Abecassis's accident at Zandvoort

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We don’t know what exactly went wrong with the original photographic print or negative of the picture shown here, but it’s a fact that it hasn’t stood the test of time completely unspoilt. Apologies for that. It’s a picture we wanted to share with you nevertheless as we don’t think it’s ever been seen in public before, and it shows such a lovely car.

The original caption reads: ‘Motoring accident Delflaan, Zandvoort. Participant in the sports car races at Zandvoort”. It is dated August 16th 1954.

The day before had seen a great field full of exciting racing cars in the Dutch dune circuit for the Zandvoort International. Ecurie Ecosse had made it over from Britain with no fewer than three C-type Jaguars, while both Ecurie Francorchamps of Belgium and privateer Duncan Hamilton had entered similar cars. Pierre Levegh came from France with a Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport and there were Ferraris, Aston Martins and even a Veritas in the two-litre-plus class. Also there were the two HWMs of George Abecassis and Tony Gaze.

Our car is one of these and we think it’s the one driven by Abecassis. HWM stood for Hersham & Walton Motors and the company’s Jaguar (C-type again)-powered works racers had cool private plates ages before they were the domain of Middle Eastern playboys doing the rounds near Harrods. Abecassis’s car was HWM 1 while Tony Gaze’s wore VPA 9.

What went wrong the day after the race with HWM 1? We will probably never know, but judging by the damage to the car (just a bent rear wing, it seems) it can’t have been too serious an accident. An old magazine report, which we dug up from the archives, gives a comprehensive report of the race itself, but gives no information about the HWM other than ‘Abecassis (HWM) was very fast in the training but we haven’t seen him after the start’.

Looking up the car today by typing in its distinctive registration is slightly confusing as it shows a very different HWM. It’s historically correct though, as the number was transferred to the next works racer. Abecassis’s car became YPG 3 and survives to this day. We’re sure the owner will be very glad to see this photograph.

Words: Jeroen Booij
 

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