Date: 20-21 June 1959

Number of competitors: 53

Number classified as finishers: 12

Winners: Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori (#5 Aston Martin DBR1)

Distance covered by the winners and average speed: 4,347 km (323 laps) at an average 181 kph

Highlights:

• Aston Martin won its only Le Mans victory, with a one-two thanks to Carroll Shelby/Roy Salvadori and Maurice Trintignant/Paul Frère, all previous or future winners of the race. In addition to Shelby and Salvadori in 1959, Trintignant won in 1954 and Paul Frère in 1960.

• Three of the four drivers powered through health troubles in order to participate: Carroll Shelby suffered from dysentery, Roy Salvadori raced for 14 hours with the flu and Maurice Trintignant suffered burns to his right foot caused by an overheated accelerator pedal.

• As a team owner, Carroll Shelby would go on to clinch Ford's first two wins at the 24 Hours, in 1966 and 1967.

• After holding the lead for quite some time, the Ferraris of Jean Behra/Dan Gurney and Olivier Gendebien/Phil Hill were forced to retire. But the Italian marque went on to dominate the first half of the 1960s mercilessly with six consecutive wins between 1960 and 1965.

Motorsport in 1959:

- Formula 1 was experiencing a revolution: Australian driver Jack Brabham became the first world champion at the wheel of a rear engine single-seater.

- The Daytona oval circuit and its infield opened in Florida. 

What else happened in 1959?

- On 20 November, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Children's Rights.

- The two highest selling albums in the history of jazz were recorded in 1959: "Kind of Blue" by trumpeter Miles Davis and "Time Out" by pianist Dave Brubeck.

 

Photo (Copyright - ACO/Archives) - LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, RACE, SATURDAY 20 & SUNDAY 21 JUNE 1959. Of the four Aston Martin DBR1s at the start, two made it to the chequered flag, in first and second places. Pictured here is the winning car driven by Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori.