Thank you for the complements. Not all the models were hand built but you can likely tell which of these are. Yes, I have all the winners going back to the very beginning. I do hope to cover them at some point. Winners are relatively easy to find but other placements are often very difficult. This current Post-WW2 series has only one more year to go with 1959,but I will likely do the 1960s next.
The 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 27th 24 Hours of Le Mans, Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 20 and 21 June 1959, on Circuit de la Sarthe. It was also the fourth round of the F.I.A. World Sports Car Championship. The prospect of an exciting duel between Ferrari, Aston Martin and giantkillers Porsche was enough to draw large crowds and some 150,000 spectators gathered for France's classic sports car race, around the 8.38-mile course.
Aston Martin finally achieved the coveted outright win, doing it with a 1-2 finish. The marque had first entered the Le Mans race in 1928, running every race since 1931 and had finished second three times and third twice before this victory.
This year there were seven manufacturer works teams, led by Ferrari and Aston Martin as well as Porsche, Lotus, DB, OSCA and Triumph. They were joined by the sports-car specialist Lister, Cooper and Stanguellini teams. It meant that half of the cars in the race were ‘works’ entries.
Defending champions Scuderia Ferrari brought their latest version of the Ferrari 250 TR. The chassis had been redesigned, made shorter and 77 kg lighter. The 3-litre V12 had a new 5-speed gearbox and now developed 306 bhp.
Surprisingly, there was not a single retirement in the first hour (although Lund was delayed after his MG hit a dog at Mulsanne corner). Moss still led from the works Ferraris of Hill, Behra and Allison, then the two Ecosse cars (Jaguar ahead of Tojeiro) and Graham Hill in the remarkable Lotus 15 leading the 2-litre class in 7th. The other Aston Martins were 8th and 9th biding their time, ahead of the two Listers, while the Dino was 13th overall ahead of the Porsches in the 2-litre class.
The Ecurie Ecosse team was still a competitive force, and by 9pm their Jaguar was running second and the Tojeiro in 4th. But as night fell the pace started taking its toll – around 10pm, on the 70th lap, both the Ireland/Gregory Jaguar running second and the Moss/Fairman Aston Martin in third were put out with engine problems. And when Behra's Ferrari was called into the pits by officials to fix malfunctioning lights suddenly the Salvadori/Shelby Aston Martin found itself in the lead.
Such was the eventual domination of Aston Martin, the third car home was fully 26 laps behind the winners. That car was the first GT home, the Ferrari 250 GT LWB of ”Beurlys” and ”Eldé”. Yet again the Equipe Nationale Belge had achieved a podium finish. In fact all the Ferrari GTs finished with the Belgians leading home the NART car and the two French privateers. In 7th was the Rudd Racing AC Ace – the sole 2-litre finisher – followed by the first Lotus Elite and a works DB. The little French car had not even been able to overtake the lap distance of the Hill/Gendebien Ferrari retired 4 hours earlier. In a race of attrition only 13 cars out of the 54 starters were able to complete the race and the 13th did not complete the minimum distance to officially finish.
It was Aston Martin's finest hour: as well as the 1-2 outright finish, the team also reached the podium in all three competitions. Managing Director David Brown had got changed into his ‘Sunday best’ and in his joy jumped about the winning car for its victory lap. After winning the Tourist Trophy round later in the year, Aston Martin clinched the World Constructors Championship and Brown withdrew the company from motorsport (including its unsuccessful venture into Formula 1).
First place overall was the David Brown Racing N0.6 Aston Martin DBR1/300 driven by Carol Shelby and Roy Salvador.
Here is my hand built by me Starter of France winning Aston Martin DBR1/300.
And the Spark, Always, Quarzo and Top Model versions.
2nd Place went to the David Brown Racing N0.5 Aston Martin DBR1/300 driven by Maurice Trintignant and Paul Frere.
Here iare the Spark and IXO issues of this car.
The third David Brown Racing N0.4 Aston Martin DBR1/300 driven by Stirling Moss and J Fairman was DNF.
Here is this Aston Martin DBR1/300 No.4 by Western Models, IXO and Spark
I had difficulty finding all the finishers in 1/43 model form. I had better luck with the DNF group. Anyway, here is what I have. I would appreciate Diecast Zone members filling in any holes. I will continue covering the 1959 race over the next few days.
@david-green David; I just last night bought the inexpensive BANG models of this car in coupe and spyder versions (civilian with no racing decals). I have no BANG models in my collection so gambled on the ebay pics in my buying decision. What is your opinion of the BANG quality?
I have quite a number. I have found them generally excellent with high detail. The ones that I have are made in Italy, not China and come with photo etched parts and aluminum wire wheels. My current favourite is the No.7 Ferrari 250 SWB as driven by Stirling Moss in the 1961 Tourist Trophy.
I don't have many 1959 cars to add David. I have the winner by Spark and the 2nd place Aston by Ixo, which you have covered. Here is the FWR Lund MGA Twincam that DNF'd (Bizarre No. BZ342 from 2008).
The other I have is the DB Panhard HBR4 that DNF'd by Ixo (No. LMC102). No much else.
For the first time in years, DB Panhard returned to the winners’ rostrums when it cleaned up the other trophies. The team won the lucrative Index of Performance, the new Index of Thermal Efficiency (by the Armagnac/Consten car doing 25.7 mpg/11.0 litres per 100 km), and the Biennial Cup for good measure, as well as the GT-750 class win.
It actually was second to last finisher in 11th place in 1959 with the No.45 DB Panhard HBR-5 Spyder.
Below is a picture from the 1959 race. I could not find a model of it but I did find a Solido model of the another DB Panhard from the same 1959 race. The DB company went bankrupt in 1961 ending their association with Panhard
Finalizing the podium 3th Place was the Equipe National Belge Ferrari 250 GT LWB No.11 of Beurlys (Jean Blaton) and Elde (Leon Dernier), 26 laps behind the winner.
Here it is in the race. I found a model in my files. Not mine and I am unsure of the builder.
4th was the North American Racing No.18 Ferrari 250 GR LWB of George Avents and Andre Pilette.
The model is from a kit by Provence Moulage. Altaya also did a model.
5th was a private entry No.16 Ferrari 250 GT California driven by Bob Grossman and Fernard Tavano (the owner).
Here is the Art Model.
6th was a private entry No.20 Ferrari GT LWB driven by Gino Munaron and Lino Fayen (the owner)
For the first time in years, DB Panhard returned to the winners’ rostrums when it cleaned up the other trophies. The team won the lucrative Index of Performance, the new Index of Thermal Efficiency (by the Armagnac/Consten car doing 25.7 mpg/11.0 litres per 100 km), and the Biennial Cup for good measure, as well as the GT-750 class win.
It actually was second to last finisher in 11th place in 1959 with the No.45 DB Panhard HBR-5 Spyder.
Below is a picture from the 1959 race. I could not find a model of it but I did find a Solido model of the another DB Panhard from the same 1959 race. The DB company went bankrupt in 1961 ending their association with Panhard
Thanks David. I have several Panhards in my 1:43 collection from the 50s and 60s era; station wagon, sedan and sport coupe. Very different styling to be sure but I like them for some reason...Lol. There were very few around my home town back in the 60s. A school mate's mother drove a late 50s sedan, which was my first intro to this car. What a strange exhaust noise it made! I always chuckled at the cars his mother and father drove.....his Dad traded in his '64 Chrysler HT. and bought a brand new '68 Dodge Coronet R/T, white with red interior and bumble bee stripe while Mom soldiered on in her Panhard. That R/T was an amazing car to my 16 year old eyes!....still is I suppose. Pic is similar car but the one I mention had a lower stance, no vinyl roof and upgrade wheels.
That is a great looking 1968 Dodge Coronet R/T Jack. I remember wanting one at the time. My father bought a 1968 Dodge Dart GT convertible that same year and I was with him for the purchase looking at everything in the showroom.
7th Place at the 1959 Le Mans was taken by Rudd Racing with their AC Ace No 29 driven by John Turner and Ted Whiteaway.
This car won the 2 litre GT2 Class.
Here are two slightly different colours of the Provence Moulage resin model of the AC Ace Bristol built from kit. The second model looks closer to the actual car.
10th was the Border Reivers Lotus Elite No. 42 of Jim Clark and John Whitmore.
Here is the Spark version followed by IXO..
Standard Triumph Ltd. entered three TR3S cars in GT2 class, No. 25, 26 and 27.
None finished although No.25 lasted 245 laps when an oil pump failure ended its run in the final hour.
Models are by Eagle Race (No.25), Eagle Race (No.26), Spark (No.26) and Vitesse (No.27)
Defending champions Scuderia Ferrari brought their latest version of the Ferrari 250 TR. The chassis had been redesigned, made shorter and 77 kg lighter. The 3-litre V12 had a new 5-speed gearbox and now developed 306 bhp. Also, after six years Enzo Ferrari had finally relented and installed Dunlop disc brakes on the works cars.His squad of drivers included 1958 winners, Phil Hill/Olivier Gendebien, joined by Jean Behra/Dan Gurney and Hermano da Silva Ramos/Cliff Allison. None of these cars finished although No.14 managed 263 laps before overheating problems put it out in hour 20.
Here is a built from kit Starter resin model of the No.14 Ferrari 250 TR/59 driven by Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien.
