David Piper lost part of one leg Le Mans

David Piper lost part of one leg Le Mans

David Piper lost part of one leg Le Mans, The Middlesex-born driver came from a farming family who lost their land (but gained a sackful of quid) when the British government compulsorily acquired their land to build the M1 motorway.

Piper contested two Grands Prix – the 1959 and 1960 British events – at the wheel of a Lotus 16, retiring from the first and finishing twelfth in the latter.

Piper would achieve much more success in sports car racing, and was Ferrari’s most successful privateer driver.

Tragically, he lost part of one leg in an accident while filming the 1970 film Le Mans, but continued to compete in historic events for many years afterwards.