I am of the view that the principal fault was that of Macklin's Austin Healey. This was the Le Mans 100/4 and its top speed would have been nowhere near the over 180 nearly 200 mph of the D-Type (then with probably 285 bhp but very low drag coefficient for the time) and the Mercedes 300SLR (about 315 bhp, and ver streamlined but bulkier being a space frame rather than a monocoque with subframes). I've driven a 300bhp D-Type replica and although I wasn't really allowed to kick it hard I have some idea of how it behaved. The disc brakes needed a VERY heavy push to generate max deceleration.

The Healey had huge outboard drums (and the Mercs had simply MONSTROUS drums). Not so fade resistant but twin leading shoe drum brakes have a self-servo effect so the initial grab is every bit as good as discs if not better (and on discs the servo answering time does figure into initial retardation).

Hawthorn had really only just overtaken Macklin when he saw a pit signal to come in for fuelling. He'd have been wiser to take another lap but he decided to brake and pull in. At this stage he was probably going about 40 mph faster than Macklin. Macklin should also have been aware of Levegh in the number two Merc (being lapped by Hawthorn and on the outside correctly giving way but only a bit slower than Hawthorn) and Fangio in the number one Merc coming up dead astern behind Hawthorn, faster than Levegh, and competing furiously with Hawthorn. If Macklin had seen Hawthorn he should also have seen the two mercs.

Film from the time shows a puff of something from the right hand front of Macklin, who then veers wildly across the track behind Hawthorn.

I think Macklin should have had time to brake hard and admittedly be delayed by Hawthorn. He had to lose 40 mph less which should pretty much have compensated for the reaction time. I don't think he simply locked a wheel and got pulled left. I think he hit the pit wall (possibly by locking his brakes) - when his best course of action, if hitting anything, was to hit Hawthorn where the speed differential was tiny in comparison.

What I don't have is a report of the Macklin/Hawthorn libel action some years later (before Hawthorn killed himself in a different Jaguar - a slightly tweaked 3.4 Mark 1 saloon - I have not driven a Mark 1 but I have driven a 3.4 Mark II and while it was surprisingly quick for a car that age it seemed to have good road manners - far better than the barge-like Aston Martin road cars) overtaking a different Mercedes (a 300 SL drophead) in the rain on the then Guildford bypass).

It's possible I might have my mind changed by that libel action. I have also driven the new road as close as one can get to the scene of the accident - and got a Volvo through there at speeds close to those reported by the press at the time of the Hawthorn accident - but on a dry day with almost no wind, unlike the day of Hawthorn's death when it was pissing down with VERY severe winds.

Has anyone any views on the Le Mans crash?