Mike Hawthorn Accident Guildford By-pass 1959

[mab01uk]

Not Mini related but an interesting bit of history from the Police archives here:
http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/history-from ... thorn.html

[LMM76C]

Interesting in that Rob Walker in later years admitted that his account was so "economical with the truth" as to amount to perjury (if that's the correct term for an inquest rather than a court of law).
Duncan Hamilton is described as a "witness" (he wasn't to the accident) and it is not entirely clarified that he was there at the inquest only because he formally identified the body.
An employee of the Tourist Trophy Garage has since stated that Walker earlier halted opposite the garage in Farnham, raised the gull wing door of his 300SL and made a "V" sign towards the showroom where Hawthorn was preparing for his trip to London. Hawthorn dashed to "VDU" and set off in pursuit - and the rest is history.
The theory of the hand throttle, expounded on in Chris Nixon's "Mon Ami Mate" has been firmly dismissed since. Tyres (hard Dunlop Durabands?) seem likely to have been a factor.
For the best account see Paul Skilleter and Tony Bailey's magnificent book "Golden Boy".

[mab01uk]

Some more discussions on 10-10ths here:
http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=140162

[rich@minispares.com]

mike hawthorn had a great taste in pre war cars as well

he liked his sporting rileys

[LMM76C]

I see it became a 2.4 at one point in the narrative, before reverting to a 3.4! There is some speculation that the engine was actually a works development 3.8. Certainly Lofty England was keen to get the wreck back to Jaguar, where it was destroyed.
Some people on TenTenths seem particularly lacking in knowledge for members of an "historic" forum thread. TNF would be the experts' place (but most there would already be up to date with the more recent facts that emerged).
Just as popular myth now seems to have it that Moss was banned from driving for overtaking in the Mersey Tunnel (it was actually for a head on collision on the A41 near Newport that but for luck could easily have ended in a manslaughter charge), there seems a reluctance to accept that Hawthorn and the "gentlemanly" Walker) were simply behaving badly.
The missing tree was a poignant landmark for all enthusiasts who passed the scene for many years after. As a child, I saw Hawthorn drive at Silverstone (in a 3.4, but not "VDU") and Goodwood and, quite litterally, bumped into him in an aisle at the Earls Court Motorshow the previous October.
A sad tale of a man who was (before the days of kidney dialysis) already facing a death sentence.

[mab01uk]

New theory emerges 50 years after Mike Hawthorn's death:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motors ... death.html

[LMM76C]

As I already posted above, nothing "new". Even then (2009) the Telegraph merely seems to be "borrowing" facts that emerged from the extensive research for the book "Golden Boy".