Le Mans Musings
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It would not be surprising if the number of cylinders were brought into the calculation for the Index of Performance in 1958.
Very frustrating for drivers like Phil Hill who come all the way to Le Mans and have their number one driver break the car in opening laps.
Laureau had a spectacular accident leaving the Whitehouse bends which finished up a tree, the D.B. being a complete write-off. He escaped with a slight cut on his chin.
It was said that the Arnott coupe body was designed round a Vauxhall Victor windscreen.
Lightest car in the race was the 750-c.c. Lotus at 430 kgs.; heaviest was the coupe Maserati at 1,183 kgs. The works Porsche 1,500 weighed 571 kgs., the works Lotus 1,500 weighed 546 kgs. The Lotus 1,100 works car weighed 482 kgs., the Cooper 1,100 weighed 518 kgs.
Lunch-time Sunday saw the complete Ferrari equipe having a sit-down lunch in the pits, while the 3.8-litre car circulated round, the driver looking in vain for some sort of signal.
The Lotus full-width screens were the nearest thing to complete cockpit enclosure imaginable. It only needs the driver to wear a special elliptical-shaped crash-hat to fill the remaining hole and complete the aerodynamics.
There was much publicity given to the low drag of the 4.5 Maserati coupe, yet the Panhard-Monopole coupes were far neater and cleaner.
While enjoying the Scottish victory, the bagpipe music that went on and on through the night, over the loudspeaker system, made one long for an Italian victory. — D. S. J.