Le Mans 1958 - The Start

[flatfour]

Real motor racing with cars you could see on the roads. D Types, C Types, Porsche 550s, Astons, Ferarris, Lotuses. Not like today's look alikes with the tosay's regs. designed to suit a certain manufacturer if he pays enough ! (So I'm told by someone who knows) No stupid safety precautions other than for fire in the pits and a sand run off at Mulsanne. The blokes who drove these cars were real men - not todays mollycoddled lot.

[Edward S. Isaacs]

Not sure about real men...Today's NASCAR guys drive at 200 MPH average.

This is a good shot that reflects the good old days...

Did you try cropping out the right side that contains a picture-killing finger, or something that's ruining the whole photograph?

Thanks for sharing.

Ed.







.

[Bernd Banken]

as a young guy after education, I started working for Kléber-Colombes, a tire manufacturer under control from Michelin. When I was in mechanical wrist watches thirty years ago, a Tudor Small Rose was my companion for many years.

Thanks to your photograph I remember those times after a glance.

Regards
Bernd

[steed]

Quite right! I bought a photo taken and signed by Phil Hill of the start o the '61` race that is reminiscent. He took it with his M3 by the way, handed the camera to a friend, got into his Ferrari and won the race!
How do I get to the attached images?
regards
John W

[flatfour]

Phil Hill and Olivier Genedebien won the 1958 race in a Ferrari andthe following year Aston Martin won.

[flatfour]

ed - In a NASCAr car you can roll ten times in your belts and cage and climb out unscathed and the fire extinguisher has done just that and with an auto fuel cut off. In 1958 you had nothing above you or round you except fresh air or 20 thou' of aluminium. You had no seat belt and no extinguishera except a squirt type in the car. The car had less grip than 6 inches of elephant tape. Those guys were brave and travelled down the Mulsanne at night at 150+ with pathetic headlights.