Mike Hawthorn driving the D Type Jaguar at the 1955 Le Mans 24 hour race leads Juan Manuel Fangio in a Mercedes 300SLR showing the unusual air brake behind the cockpit. Size : 70x50cm. - Limited 42/50 pcs with Certificate The 1955 Le Mans disaster occurred during the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race in Le Mans, France, on 11 June 1955, when a major crash caused large fragments of debris to fly into the crowd. Eighty-three spectators and French driver Pierre Bouillin, who raced under the name Pierre Levegh, were killed and nearly 180 more sustained injuries in the most catastrophic accident in motorsport history which led Mercedes-Benz to retire from motor racing until 1989.