Pierre Levegh
13. Mar 2021
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Pierre Levegh (Paris, 22 Dec 1905 – Le Mans, 11 June 1955) was a French sportsman (he was a world-class ice-hockey and tennis player) and a very good racing driver.
The Frenchman was a Le Mans 24 Hours specialist, and became famous when in 1952 he single-handedly drove his Talbot for 23 hours (!), and was leading the race when a last-hour retirement gave victory to the Mercedes W194 of Herman Lang and Fritz Ries.
As a sign of appreciation, Mercedes gave him a drive for the 1955 edition (poignant picture above) in the factory squad, but sadly Levegh was killed during the race in a calamitous accident that took the lives of 83 spectators. Following this drama (picture below), Mercedes retired from motor racing for many decades.
Categories:
Endurance World Championship, Le Mans, 24 Hours Le Mans, Pierre Levegh, Mercedes, Bernard Cahier, Mercedes-Benz, Talbot, France, 1955
Source: Bernard Cahier
