Between brute force and science

People viewed the 1954 Le Mans 24 Hours as a battled between brute force and science, as described in the July 1954 issue of Motor Sport magazine. On the high technology side, with its sleek, aerodynamic bodywork was the new 3.4-litre Jaguar D-Type (picture above), and on the other side was Ferrari’s formidable 5.0-litre V12 375 Plus.

Picture above: Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamilton in the splendid works Jaguar D-Type. They finished in second place, in the same lap as the winning Ferrari. And what a picture!

The race was heavily affected by poor weather throughout and was a thriller right to the end, producing the closest finish for the race since 1933: less than 5km (half a lap). At the end, José Froilán Gonzales and Maurice Trintignant prevailed in their Ferrari 375 Plus (picture below).