The life of Britain’s first Formula 1 world champion is to be celebrated at next month’s Race Retro
Race Retro, powered by Motor Sport, will mark 60 years since Britain’s first Formula 1 world champion Mike Hawthorn’s untimely death with a unique collection of his cars and artefacts.
Hawthorn died on January 22, 1959 in a road accident near Guildford in Surrey, just three months after pipping Stirling Moss to the ’58 Formula 1 world title by a single point with Ferrari then promptly retiring from racing.
The Englishman was known for much of the 1950s as one of the foremost racers and ebullient motor sport personalities of the period. There also is a special 60th-anniversary tribute to Hawthorn in this month’s edition of Motor Sport magazine.
Hawthorn also won the 1955 Le Mans 24 Hours although the triumph was overshadowed by the disastrous crash in that race in which over 80 spectators and driver Pierre Levegh died.
The Race Retro display celebrating Hawthorns’ life and achievements will be led by a D-Type Jaguar that renowned collector Nigel Webb re-built using the 1955 Le Mans-winning car’s chassis. It also features the original registration number.
More: Mike Hawthorn, 60 years on
Fans at the Race Retro event taking place at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, on February 22-24 will also be able to enjoy the Lotus 11 that Hawthorn raced in period, which will also be on display.
The cars will be accompanied by a wide array of personal racing memorabilia from Hawthorn’s career in which he drove for BRM and Vanwall as well as Ferrari and Jaguar. The artefacts will include a selection of Hawthorn’s gold medals as well as a steering wheel from one of his Ferrari F1 cars.
“Mike Hawthorn’s contribution to the world of motor sport should never be forgotten,” said Race Retro’s acting show director Lee Masters.
“The epitome of the English gentleman and a fantastically competitive racer, that 60 years have passed since his death makes this tribute all the more special.”
The February 2019 issue is out now. Pick up a copy or download it here.
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