24h Le Mans
The competitor exploits, shocking twists and caliber of racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1932 and 2012 have all made it one of the most legendary races in history. As we await the 2022 running on 11-12 June, enjoy this retrospective from 1952.
After Ferrari in 1949, Talbot-Lago in 1950 and Jaguar in 1951, Mercedes became the fourth marque to win its first victory (in 1952) since the return of the race after World War II.
14-15 June 1952 (20th running)
Distance covered by the winners: 277 laps or 3,733.839 km (an average of 155.575 kph).
One of the top drivers in single-seater races from 1935 to 1939, German driver Hermann Lang was 43 years old when he represented Mercedes in his first and only start in the 24 Hours in 1952, winning the race for his sole participation. The victory remained the high point of teammate and fellow countryman Fritz Riess' career. Born in 1922 at Nuremberg, Riess won Le Mans just one month before turning 30. Unlike Lang, he competed at the race again in 1953 for his second and final appearance, that time at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo shared with Karl Kling (retirement).
In 1952, having reached third position on Sunday morning, Lang and Riess took the lead one hour from the checkered flag after Pierre Levegh's Talbot-Lago was forced to retire. The German duo led a Mercedes one-two, and established a new distance record with the 300 SL which would go on to become one of the most famous sports cars in history, namely thanks to its iconic "butterfly" doors.
For its fourth participation in the 24 Hours and after the win in 1949 and eighth place finish in 1951, Ferrari returned to the top 5 with the 340 America fielded by Luigi Chinetti and shared by André Simon and Lucien Vincent. Winner in 1949, Chinetti was Enzo Ferrari's right-hand man for the marque's development in the U.S. Finishing fifth the duo Simon/Vincent was preceded in the overall standings by American drivers William Spear and Briggs Cunningham.
A wealthy heir, the latter had participated in the 24 Hours for the first time in 1950, finishing fourth two years later at the wheel of a car powered by Chrysler that he designed and that bore his name. Also noteworthy: the Porsche 356 driven by Edmond Mouche and Auguste Veuillet (the marque's importer in France) finished just shy of the top 10 (11th), with a second class win in as many starts.
Alberto Ascari won the first of his two consecutive world titles with Ferrari and remains to this day the only Italian driver crowned in Formula 1. 1952 was also the birth year of French driver Didier Pironi (26 March) who won the 24 Hours in 1978 driving a Renault-Alpine shared with fellow countryman Jean-Pierre Jaussaud. Born also in 1952 (17 August), three-time F1 world champion Nelson Piquet (1981, 1983, 1987) took two starts in the 24 Hours as a factory BMW driver with a McLaren F1 GTR in 1996 (eighth) and 1997 (retirement).
Another rising star for haute couture – French fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy presents his first collection in Paris on 2 February.
Elizabeth II, a record reign – Following the death of her father George VI on 6 February, Elizabeth II was proclaimed Queen of England at the age of 25 the following day. Still ongoing, her seven-decade reign is now the longest in the history of the British crown, surpassing that of Queen Victoria (1837-1901).
A legendary musical – In "Dancing in the Rain," which world premiered in New York on 27 March, Gene Kelly sings and dances to the title song of the film in one of cinema's most famous scenes. The plot of the film evokes the transition from silent cinema to talkies.
Five stars in the White House – Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces during World War II, General Dwight Eisenhower is elected President of the United States. He would be re-elected for a second term in 1956.
PHOTO (Copyright - ACO ARCHIVES): LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, 14-15 JUNE 1952. Three Mercedes 300 SLs take the start. Pictured here, Theo Helfrich and Helmut Niedermayr (#20) finished second for their sole participation behind winners Hermann Lang and Fritz Riess (#21). Driven by Karl King and Hans Klenk, the third 300 SL (#22) was forced to retire.
