SAAB at Le Mans 1959

[Lazy B'stard]

The name Roy North rings a bell. Lotus is Newcastle Daves area- I'll call him and see if we can track him down.

[Lazy B'stard]

More info on the '59 cars. Car #44 finished but was not classified due to the 70% rule and #43 holed a piston at roughly mid distance.
 Daves search for Roy North and Syd Hurrell is underway and its the SAAB OC annual shindig in Keswick this w'end- I'll try and get over tomorrow.

[Lazy B'stard]

Update- at least one and maybe two 93 750GTs will be at the '08 classic. Chris Partington in the UK and a swedish chap are close to completing 2 exact replicas of the works cars. At odds with the info I have got so far, the cars ran with 4 spd boxes but with completely standard brakes and suspension! Car 44 averaged 81mph. Testing was done by Eric Carlsson. Both Syd Hurrell and Roy North are sadly no longer with us. More to follow i'm sure!

[Lazy B'stard]

Thinking about it- in 1959 an average speed of 81mph over 24 hours was not enough to be classified goes to show how quick the race was back then. What was this years average speed, 135-140ish? Gives me even more respect to those guys- car had no bloody roll cage and there were tree trunks with straw bales in front all the way round the circuit. Safety cars? Who needs em!