From the archive: 1953 Le Mans

Competing for space among the characteristic French floral street furniture, the Aston Martin DB3SS shared by Reg Parnell and Peter Collins (#25), and George Abecassis and Roy Salvadori (#26), are primed and fettled ahead of the 1953 Le Mans 24 Hours (the #27 car driven by Eric Thompson and Dennis Poore is also just visible in the background). None of the works trio made the finish: the Parnell/collins car crashed out two hours in, Abecassis and Salvadori were eliminated when oil leaked into the clutch after 10 hours, and Thompson and Poore lasted a further eight hours before their engine died.

FROM THE ARCHIVE