1955 Le Mans Disaster: How Racing's Greatest Tragedy Changed the World

Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys

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1955 Le Mans Disaster: How Racing's Greatest Tragedy Changed the World

Elizabeth Blackstock

Jun 13, 2024

On June 11, 1955, Pierre Levegh's Mercedes-Benz 300SLR launched off the back of Lance Macklin's Austin Healey and into a crowd of spectators gathered for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Over 80 people were killed, with an additional 120 injured. It was a tragedy, and it was one that instantly transformed the racing world.

Today on "Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys," we're delving into the complex aftermath of this horrific event in order to better understand how the global racing world changed.

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Episode Bibliography:

Cars at Speed by Robert Daley,

Le Mans 100: A Century at the World's Greatest Endurance Race by Glen Smale

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