Hersham and Walton Motors

Hersham and Walton Motors (HWM) is the world's longest established Aston Martin business (having acquired the franchise in 1951) and is well known as a racing car constructor. As a constructor, it is best known for its involvement in Formula Two from 1950 to 1953 and Formula One in 1954. When HWM owners George Abecassis and John Heath went racing together from 1946 and in 1948 they built a streamlined sports racing car on the chassis of a Sports Alta, and thus embarked upon the construction of racing cars and racing sports cars at their motor works in Walton-on-Thames, England. The 1948 car gave them encouraging results and so new car, this time called an HW-Alta, was constructed and raced in 1949; this car was sufficiently successful to convince the partners to embark upon building a full team of cars for the 1950 Formula Two season of British and continental events: these cars were known as HWMs.

A 1952 HWM Formula Two car

From 1950 to 1952, HWM achieved remarkable success in Formula Two for a team that was run on very little money and yet which faced the might of continental marques in every race. By 1953 they were outclassed, but when the international Formula changed in 1954, John Heath constructed a works car to compete in Formula One. HWM abandoned the new Formula One after two appearances as their car was seriously outclassed. Meanwhile, the first Jaguar-engined HWM sports racing car had appeared in 1953, and this had some success with Abecassis at the wheel. From then on until 1957, the team was involved in sports car racing both in Britain and on the continent, sometimes beating their Jaguar and Aston Martin Works competitors. After John Heath was killed on the 1956 Mille Miglia in Italy in an HWM Works car, Abecassis did not wish to continue and the works racing programme continued for just a year.

HWM is today owned by George Abecassis's business partner Mike Harting (ex-Aston Martin) and his family. HWM trades as HWM Aston Martin and HWM Sports Cars and is an Aston Martin and Sports Cars dealership.

Formula One World Championship results

HWM sports car

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Chassis Engine Tyres Driver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1951 HWM 51 Alta 2.0 L4 D SUI 500 BEL FRA GBR GER ITA ESP
George Abecassis Ret
Stirling Moss 8
1952 HWM 51
HWM 52
Alta 2.0 L4 D SUI 500 BEL FRA GBR GER NED ITA
George Abecassis Ret
Peter Collins Ret Ret 6 Ret DNS DNQ
Lance Macklin Ret 11 9 15 8 DNQ
Stirling Moss Ret
Paul Frère 5 Ret
Roger Laurent 12
Yves Giraud-Cabantous 10
Duncan Hamilton Ret 7
Johnny Claes 10
Dries van der Lof NC
1953 HWM 53 Alta L-4 P ARG 500 NED BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA
Peter Collins 8 Ret 13 Ret
Lance Macklin Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret
Paul Frère 10 Ret
Yves Giraud-Cabantous 14 15
Duncan Hamilton Ret
Jack Fairman Ret
Albert Scherrer NC
John Fitch Ret
1954 HWM 53 Alta L-4 D ARG 500 BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA ESP
Lance Macklin Ret

Results of other HWM cars

(key) (Results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year Entrant Driver Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1952 Tony Gaze HWM 51
HWM 52
Alta L-4 SUI
500
BEL
15
FRA
GBR
Ret
GER
Ret
NED
ITA
DNQ
1955 E. N. Whiteaway Ted Whiteaway HWM 54 Alta L-4 ARG
MON
DNQ
500
BEL
NED
GBR
ITA

Further reading

Abecassis, David (2010). A Passion For Speed, the Life and Times of George Abecassis. Paul Skilleter Books. ISBN 978-0-9566857-0-4.

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