before the big crash when his clutch failed:

http://forums.autosp...360#post2251360

[Tomas Karlsson]

Some corrections:
The accident happened in an S-bend round some houses.
Dahlin crashed into a garden. Lafrenz was thrown out on the road and run over by Bennström who crashed into another garden.
Bennström's overturned car caught fire and leaking petrol set fire to the garden where it had landed. The weather was warm and dry and had been so for long, so the fire spread easily. And there were no water. Eventually it spread to the house that burnt down.
Forsberg meanwhile had braked hard and his car was run over by Wallenius, who's Ford hit a telegraph pole and landed in a tree (in the same garden as Dahlin). Chiron, Widengren and Wickberg was also involved.
Bennström was taken to hospital with a concussion. He had cracked his skull in an motorcycle accident a couple of years before and stopped racing after Vram. Forsberg and Wallenius was also taken to hospital. Forsberg with concussion and shock.
I can't confirm any long spells in hospital. But they were probably longer then they would have been today anyway.
Bennström's car was destroyed (and probably Wallenius too), but Forsberg continued to race with his car during the thirties.
In practice Askegren and his mechanic had been hurt in an accident.
The GP at Norra Vram was a big set-back for racing in Sweden. The race could have been a big door-opener for international racing, but instead it almost killed automobile racing all together.

[Hans Etzrodt]

Thank you all for the clarification.