The following article is provided with permission by Paul Skilleter. It has been modified since initially printed

"The first motor races I ever saw were at Brooklands. I was only a very small boy, but to me it was heaven to watch the cars thundering round those towering cliffs of concrete where the banking curved under the Members' Bridge, to wander along the lines of brightly coloured cars in their stalls in the paddock, to jump as an exhaust snarled suddenly and to sniff the aroma of castor oil."

Mike Hawthorn - Challenge Me the Race

John Michael Hawthorn was born on April 10th 1929 at Mexborough, Yorkshire and lived in Alexandra Road. He grew up in an atmosphere of enthusiasm for cars and motorbikes. His father Leslie, a trained engineer, raced and tuned motorbikes in his spare time, then quit his job at Doncaster power station to move into the motor trade full time.

Eventually Leslie relocated his family to be near the Brooklands race track, in pre-war days the hub of the British motor racing industry. Choosing Farnham in Surrey as a convenient base, he took a partner, ace motorcyclist Paddy Johnstone, and in 1931 opened the Tourist Trophy Garage. The first workshop was an old nissen hut but soon Leslie moved into an empty hop kiln on the outskirts of Farnham in East Street - these were converted into a garage, adding petrol pumps and a shop front. Thus the famous Tourist Trophy Garage was born.

By now, young Michael was at the garage every day during his school holidays. Although only eight years old he would always try to help out the staff, dirtying his school clothes and upsetting his mother. Some weekends, father took the boy to Brooklands, to witness the epic battles between Napier Railtons, Sunbeams, Bentleys and suchlike. The impression this left on the young Mike can be seen from the quote at the top of this page. Leslie would often be working at the track, tuning various competition cars. He specialised in Rileys.

One working weekend he took Michael for a drive around the circuit in a 2.0 litre Riley. That was it! From then on the boy was determined to become a racing driver.

When Mike was nine years old he attended Barfield Preparatory School in Runfold, just outside Farnham. He was a cheerful pupil, but only an average scholar as he placed a greater emphasis on sport and athletics than his schoolwork.

Mike passed his common entrance exams and, after the war intervened, was sent in 1942 to Ardingly, an expensive public school near Haywards Heath in Sussex. It was here, due to his thick shock of blond, almost white hair that he gained the nickname of "Snowball". Having wasted most of his time on non-academic pursuits he left school in the summer of 1946 to further pursue his love of cars and motorcycles.

He left Ardingly with English Literature (credit), English Language (credit), Divinity (credit), Matric Maths General Science (credit) as his achievements, aged 17.

After leaving school in the summer of 1946, Mike started serving his apprenticeship with Dennis Bros of Guildford. He used the 1939 250cc OHV Triumph to get there each day that his father had rebuilt for him. For some reason, part of the work involved assembling lawnmowers with JAP engines - and even those got raced a bit as they were driven to the paint shop!

By 1947 he had saved enough to buy a new works 350cc BSA trial bike. In his first event, trials, he won the novice cup and became a regular at trials meetings. Leaving Dennis, he became a full time engineering student but found studying difficult. Leslie eventually realised his son would never make engineering history and finally decided Michael should go motor racing.

He began with Rileys, an Ulster Imp and a Sprite TT. Immediate success with these cars proved Michael to be a natural born racing driver and the following season, 1951, he graduated to a Formula two Cooper Bristol.

Lofty England notices Mike

Mike in his Cooper Bristol 1952 © www.simonlewis.com

Things could certainly have been different had Leslie taken up his allocation of one of the new Jaguar C-types late in 1952. Jaguar's service manager Lofty England, who managed Jaguar's competition activities, then knew little of one Les Hawthorn, who was consequently placed bottom of the 'possibles' list. But Lofty soon took note of young Michael's prowess in the Cooper Bristol, and travelled to see him perform at Boreham, Essex in the International meeting of August 2 1952.

Another of Mike in his Cooper Bristol 1952. Hawthorn's supportive father Leslie is on the far right apparently topping up the oil tank © www.simonlewis.com

Said Lofty of this occasion: "I saw him drive at Boreham, and it rained like hell in the afternoon. He passed and led Villoresi in a 4.0 litre Ferrari - in the wet - in his little Cooper Bristol. I thought,'this is my boy'. So I rang his father Leslie on Monday morning and told him to bring the lad to Silverstone on Wednesday, which he did. We put him in an upgraded, specially prepared C-type and within five laps he was under the lap record.

Mike Hawthorn and Rudi Fischer Silverstone 1952 © www.simonlewis.com

So I said to Leslie,'he is a born racing driver and he is ours for the next year!'" From that moment on, Mike Hawthorn, just 23, was special to Lofty England.

The first Ferrari contract

But while Lofty felt Michael should join Duncan Hamilton, Tony Rolt and Stirling Moss in the Jaguar works team, Michael had also impressed Ferrari. While an accident testing the Cooper Bristol put him out of action for 1952, Ferrari offered him a contract for 1953.

Mike Hawthorn about to be push started for the Formula 2 international race at Turnberry in Scotland. The car is an A Type Connaught Chassis A1 which Mike only drove on this one occasion , loaned to him by Kenneth McAlpine © www.simonlewis.com

But this barred him from racing any other make, preventing a Jaguar team drive. Michael was, in fact, the first driver to be signed up by a major European works team since Dick Seaman drove for Mercedes Benz before the war. Leslie was ecstatic and cancelled his option on XKC 011. It was to be two years before Michael would drive another Jaguar, by which time he would be an international star.

During the Ferrari period Michael suffered a terrible crash at Syracuse in 1954 and was badly burned. Then towards the end of 1954, he was admitted to Guys Hospital for surgery in connection with a kidney complaint which had dogged him for some years. It had been a bad year in many ways, poor Leslie had been killed in a car accident whilst Michael was hospitalised in Italy and the press had accused, unfairly, him of avoiding National Service. On top of this, his earnings barely paid his medical expenses and he seriously considered retiring to concentrate on the garage business.

Eventually he decided not to renew his contract with Ferrari for 1955. Of the many offers for his services, the one from his great friend, Lofty England, attracted him most. It was to replace Stirling Moss who had left to join Mercedes Benz. Not only to replace Stirling, but also to be Jaguar team leader in 1955. A deal was struck. Michael was to drive for Jaguar in the sports car events and Vanwall in the Grand Prix events.

Mike drives at Sebring

Briggs Cunningham, the millionaire business man who raced his own sports cars and D-types, approached Mike on Lofty's recommendation to drive a 'D' at Sebring, Florida. Lofty felt a few days in the Florida sunshine would aid Michael's recovery and prepare him for the new season. Needless to say he accepted the offer. Both Mike and his co-driver Phil Waters beat off heat exhaustion and the Ferrari challenge to win the event after twelve hours of gruelling driving. The win, despite protests by the Ferrari camp over lap scoring, really gave Jaguar valuable publicity in the American market and was Mike's first success in a Jaguar. Meanwhile, back home, Lofty confirmed his team for the new season. Apart from Rolt and Hamilton there was Mike Hawthorn, Jimmie Stewart, Desmond Titterington and Don Beauman.

Don had been Mike's protege earlier and had bought the Riley Imp from him in 1952. He was now in effect the sixth man, or reserve driver.

At the Daily Express Silverstone meeting early in May, Lofty decided that Michael, Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamilton would drive the D-types. Michael would also drive a Mk VII in the saloon car race. In XKC404, Michael dominated both practice and the sports car race against Aston and Ferrari, breaking the lap record in one minute and forty seconds. Unfortunately the top hose blew and he finished fourth.

In the saloon car race he drove Moss's old mount LWK 343 (in which Stirling had won the 1952 and 1953 touring car races).The old car proved still to be a good war horse and he broke the lap record with that too. Of the Mk VII Michael said: "It was great fun because the big saloon had an exhaust note like a D-type, and leaned over at a spectacular angle, but cornered extremely fast." LWK had a D-type head, triple plate competition clutch and a straight through twin exhaust system. No wonder it sounded like a 'D'!

While he enjoyed instant success with Jaguar, his Grand Prix drives for Vanwall were plagued with problems. The great days for Vanwall had not yet arrived. Lancia offered him top position in their team after the tragic death of Ascari, and Tony Vandervell sportingly released Mike from the contract.

So he was now leader of a top Grand Prix and sports car team, albeit the former short lived because cash-strapped Lancia pulled out of racing altogether, leaving Mike without a Formula I drive.

Ivor Bueb had now joined the Jaguar team, replacing Jimmy Stewart and partnering Michael in XKD505 for the fateful 1955 Le Mans race. Norman Dewis, Jaguar's chief tester, partnered Beauman. Race day was fine and dry with the early laps run in sunshine.

The Jaguar D-types prior to the race at Le Mans 1955. Mike drove No 6, chassis XKD 505

Castellotti set the pace early on with his Ferrari but within an hour Michael had caught and passed him, after the Italian had spun at Mulsanne corner. Fangio in the Mercedes 300 SLR was catching Hawthorn, and the two drivers set about consistently braking the lap record during the second hour's racing. It was like the French Grand Prix at Rhiems 1953, both men driving to their absolute limit, neck and neck for thirty-two laps.To Mike's delight, the long-nose'D' was faster down the Mulsanne straight and was better braked, though the Mercedes with its independent rear suspension really shone on the fast bends. Here the Jaguar was let down by its old fashioned live rear axle. With Fangio working the monstrous air brake, he could leave his braking almost as late as the disc braked Jaguar.

Miek hawthorn leads at Le Mans 1955

The titanic struggle continued relentlessly, with Mike holding a small lead. His refuelling time came and after being counted down over the two previous laps, he pulled over to the right to come into the pits. As he did so, Lance Macklin in his Austin Healey pulled over to the left and was hit by the 300SLR of Pierre Levagh in the perilously narrow road - it had hardly been altered since the 1920s when cars were averaging 80mph past the pits rather than 150; it was a disaster waiting to happen. The Mercedes was launched over the bank into the public enclosure, disintegrating amongst the crowd.

Ultimately over 80 people were found to have died. Michael was in a state of shock and rolled past his pit, so Lofty waved him on for another lap. When he pulled in second time around, he jumped out of the 'D' in near hysteria, threatening never to drive again. Duncan Hamilton talked sense to him and Lofty instructed him to get back in the car and finish the race. To quote Lofty "There was never going to be a problem with this incident, because Mike did everything I told him to".

Driver changes came with Moss taking over from Fangio and Bueb from Hawthorn. Beauman's car had slid into the sand while the Hamilton/Rolt Jaguar suffered a seized gearbox and went out too. With the Fangio/Moss car leading, instructions came direct from Germany: the Mercedes-Benz team were to withdraw from the race. It was left for Jaguar to win the event in the pouring rain.


A great event, overshadowed by the worst motor racing disaster ever

Michael was deeply affected by the terrible sight but he looked to his captain for inspiration, and got it. He wrote later of Lofty: "During those terrible hours he was a tower of strength while people went back and forth debating what should be done. He saw the situation quite clearly and simply. Nothing he could say or do would alter the consequences of the accident. He had come to Le Mans to win a motor race, and as long as it kept going, it was his job to win it."

It was a month before he raced the 'D' again, this time on home ground at the British Grand Prix, Aintree. On a high note he had signed for Ferrari, who had consented to the Jaguar sports car drives, but on a low note, fellow team member and friend Don Beauman was killed in Ireland.

At Aintree, he had an unhappy time. Moss won the Grand Prix, and in the sportscar event, Michael in the D-type found that Aintree's slow corners really showed up the 'D' type's somewhat crude rear suspension and Aston Martins triumphed. He finished fifth. Jaguar were now scaling down their racing programme. Basically the new 2.4 saloon was about to be launched and racing was becoming a distraction. But Ecurie Ecosse and Briggs Cunningham were readily supported with factory preparation, drivers and sometimes mechanics. Michael was released to drive Ferrari sports cars as well as Jaguars, Browns Lane not intending to field a full team for 1956.

However, three D-types were entered for the Dundrod Tourist Trophy race in Ireland, a high profile event that would receive good press coverage. To compete with the Astons, Jaguar had experimented with a De Dion rear suspension in the lead car, XKD505.This not proving successful, Mike and Desmond Titterington drove the spare car, XKD 506.

Action for Mike at the 1955 Dundrod TT race

Bob Berry, driving Jack Broadhead's production D-type, led initially from the Le Mans type start, though Moss in the 300 SLR moved ahead after the first lap with Michael in second. After a couple of laps the drivers could see a plume of smoke appearing from Deer's Leap.The yellow flags were out: seven cars had been involved in a pile up.

Meanwhile Fangio in the other 300 SLR had been steadily picking his way through the pack, and by the fourteenth lap he caught and passed Michael. From here on the two of them brought the crowd to their feet as they continually swapped places. Michael was driving to the absolute limit over those narrow roads so unsuited to a D-type and by lap 17, he drew clear of Fangio and kept him there. By lap nineteen, he set an all time lap record of 4 mins and 42 secs, two seconds quicker than either of the SLRs could manage.

Although Mike gained the lead as the Mercedes refuelled, Moss overtook him later.Then the 'D' broke its crankshaft and lost what was seeming a safe second place.

No more Tourist Trophy races were held at Dundrod.The race had claimed the lives of several drivers including those of Bill Smith (who Lofty had earmarked for a test drive), Jim Mayers and Richard Mainwaring.The last was an old school mate of Michael's.

At the beginning of 1956 the media expected Jaguar to withdraw from racing altogether. However, as a result of 1955 season's tragic accidents, rule changes kept the 'D' type competitive and a works team was entered once more. Michael in the meantime had received his contract from Ferrari and was surprised to find that he would not be allowed to drive for Jaguar after all. He refused to sign, staying loyal to the Coventry firm and, for Grand Prix events, drove for BRM. Mercedes-Benz had now pulled out of racing altogether and Moss had signed with Maserati.

This allowed Lofty to approach Moss to drive again for Jaguar, as joint No 1 with Mike. Unfortunately for Jaguar, Moss specifically wanted to be the No 1 driver and could not agree terms; he eventually drove an Aston during the new season. Meanwhile, Jaguar had carried out extensive testing of XKD 504 with a new Lucas fuel injection system, Mike testing it with Ivor Bueb at Silverstone.

By February XKD 601 (one of the six new cars produced for 1956), with fuel injection, was tested successfully at Goodwood prior to being shipped over to Florida for Mike to drive at Sebring for Briggs Cunningham. Unfortunately, on the big day the car dropped out with brake failure. Back home, Mike was having the same disasters as last season with the BRM.

At Silverstone, where Jaguars normally did well, a steering seizure caused Mike's 'D' to fail again while his first time out with the new 2.4 saloon failed dismally too after a valve spring broke. The lead up to the 1956 Le Mans was a mixture of triumph and disaster. At the Nurburgring 1000k race, Mike's car broke its half shaft but at Rhiems, the Jaguars took the first four places, a brilliant result so near to the most important event of the year. Mike was second, partnered by Paul Frere.

Le Mans itself was fraught for Jaguar. Two of the three works 'D' types were sidelined by an early accident and after Hawthorn and Bueb had built up a good lead in the remaining car, it developed a bad misfire. It took the pit team seven hours and innumerable pit stops to find the problem, a cracked fuel pipe. Michael was now well down in 20th place. So, in his own words, he decided to drive like hell to finish sixth overall. An incredible effort by any standards, he broke the lap record and, pulling into the pit lane for the last driver change, he said to Ivor "Well, mate, at least we've earned some money for the fastest lap". Then someone in the pit said "There's no fastest lap money this year!" Still, Ecurie Ecosse won the event with their ex-works D-type.

But by October, Jaguar had announced their withdrawal from racing, although the 'comp. shop' would be on hand to assist selected private entrants.

Michael, returning to Ferrari, managed to secure a deal whereby he could still drive for Jaguar, who no longer posed a real threat. He therefore was able to take part in what was essentially the final full works effort, the 1957 Sebring 12 hours. But XKD 605, running in Cunningham colours, was again afflicted with brake problems, though Mike managed to bring it home third behind Fangio and Moss. Michael still made himself available to Jaguar for testing, these including E1A, the first E-type prototype. He was part of the Jaguar family now and was to return to Browns Lane in October 1957 to collect a new 3.4 saloon, a belated gift for his contribution to Jaguar's racing successes.

The 1958 world drivers' championship was decided by the last race of the season when Mike Hawthorn finished second to Stirling Moss in the Morocco Grand Prix in October and secured the World Championship by just one point. Ferrari were ecstatic and would have offered Hawthorn virtually any contract he wished for in 1959.

But immediately the race was over he declared his intention to retire; badly affected by the loss of his 'Mon ami mate' Peter Collins, the sport no longer appealed to the 29-year-old. Maybe his serious kidney complaint helped tip the balance too.

His entire racing career had lasted barely eight years, with Ferrari playing the dominant FI role. But very important, too, were his Jaguar connections. As a works driver in 1955 he won the Sebring 12-hour race in March and the ill-fated Le Mans in June. He also tested for Jaguar not just D-type variants but in 1957 the first E-type prototype as well. They thought a good deal of him at Browns Lane and the feeling was reciprocated.

On the subject of Mike's racing income, Lofty England once said, "I doubt if Mike got more than £20,000 per year from Ferrari, and when he was with Jaguar we paid him a £1,000 retainer and he kept all he won in prize and bonus money."

In particular, he forged a close friendship with racing team manager (apart from much else) FRW 'Lofty' England. We remember him for his stirring drives in Jaguar saloons.

Though he raced them only four times, all at Silverstone, he won in 1955 (Mk VII), failed to finish with the new 2.4 saloon in 1956, but won in 1957 with the new 3.4 and again in 1958 with VDU 881, the 3.4 saloon in which he was eventually to die. Had he lived, the New Year of 1959 would have been an exceptionally busy one for John Michael Hawthorn. The latter part of 1958 had brought the new World Champion many more offers of business, sponsorship and product endorsement.

Shortly after he retired, Mike died in an automobile accident on the A3 Guildford bypass in Surrey, England on January 22, 1959. He was driving his Jaguar Mark 1 and lost control. What exactly happened that day we analyse and cover in great detail on this site, but it was most probably due to a combination of high speed and bad weather.

Mike and his fiancee, model Jean Howarth, early in their relationship

The next day he had been due to drive to Yorkshire to spend the weekend with his 21 year-old girlfriend Jean Howarth - they had intended announcing their engagement that Spring but it was never to be. She spent the afternoon of his death walking on the moors to get away from everything, accompanied only by her boxer puppy 'Ferrari' that Mike had given her as a present.


Mike was already dying

Sadly, Mike would have died fairly soon anyway - he was already suffering from an incurable kidney disease and also another medical problem we'll reveal elsewhere here.

We have extensive analysis and coverage of the fatal accident separately and it is well worth reading if you are unsure of the facts. Please select our Mike's Death link.

Mike Hawthorn's Funeral took place on 28th January 1959 at West Street Cemetery in Farnham, Surrey - his home town - after a service in the Parish Church. Mike's Mother wanted a private funeral - despite this, the church was occupied by more than two hundred mourners with a similar number outside. At the same time, the crash site took hundreds of visitors and needed police to control it as large numbers of floral tributes were left.

Mike has a memorial headstone erected to him in the cemetery at Farnham where he is buried. It receives regular visits each year from fans on each anniversary of his death.




There is also a more recent and much larger bronze memorial erected to Mike at the Goodwood Race Circuit in West Sussex, UK. It was paid for entirely by donations and through the efforts of a number of dedicated fans.

Visit our Memorials page for much more information on memorials in general.

For a comprehensive account of the unveiling of the sculpture and to find out how it was created, visit our Mike Hawthorn and Lofty England Sculpture page.