1968 Jo Siffert Crash in Practice for the Race of Champions

[hollie3sa]

This is the Jim Clark, 1968 South African GP winner. Jo Siffert crashed it in practice for the Race Of Champions in March and the chassis was never used again. It looks like it was in a permanent state of needing restoration until very recently.

Do we have any photos?

[sadsac]

I read about this before hollie3sa here's a bit more info
You could argue that Siffert’s works Porsche programme formed the most important chunk of his full 1968 diary. Wins at Daytona, Sebring and the Nürburgring, followed by victories in the more minor sportscar events at Hockenheim, Enna and Zeltweg would certainly suggest so. Still, the overriding memory of the year must be Seppi’s victory in the British GP. And to imagine that a garage fire almost put paid to that. Early 1968, Rob Walker and Jack Durlacher had done a deal with Colin Chapman to take over the ex-Jim Clark Lotus 49. Could the team finally return to their glory days with a Lotus chassis? However, practising for the Race of Champions, Jo went off in a big way, almost destroying the car. The heavily damaged monocoque was transported to the team’s base in Dorking, and to everyone’s amazement, the garage burned down to the ground that very night, and the Lotus with it.

[hollie3sa]

I read about this before hollie3sa here's a bit more info
You could argue that Siffert’s works Porsche programme formed the most important chunk of his full 1968 diary. Wins at Daytona, Sebring and the Nürburgring, followed by victories in the more minor sportscar events at Hockenheim, Enna and Zeltweg would certainly suggest so. Still, the overriding memory of the year must be Seppi’s victory in the British GP. And to imagine that a garage fire almost put paid to that. Early 1968, Rob Walker and Jack Durlacher had done a deal with Colin Chapman to take over the ex-Jim Clark Lotus 49. Could the team finally return to their glory days with a Lotus chassis? However, practising for the Race of Champions, Jo went off in a big way, almost destroying the car. The heavily damaged monocoque was transported to the team’s base in Dorking, and to everyone’s amazement, the garage burned down to the ground that very night, and the Lotus with it.

Wow, very interesting! Thanks a lot. Never knew that was what happened. Always thought the car burned down to the chassis in the crash itself

Where did you find that?

[sadsac]

I read about this before hollie3sa here's a bit more info
You could argue that Siffert’s works Porsche programme formed the most important chunk of his full 1968 diary. Wins at Daytona, Sebring and the Nürburgring, followed by victories in the more minor sportscar events at Hockenheim, Enna and Zeltweg would certainly suggest so. Still, the overriding memory of the year must be Seppi’s victory in the British GP. And to imagine that a garage fire almost put paid to that. Early 1968, Rob Walker and Jack Durlacher had done a deal with Colin Chapman to take over the ex-Jim Clark Lotus 49. Could the team finally return to their glory days with a Lotus chassis? However, practising for the Race of Champions, Jo went off in a big way, almost destroying the car. The heavily damaged monocoque was transported to the team’s base in Dorking, and to everyone’s amazement, the garage burned down to the ground that very night, and the Lotus with it.

Wow, very interesting! Thanks a lot. Never knew that was what happened. Always thought the car burned down to the chassis in the crash itself

Where did you find that?

Here hollie3sa
http://forix.autosport.com/8w/herrmann- ... -mass.html

[Everso Biggyballies]

@sadsac thanks for the link and info in the story. Interesting.