Car India – May 2019

pawasringedbypinetrees,not
guardrail,whenraceleaderdickseamancrashed
at 130 mph(209km/h).somethingsdon’tchange
over 80 years.it mayhavebeenJuneandhigh
summer,butspawasraining.thecircuitwas
soakedandtreacherous.
HisMercedesw 154 driftedtoowideonthefast
Clubhousecorner,a left-handerjustbeforeLa
sourcehairpin(nearwhatisnowthebusstop
chicane).an outsidewheelclippedtheslippery
grass.theMercedesspun,itsleftrearwheelhita
itsrightflankhitanothertree,hard.
wasbrokenandthe26-year-oldenglishman,who
wasn’twearinga helmet,wasknockedunconscious.theimmenseimpact
brokethetubular-framechassisasthecarfoldedaroundthetree.More
seriously,a hoselinkingthetwofueltanks(oneinthetail,theothera
saddletankabovethedriver’sknees)sheared.thew 154 wasa thirsty
car,averagingjustover0.7km/litreina race.it carried 88 gallons(400
litres)ofalcoholfuelwhichnowdousedseaman’slegs,feet,andlap.as
thefuelspilledoverthehotexhaustpipe,thecarburstintoflames.
no marshalswerenearby.instead,a spectatingsoldierfromtheFirst
belgianLancerswasfirsttoreachseaman.Hetriedvaliantlytodragthe
unconsciousenglishmanfromtheburningcar.twomarshalsthen
arrived,theirhand-pumpedfireextinguishersfeebleagainsttheflames.
twoMercedesmechanicsdashedfromthenearbypitstohelp,jumping
wirefencesandrunningthroughthewoods.
eventually,seamanwasdraggedfree.Hewasalivebuthorribly
burned,hiscottonoverallsincinerated.such was therudimentary
standardoftheemergencyservices,hewascarriedtoa nearbyhome
ratherthana well-equippedmedicalcentre.Fromthere,anambulance
eventuallytookhimtotheCroixrougeHospitalinspa.
nowfullyconsciousbutinterriblepain,britain’sgreatestpre-war
racingdriverapologisedtohisnewwifeerica,daughteroftheco-
founderandpresidentofbMw, thathewouldbeunabletotakeherto
thecinemathatnight,asplanned.
HethenapologisedtoMercedes-benz’sanglo-germantechnical
director,rudolfUhlenhaut,designerofthew154.‘iwasgoingtoofast
fortheconditions.it wasentirelymyownfault.iamsorry.’
Justbeforemidnight,on 25 June1939,richardJohnbeattie-seaman
—knowntofamily,friends,andfanssimplyasdickandtothe
Mercedesmanagementinformallyasderengländer—died.
Hitlersenta six-foot-highwreathofwhiteliliestothefuneral,ata
churchnearthefamilyhomeinennismoregardens in Knightsbridge.
twomonthslater,heinvadedpoland.

Dick Seaman,

1913-1939

Hitler sent a six-foot-

HigH wreatH of wHite

lilies to seaman’s

funeral

94 car india May 2019 http://www.carindia.in

Feature 125 Years of Mercedes Motor Sport