George Abecassis

Nationality British
Formula One World Championship career
Active years	1951 - 1952
Teams	HWM
Races	2
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First race	1951 Swiss Grand Prix
Last race	1952 Swiss Grand Prix

24 Hours of Le Mans career
Participating years	1950–1951, 1953
Teams	Aston Martin
Best finish	5th (1950; 1951)
Class wins	1 (1950)

George Edgar Abecassis DFC (born in Chertsey, Surrey, 21 March 1913 - died in Ibstone, Nr.High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, 18 December 1991) was an English racing driver, and co-founder of the HWM Formula One team.

Contents 1 Pre-1946 career 2 Post-1946 career 3 Selected results 3.1 Formula One World Championship 3.2 Non-Championship race highlights 4 References

[edit] Pre-1946 career

George Abecassis began racing in 1935 in a modified Austin Seven. However, he made a name for himself in English club racing during the 1938 and 1939 seasons with Alta and ERA machinery. In 1939 he won the Imperial Trophy Formula Libre race at Crystal Palace, his only career victory, driving his Alta.

When World War II broke out he joined the Royal Air Force and became an experienced pilot, ultimately becoming a member of the secret "Moon Squadrons",^[1] ferrying secret agents in and out of France with Lysander aircraft. During the course of his wartime service Abecassis was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.^[2]

[edit] Post-1946 career

After World War II Abecassis went back to racing, initially with pre-war machinery. 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,^[2] 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 1952 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 Chimay.^[1] 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 1954, 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;^[1] 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 1950, 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.^[3]

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. Later he opened a commercial activity in a grocery store. He died aged 78.

[edit] Selected results

[edit] Formula One World Championship

(key)

Yr	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	WDC	Points
1951	HW Motors Ltd	HWM	Alta Straight-4	SUI Ret	500	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	ITA	ESP	NC	0
1952	HW Motors Ltd	HWM	Alta Straight-4	SUI Ret	500	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	NED	ITA	NC	0

[edit] Non-Championship race highlights

Year	Grand Prix	Circuit	Car	Pos	Report
1938	Crystal Palace Grand Prix	Crystal Palace	Alta 12/50	2nd	Report
	Imperial Trophy	Crystal Palace	Alta 12/50	2nd	Report
1939	Imperial Trophy	Crystal Palace	Alta 15/20	1st	Report
1946	I Nations Grand Prix	Geneve	Alta	Ret	Report
1947	I Caracalla Grand Prix F2	Caracalla	Cisitalia-Fiat D46	2nd	Report
1948	II J.C.C. Jersey Road Street	Saint Helier	Maserati 6CM	2nd	Report
1949	I Richmond Trophy	Goodwood	HWM-Alta GP	6th	Report
	II British Grand Prix	Silverstone	HWM-Alta GP	7th	Report
	II Madgwick Cup	Goodwood	HWM-Alta GP	5th	Report
1950	II Richmond Trophy	Goodwood	HWM 50-Alta	6th	Report
1951	Gran Premio Centenario Colombia	Genova	HWM 51-Alta	5th	Report
	I Winfield Cup F2	Winfield	HWM 51-Alta	2nd	Report
1952	IV Goodwood Trophy	Goodwood	HWM 51-Alta	4th	Report
	I Ibsley Race	New Forest	HWM 52-Alta	2nd	Report

[edit] References