First in car camera? - 1956 LeMans in D Type with Mike Hawthorn commentary GOLD!

[massiveluvbuddy67]

Alfistsi,
I would like to propose the use of bikes and slow moving cars to liven up a practice session drive...enjoy.

Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/59410466#at=0

[DomenicC1]

Thanks for posting this piece of footage...really enjoyed it! Cheers!

[colcol]

Mike Hawthorn was the only Grand Prix driver that wore a bow tie while racing, trucks, cars, motor bikes and push bikes everywhere and some going in the opposite direction, nomal 58 years ago, terrifying now, normally G.P. drivers hate LeMans as they can't race flat out but have to make sure the race car  still there after 24 hours, wonder what the likes of Hawthorn and Co would have thought of Diesel cars winning the race, Colin.

[BundySean]

Fantastic, thanks for sharing.

The D-Type is one of my most favourite race cars.

Couldn't believe the way it was woven through all the traffic!

Also near the end Mike seemed to be steering by holding the spoke of the wheel. Unusual technique!

Sean

[colcol]

And don't you just love the safety aspect of the microphone, a slight accident with an oncomming Vespa or heavy braking would have the microphone knocking out poor old Mikes teeth, this sort of thing wouldn't have been tolerated at club level sprinting 30 years ago, see the way they used to refuel these cars back then, terrifying, and there were a few fires back then, Colin.

[Evan Bottcher]

  No crash barriers, trees just a few feet off the road, bloody hell.

[Davidm1600]

To be truthful it was huge same here re lack of safety, whether at Longford, Bathurst, Sandown etc. it was a completely different era of Motorsport.

The one thing that impressed me was the quality of the image. Steady and clear. Hawthorn was one of the greats of his time.

[echo1750]

They were quite conscious of safety at Longford...

There was a contemporary SCW race report that referenced to a dinghy equipped with a SCUBA diver on standby in the river near Long Bridge, in case anyone came off the bridge & landed in the drink !!

[Davidm1600]

I remember that one KB, but I also remember plenty of trees down the side of the track, into which at least one red Mk 2 Jag met its maker, let alone racing across the wooden bridge and or under the viaduct today just wouldn't be on, would it.