George Abecassis

George Edgar Abecassis (21 March 1913 – 18 December 1991) was a British racing driver, and co-founder of the HWM Formula One team.

Pre-1946 career Born in Oatlands, Surrey, Abecassis was educated at Clifton College."Clifton College Register" Muirhead, J.A.O. p434: Bristol; J.W Arrowsmith for Old Cliftonian Society; April, 1948 He began circuit racing in 1935 in a modified Austin Seven which became known as The Einsitzer. After taking 1937 as a year away from the track, he acquired an Alta and made a name for himself in English national racing during the 1938 and 1939 seasons. In 1939, he won the Imperial Trophy Formula Libre race at Crystal Palace, driving his Alta, defeating Prince Bira, in the E.R.A. known as Romulus, in a wet race,Motor Sport, November 1938, Page 388. "that being the only time it was beaten by a car in the British Isles."Motor Sport, November 1940, Page 202.

At one point, Abecassis held the Campbell circuit lap record at Brooklands at Motor Sport, May 1939, Page 135. On 3 July 1938 Abecassis broke the Prescott Hill Climb record with a climb of 47.85 seconds in his supercharged 1½-litre Alta.Motor Sport, July 1938, Page 246.

When World War II broke out, Abecassis joined the Royal Air Force, as a member of the Volunteer Reserves, and became an experienced pilot, ultimately becoming a member of the secret "Moon Squadrons", ferrying secret agents in and out of occupied countries in Europe with specially-modified Halifax and Stirling aircraft. During the course of his wartime service, Abecassis was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and was mentioned in dispatches with the following citation:

Abecassis achieved the rank of squadron leader, and, following the war, continued as a member of the RAF Volunteer Reserves prior to his discharge in 1953.

Post-1946 career

After World War II, Abecassis went back to racing, initially with pre-war machinery. He won a race at Gransden Lodge in a road-going 3.3-litre Bugatti on 15 June 1946.Motor Sport, July 1946, Page 143. In 1947, Abecassis finished second in the Swedish Grand Prix, held on a frozen lake at Vallentuna, driving an E.R.A.Motor Sport, April 1947, Page 98. In 1948, he finished second to Bob Gerard in the Jersey International Road Race.Motor Sport, June 1948, cover. He became a partner, with John Heath, in Hersham and Walton Motors Ltd., a motor dealership and garage in Walton-on-Thames. Building on his pre-war association with the Alta marque, Abecassis and HWM assisted in the development of the Alta GP car, designed to comply with the recently introduced Formula One regulations.

After the failure of this enterprise, Abecassis and Heath decided to construct their own cars under the HWM banner, but retaining Alta engines. Initially the HWM cars were designed to compete in the Formula Two class, but when the World Championship switched to Formula Two regulations in HWM cars became eligible to compete in the Grand Prix events. During their prime, HWM employed such future stars as Stirling Moss and Peter Collins, and the Belgian Johnny Claes scored their first victory, in the Grand Prix des Frontières at a street circuit in Chimay, Belgium. Abecassis's HWM team also took a notable victory in the International Trophy race at Silverstone in 1952, this time with Lance Macklin at the wheel. With the reintroduction of Formula One cars to the World Championship in , Abecassis and Heath attempted to produce a competitive car using the 2.5-litre version of the Alta engine but it was not a success; HWM cars only contested two further Grand Prix events after 1953.

It was with his own HWM cars that Abecassis raced in his only two Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, at the Bremgarten circuit, in the 1951 and 1952 Swiss Grand Prix. He was more successful as a sports car driver with Aston Martin and won his class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in , sharing his DB2 with Macklin. He also finished second in the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1953, partnered by Reg Parnell. In 1953, Abecassis constructed an HWM sports car for his own personal use, powered by a Jaguar straight-6 engine, with which he successfully contested many national British races until 1956.

In 1955 Mille Miglia, Abecassis drove a red Austin Healey 100S (AHS3804) very fast in the last "Rome section" to an outstanding position close to the speeds of Stirling Moss with the Mercedes SLR and finished 11th overall.

In 1956, Heath was killed in an accident in the Mille Miglia and Abecassis retired from racing, turning his attention to running the HWM operations. He was the Facel Vega importer for Britain, while his motor industry connections were aided by the fact that he was married to Angela, the daughter of Aston Martin chairman Sir David Brown. He died aged 78, in Ibstone, near High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

In September 2010, his son David Abecassis published a comprehensive biography of his father under the title A Passion for Speed.

His grandson, Jonathan Abecassis, has an active interest in vintage sports car racing. He competes in the Fifties Sports Car Racing Club ("FISCAR") series, driving an Austin Healey 100/4.

Racing record

Career highlights

Season Series Team Car 1935 Aston Clinton Speed Trails 1st Austin 7 "Einsitzer" 1936 Lands End Trial Premier Award 1934 Wolseley Hornet Special AXK 777 1938 Easter Road Race 1st Alta 2.0 s/c Lewes Speed Trials 1st Alta S British Trophy 1st Alta S Crystal Palace Cup 1st Alta S Crystal Palace Grand Prix 2nd Alta 12/50 Crystal Palace Plate 2nd Alta 2.0 s/c Imperial Trophy 2nd Alta 12/50 Imperial Plate 2nd Alta 2.0 s/c 1939 Imperial Trophy 1st Alta 12/50 Imperial Plate 1st George Abecassis Alta 2.0 s/c Crystal Palace Plate 3rd G. E. Abecassis Alta 2.0 s/c 1946 MAC International Hill Climb 2nd Alta S Gransden Lodge Trophy 2nd Alta 1947 Bo'ness Hill Climb 1st Bugatti Type 59 British Hill Climb Championship 2nd Bugatti Type 59 SAK Stockholm Grand Prix 2nd ERA A-Type Prix de Rome 2nd Cisitalia-Fiat D46 Gransden Trophy 2nd Bugatti Type 59 JMC & LCC Hill Climb 2nd Bugatti Type 59 KAK Winter Grand Prix 3rd ERA A-Type Ulster Trophy 3rd ERA A-Type Craigantlet Hillclimb 3rd Bugatti Type 59 1948 Jersey International Road Race http://www.chicanef1.com/r=race.pl?year=1948&gp=Jersey%20Road%20Race&r=18&type=res 2nd Maserati 6CM 1951 Winfield Formula 2 Cup 2nd H. W. Motors Ltd. HWM-Alta 51 Madgwick Cup 3rd H. W. Motors Ltd. HWM Hastings Trophy 3rd H. W. Motors Ltd. HWM 1952 Ibsley Grand Prix 2nd H. W. Motors Ltd. HWM-Alta 52 Silverstone International 3rd David Brown Aston Martin DB3 Jersey International Road Race 3rd David Brown Aston Martin DB3 1953 Goodwood International 1st H. W. Motors HWM-Jaguar Grand Prix, 12 Hours of Sebring 2nd Aston Martin Ltd. Aston Martin DB3 1954 Silverstone International 2nd H. W. Motors HWM-Jaguar Hedemoraloppet 2nd H. W. Motors HWM-Jaguar Goodwood International 3rd H. W. Motors HWM-Jaguar 1955 AMOC USAF Trophy 1st H. W. Motors HWM-Jaguar BM Trophy 1st H. W. Motors HWM-Jaguar RedeX Trophy 1st H. W. Motors HWM-Jaguar Brighton Speed Trials 2nd H. W. Motors HWM-Jaguar

Complete Formula One World Championship results (key) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 WDC Points 1951 HW Motors Ltd HWM Alta Straight-4 SUI 500 BEL FRA GBR GER ITA ESP NC 0 1952 HW Motors Ltd HWM Alta Straight-4 SUI 500 BEL FRA GBR GER NED ITA NC 0

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1950 Aston Martin Ltd. Lance Macklin Aston Martin DB2 S3.0 249 5th 1st 1951 Aston Martin Ltd. Brian Shawe-Taylor Aston Martin DB2 S3.0 5th 2nd 1953 Aston Martin Ltd. Roy Salvadori Aston Martin DB3S S3.0 74 DNF DNF

Complete 12 Hours of Sebring results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1953 Aston Martin, Ltd. Reg Parnell Aston Martin DB3 S3.0 172 2nd 1st

Complete Mille Miglia results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class 1952 Aston Martin Ltd. Pat Griffith Aston Martin DB2 GT+2.0 DNF DNF 1953 Aston Martin Lagonda Pat Griffith Aston Martin DB3 S+2.0 DNF DNF 1954 H.W. Motors Denis Jenkinson HWM-Jaguar S+2.0 DNF DNF 1955 Donald Healey Motor Company Austin-Healey 100S S+2.0 11th 5th

Complete 24 Hours of Spa results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1948 John Heath Alta S2.0 172 DNF DNF

Complete 12 Hours of Reims results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1953 H.W. Motors Paul Frère HWM-Jaguar S+2.0 DNF DNF 1954 H.W. Motors Lance Macklin HWM-Jaguar S+2.0 DNF DNF

Complete 12 Hours of Hyères results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1954 H.W. Motors Tony Gaze HWM-Jaguar DSQ DSQ

References

George Abecassis

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