Aston Martin - Preparations for 1953 Le Mans.

[Jon39]

The caption to this photo names the drivers of each car, but no mention of the people in the photograph.
I am presuming that the scene is the usual 'fettling' area, beside the Hotel de France.

Can anyone put names to faces?
John Wyer was the Team Manager. I wonder if that might be the gentleman who is wearing a trilby.
(I can post individual enlargements)

[DB4DM]

I can't help with names of people, but can identify the cars

Number 25 is DB3S/2 driven by Reg Parnell and Peter Collins, retired after a crash on lap16 when driven by Parnell

Number 26 is DB3S/3 driven by George Abecassis and Roy Salvadori, retired with clutch trouble after 74 laps

[DickyC]

John Wyer was taller than trilby man. Dark suit man on the left is more Wyer's height, but looks a bit too heavy. Jack Fairman described Wyer as saturnine, so his pose is right.

[DB4DM]

The third car, number 27, is DB3S/4 driven by Dennis Poore and Eric Thompson, which retired after 182 laps with valve gear trouble

[DB4DM]

I think it's possible suited man on right is Dennis Poore. Is trilby man actually DB?

[oilit]

I think mr trilby could be DB - got same spectacles and there are other pictures of him in a trilby on google

[DB4DM]

I agree with Dicky that dark suit man looks like John Wyer, in terms of physique and pose. Also the haircut is like other contemporary photos of him

[Jon39]

Thank you for your replies.

I don't have that photo with me now, but can post clearer shots of the people next week.
We might be able to identify the gentleman wearing a trilby, as DB.

[DB4DM]

Did DB smoke a pipe?

[LTP]

I'm going to guess that there would be a good chance of identifying the people in the photo if someone contacted the AMHT

[DickyC]

LTP said:

I'm going to guess that there would be a good chance of identifying the people in the photo if someone contacted the AMHT

Trouble is they'd be asking old duffers like me who aren't old enough or duffery enough to have witnessed the event.

[LTP]

DickyC said:

Trouble is they'd be asking old duffers like me who aren't old enough or duffery enough to have witnessed the event.

Possible. But you never know they may have a list of people who were there when the cars were being prepared. If you don’t ask you don’t get - your choice, of course.

[DickyC]

LTP said:

DickyC said:

Trouble is they'd be asking old duffers like me who aren't old enough or duffery enough to have witnessed the event.

Possible. But you never know they may have a list of people who were there when the cars were being prepared. If you don’t ask you don’t get - your choice, of course.

My apologies, I was being unnecessarily flippant. If I hadn't sold my Aston books, I'd be looking in Racing With The David Brown Aston Martins and The Certain Sound both of which identify a lot of characters. (All three in fact as Racing With The DB Astons is two volumes.)

I should be going to the AMHT/AMOC Barn in a few weeks' time to look in the Archive, so I'll see what I can find.

[DickyC]

The chap in the trilby is a scrutineer, I reckon. Someone very similar appears in other Le Mans 1953 photos.

[DickyC]

[DB4DM]

Wouldn't scrutineering take place at the circuit rather than the team hotel?

[DickyC]

DB4DM said:

Wouldn't scrutineering take place at the circuit rather than the team hotel?

"I'm not helping, am I, dad?"

[Hedged]

A scrutineer eh? A rare sight over this side of the pond.

[DickyC]

Hedged said:

A scrutineer eh? A rare sight over this side of the pond.

Haven't I been humiliated enough?



I just don't think it's David Brown. I should have just stuck with that.

Off Topic - He rang me at work once, I was a bit taken aback.

[Jon39]

DickyC said:

Imagine being that young boy.
What a delightful photo, to bring back memories of that day.