George Edgar Abecassis He began circuit racing in 1935 in a modified Austin Seven which became known as The Einsitzer. After taking 1937 as a year away from the track, he acquired an Alta and made a name for himself in English national racing during the 1938 and 1939 seasons. In 1939, he won the Imperial Trophy Formula Libre race at Crystal Palace, driving his Alta, defeating Prince Bira, in the E.R.A. known as Romulus, in a wet race, "that being the only time it was beaten by a car in the British Isles."
At one point, Abecassis held the Campbell circuit lap record at Brooklands at On 3 July 1938 Abecassis broke the Prescott Hill Climb record with a climb of 47.85 seconds in his supercharged 1½-litre Alta.
When World War II broke out he joined the Royal Air Force, as a member of the Volunteer Reserves, and became an experienced pilot, ultimately becoming a member of the secret "Moon Squadrons", ferrying secret agents in and out of occupied countries in Europe with specially-modified Halifax and Stirling aircraft. During the course of his wartime service Abecassis was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and was mentioned in dispatches
Abecassis achieved the rank of squadron leader, In 1947, Abecassis finished second in the Swedish Grand Prix, held on a frozen lake at Vallentuna, driving an E.R.A. In 1948, he finished second to Bob Gerard in the Jersey International Road Race. 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,
In 1955 Mille Miglia he drove a red Austin Healey 100S (AHS3804) very fast in the last "Rome section" to an outstanding position close to the speeds of Stirling Moss with the Mercedes SLR and finished 11th overall.
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. He died aged 78, in Ibstone, near High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
In September 2010, his son David Abecassis published a comprehensive biography of his father under the title A Passion for Speed.
His grandson, Jonathan Abecassis, has an active interest in vintage sports car racing. He competes in the Fifties Sports Car Racing Club ("FISCAR") series, driving an Austin Healey 100/4.
Racing record
Career highlights
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! Season
! Series
! Position
! Team
! Car
|-
| 1935
| Aston Clinton Speed Trails
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
|
| Austin 7 "Einsitzer"
|-
| 1936
| Lands End Trial
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| Premier Award
|
| 1934 Wolseley Hornet Special AXK 777
|-
| 1938
| Easter Road Race
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
|
| Alta 12/50
|-
|
| Crystal Palace Plate
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
| George Abecassis
| Alta 2.0 s/c
|-
|
| Crystal Palace Plate
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
|
| Alta
|-
| 1947
| Bo'ness Hill Climb
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
|
| Bugatti Type 59
|-
|
| British Hill Climb Championship
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
|
| Bugatti Type 59
|-
|
| SAK Stockholm Grand Prix
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
|
| ERA A-Type
|-
|
| Prix de Rome
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
|
| Cisitalia-Fiat D46
|-
|
| Gransden Trophy
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd
|
| ERA A-Type
|-
|
| Ulster Trophy
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd
|
| ERA A-Type
|-
|
| Craigantlet Hillclimb
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
|
| Maserati 6CM
|-
| 1951
| Winfield Formula 2 Cup
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
| H. W. Motors Ltd.
| HWM-Alta 51
|-
|
| Madgwick Cup
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd
| H. W. Motors Ltd.
| HWM
|-
| 1952
| Ibsley Grand Prix
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
| H. W. Motors Ltd.
| HWM-Alta 52
|-
|
| Silverstone International
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
| H. W. Motors
| HWM-Jaguar
|-
|
| Grand Prix, 12 Hours of Sebring
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
| Aston Martin Ltd.
| Aston Martin DB3
|-
| 1954
| Silverstone International
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
| H. W. Motors
| HWM-Jaguar
|-
|
| BM Trophy
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
| H. W. Motors
| HWM-Jaguar
|-
|
| RedeX Trophy
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
| H. W. Motors
| HWM-Jaguar
|-
|
| Mille Miglia
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 11th
| Donald Healey Motor Company
| Austin Healey 100S
|-
|
| Brighton Speed Trials
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
| H. W. Motors
| HWM-Jaguar
|-
|}
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
! Year
! Entrant
! Chassis
! Engine
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! WDC
! Points
|-
| 1951
! HW Motors Ltd
! HWM
! Alta Straight-4
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SUI<br />
| 500
| BEL
| FRA
| GBR
| GER
| ITA
| ESP
! NC
! 0
|-
| 1952
! HW Motors Ltd
! HWM
! Alta Straight-4
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SUI<br />
| 500
| BEL
| FRA
| GBR
| GER
| NED
| ITA
! NC
! 0
|-
!colspan="14"|
|}
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
|-
! Year
! Team
! Co-Drivers
! Car
! Class
! Laps
!
!
|- align="center"
! 1950
|align="left"| Aston Martin Ltd.
|align="left"| Lance Macklin
|align="left"| Aston Martin DB2
| S3.0
| 249
| 5th
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
|- align="center"
! 1951
|align="left"| Aston Martin Ltd.
|align="left"| Brian Shawe-Taylor
|align="left"| Aston Martin DB2
| S3.0
|
| 5th
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
|- align="center"
! 1953
|align="left"| Aston Martin Ltd.
|align="left"| Roy Salvadori
|align="left"| Aston Martin DB3S
| S3.0
| 74
| colspan=2|DNF<br />(Clutch)
|- align="center"
|}
Complete 12 Hours of Sebring results
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
|-
! Year
! Team
! Co-Drivers
! Car
! Class
! Laps
!
!
|- align="center"
! 1953
|align="left"| Aston Martin, Ltd.
|align="left"| Reg Parnell
|align="left"| Aston Martin DB3
| S3.0
| 172
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
|- align="center"
|}
Complete Mille Miglia results
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
|-
! Year
! Team
! Co-Drivers
! Car
! Class
!
!
|- align="center"
! 1952
|align="left"| Aston Martin Ltd.
|align="left"| Pat Griffith
|align="left"| Aston Martin DB2
| GT+2.0
| colspan=2|DNF<br />(Clutch)
|- align="center"
! 1953
|align="left"| Aston Martin Lagonda
|align="left"| Pat Griffith
|align="left"| Aston Martin DB3
| S+2.0
| colspan=2|DNF<br />(Steering, accident)
|- align="center"
! 1954
|align="left"| H.W. Motors
|align="left"| Denis Jenkinson
|align="left"| HWM-Jaguar
| S+2.0
| colspan=2|DNF<br />(Shock absorber)
|- align="center"
! 1955
|align="left"| Donald Healey Motor Company
|align="left"|
|align="left"| Austin-Healey 100S
| S+2.0
| 11th
| 5th
|- align="center"
|}
Complete 24 Hours of Spa results
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
|-
! Year
! Team
! Co-Drivers
! Car
! Class
! Laps
!
!
|- align="center"
! 1948
|align="left"|
|align="left"| John Heath
|align="left"| Alta
| S2.0
| 172
| colspan=2|DNF<br />(Accident)
|- align="center"
|}
Complete 12 Hours of Reims results
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
|-
! Year
! Team
! Co-Drivers
! Car
! Class
! Laps
!
!
|- align="center"
! 1953
|align="left"| H.W. Motors
|align="left"| Paul Frère
|align="left"| HWM-Jaguar
| S+2.0
|
| colspan=2|DNF<br />(Suspension)
|- align="center"
! 1954
|align="left"| H.W. Motors
|align="left"| Lance Macklin
|align="left"| HWM-Jaguar
| S+2.0
|
| colspan=2|DNF<br />(Engine)
|- align="center"
|}
Complete 12 Hours of Hyères results
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
|-
! Year
! Team
! Co-Drivers
! Car
! Class
! Laps
!
!
|- align="center"
! 1954
|align="left"| H.W. Motors
|align="left"| Tony Gaze
|align="left"| HWM-Jaguar
|
|
| colspan=2|DISQ<br />(Disqualified)
|- align="center"
|}
References
Further reading
External links
- George Abecassis Racing Driver with a Passion for Speed (georgeabecassis.com), 2010.
- Our History, HWM of Walton on Thames, West London.
- Fast motoring in a Facel Vega,, Motor Sport Magazine, August 1958.