500 (Abarth) Grey 500 A Hogsback

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500 (Abarth) Grey 500 A Hogsback

Near Guildford, Surrey. Famous because Mike Hawthorne was killed there in 1959 when his Jaguar left the road hit a tree.

This road is easy to speed on as it's quite wide, great views of Surrey & Hampshire, you can see Wembley Arch on the left side.

On 22 January 1959, only months into his retirement, Hawthorn died in a car accident on the A3 Guildford bypass while driving his highly tuned Jag 3.4L saloon (now known as the 3.4 Mk 1) to London. While the circumstances of the accident are well documented, the precise cause remains unknown.
The accident occurred on a notoriously dangerous section of the road, the scene of 15 serious accidents (two fatal) in the previous two years; the road was also wet at the time. Driving at speed (one witness estimated 80 mph), Hawthorn overtook a Merc 300SL 'gull-wing' sports car driven by an acquaintance, the motor racing team manager Robert Walker. On entering a right-hand bend shortly after passing the Mercedes, Hawthorn clipped a 'Keep Left' bollard dividing the two carriageways, causing him to lose control. The Jaguar glanced an oncoming Bedford truck before careering back across the eastbound carriageway sideways into a roadside tree, uprooting it. The impact occasioned Hawthorn fatal head injuries and propelled him onto the rear seat.

There was inevitably speculation that Hawthorn and Walker had been racing each other, fuelled by Walker's persistent refusal at the coroner's inquest to estimate the speed of his own car at the time.In an interview with motor racing driver Eoin Young and writer Eric Dymock in 1988, Walker admitted he had indeed been dicing with Hawthorn, but had been advised by a police officer investigating the accident to make no further mention of it lest he incriminate himself.

Possible causes of the accident include driver error, a blackout, or mechanical failure, although examination of the wreck revealed no obvious fault. There is evidence that Hawthorn had recently suffered blackouts, perhaps because of kidney failure.By 1955, Hawthorn had already lost one kidney to infection, and had begun suffering problems with the other; he was expected at the time to live only three more years.
 
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The big lay by with the cafe in on the hogs back is now famous for being a notorious rendezvous for over friendly couples ( doggers) & a few bum botherers. Made the mistake of parking up there one night in my truck, and after observing some odd nocturnal activity , spent the night sleeping with one eye open !???
 
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