Hersham and Walton Motors


Hersham and Walton Motors is the world's longest established Aston Martin business 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 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 and his family. HWM trades as HWM Aston Martin and HWM Sports Cars and is an Aston Martin and Sports Cars dealership.

Formula One World Championship results

YearChassisEngineTyresDriver123456789
HWM 51Alta 2.0 L4SUI500BELFRAGBRGERITAESP
HWM 51Alta 2.0 L4 George AbecassisRet
HWM 51Alta 2.0 L4 Stirling Moss8
HWM 51
HWM 52		Alta 2.0 L4SUI500BELFRAGBRGERNEDITA
HWM 51
HWM 52		Alta 2.0 L4 George AbecassisRet
HWM 51
HWM 52		Alta 2.0 L4 Peter CollinsRetRet6RetDNSDNQ
HWM 51
HWM 52		Alta 2.0 L4 Lance MacklinRet119158DNQ
HWM 51
HWM 52		Alta 2.0 L4 Stirling MossRet
HWM 51
HWM 52		Alta 2.0 L4 Paul Frère5Ret
HWM 51
HWM 52		Alta 2.0 L4 Roger Laurent12
HWM 51
HWM 52		Alta 2.0 L4 Yves Giraud-Cabantous10
HWM 51
HWM 52		Alta 2.0 L4 Duncan HamiltonRet7
HWM 51
HWM 52		Alta 2.0 L4 Johnny Claes10
HWM 51
HWM 52		Alta 2.0 L4 Dries van der LofNC
HWM 53Alta L-4ARG500NEDBELFRAGBRGERSUIITA
HWM 53Alta L-4 Peter Collins8Ret13Ret
HWM 53Alta L-4 Lance MacklinRetRetRetRetRetRet
HWM 53Alta L-4 Paul Frère10Ret
HWM 53Alta L-4 Yves Giraud-Cabantous1415
HWM 53Alta L-4 Duncan HamiltonRet
HWM 53Alta L-4 Jack FairmanRet
HWM 53Alta L-4 Albert ScherrerNC
HWM 53Alta L-4 John FitchRet
HWM 53Alta L-4ARG500BELFRAGBRGERSUIITAESP
HWM 53Alta L-4 Lance MacklinRet

Results of other HWM cars