Driving Le Mans in 1956 in a Jaguar D-Type

In this incredible film, made in 1956, the 1955 Le Mans champion, Mike Hawthorn, takes us on a lap of the Le Mans circuit in his Jaguar D-Type. Since this isn’t even a race day, Hawthorn dodges pedestrians, bicyclists, farm trucks and other drivers as he walks us through the track and explains just how much faster he’d be going during an actual race.

The entire film is worth watching and, with a microphone the size of a GoPro around his neck, we can clearly hear Hawthorn’s commentary and the sound of that lovely Jaguar’s engine. He even makes reference to the changes in the signaling and pits that caused the horrific accident at Le Mans the prior year.