mike hawthorn ferrari

For 1957 Mike Hawthorn was back at Ferrari and raced this Lancia-Ferrari in the British Grand Prix at Aintree.

Story by Denise McCluggage
Photos and captions by Graham Gauld

On top of the Le Mans crash of 1955 that killed eight score or more and for which many Germans, mostly in the press, blamed Mike Hawthorn as a key instrument, he was having his darkest season in Grand Prix racing. He collected not a point toward the championship. Nothing. He was driving for Tony Vandervell and the Vanwalls were still suffering from birth pangs. Vanwall, like Mike, still had three full years to go to its world championship. [Read more…] about Mike Hawthorn by McCluggage Part 3

The first Ferrari Mike Hawthorn raced was this modified 375 4.5 litre car, the Thinwall Special entered by Tony Vandervell seen standing beside the car. The meeting was at the Turnberry circuit in 1953.

Story by Denise McCluggage
Photos and captions by Graham Gauld

Read Part 1

There have been many “firsts” in the life of John Michael Hawthorn starting that tenth day in April, 1929, when he first saw light of day. His father, Leslie, was a garage owner and a man active in motorcycling and motor-racing circles, putting Mike close to this world from the time he was a tyke.

His first time at the wheel of a car was when he was eight. He “borrowed” an old Jowett that had been left for repair and, with it in gear and the engine off, ground it around a field behind the garage on the starter motor. His first vehicle was a 1927 Norton motor-bike which he owned when he was 14, but for tinkering purposes only as he was too young to drive on the road.
[Read more…] about Mike Hawthorn, Part 2 by Denise McCluggage