Hersham and Walton Motors

A 1952 HWM Formula Two car

Hersham and Walton Motors (HWM) is the world's longest established Aston Martin business (having acquired the franchise in 1951) and is well known as a racing car constructor. As a constructor, it is best known for its involvement in Formula Two from 1950 to 1953 and Formula One in 1954. When HWM owners George Abecassis and John Heath went racing together from 1946 and in 1948 they built a streamlined sports racing car on the chassis of a Sports Alta, and thus embarked upon the construction of racing cars and racing sports cars at their motor works in Walton-on-Thames, England. The 1948 car gave them encouraging results and so new car, this time called an HW-Alta, was constructed and raced in 1949; this car was sufficiently successful to convince the partners to embark upon building a full team of cars for the 1950 Formula Two season of British and continental events: these cars were known as HWMs.

From 1950 to 1952, HWM achieved remarkable success in Formula Two for a team that was run on very little money and yet which faced the might of continental marques in every race. By 1953 they were outclassed, but when the international Formula changed in 1954, John Heath constructed a works car to compete in Formula One. HWM abandoned the new Formula One after two appearances as their car was seriously outclassed. Meanwhile, the first Jaguar-engined HWM sports racing car had appeared in 1953, and this had some success with George Abecassis at the wheel. From then on until 1957, the team was involved in sports car racing both in Britain and on the continent, sometimes beating their Jaguar and Aston Martin Works competitors. After John Heath was killed on the 1956 Mille Miglia in Italy in an HWM Works car, Abecassis did not wish to continue and the works racing programme continued for just a year.

HWM is today owned by George Abecassis's business partner Mike Harting (ex. Aston Martin) and his family. HWM trades as HWM Aston Martin and HWM Alfa Romeo and is an Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo dealership.

Formula One World Championship results

HWM sports car

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Chassis	Engine	Tyres	Driver	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1951	HWM 51	Alta 2.0 L4	D		SUI	500	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	ITA	ESP
				George Abecassis	Ret
				Stirling Moss	8
1952	HWM 51 HWM 52	Alta 2.0 L4	D		SUI	500	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	NED	ITA
				George Abecassis	Ret
				Peter Collins	Ret		Ret	6	Ret	DNS		DNQ
				Lance Macklin	Ret		11	9	15		8	DNQ
				Stirling Moss	Ret
				Paul Frère			5			Ret
				Roger Laurent			12
				Yves Giraud-Cabantous				10
				Duncan Hamilton					Ret		7
				Johnny Claes						10
				Dries van der Lof							NC
1953	HWM 53	Alta L-4	P		ARG	500	NED	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	SUI	ITA
				Peter Collins			8	Ret	13	Ret
				Lance Macklin			Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret		Ret	Ret
				Paul Frère				10				Ret
				Yves Giraud-Cabantous					14				15
				Duncan Hamilton						Ret
				Jack Fairman						Ret
				Albert Scherrer								NC
				John Fitch									Ret
1954	HWM 53	Alta L-4	D		ARG	500	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	SUI	ITA	ESP
				Lance Macklin				Ret

Results of other HWM cars

(key) (Results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap.)

External links

• www.hwm.co.uk
• www.hwmastonmartin.co.uk
• www.hwmalfaromeo.co.uk

Further reading

Abecassis, David (2010). A Passion For Speed, the Life and Times of George Abecassis. Paul Skilleter Books. ISBN 978-0-9566857-0-4.