Herrmann covered the 3,070km (1,908 miles) at a scarcely believable average speed of 157.12km/h (97.63mph) – a remarkable achievement for 1954. The following year would prove be even more successful for Porsche, as Germany’s Hans Herrmann and another Guatemalan, Jaroslav Juhan, finished first and second respectively in the under 1500cc sports car class and third and fourth overall. Defining moments: the Carrera and Porsche heritage As well as Italian pilot Felice Bonetto in a Lancia, eight spectators perished, including six who were hit by a car as they investigated the aftermath of another vehicle which had tumbled down an embankment. But 1953 would also be the Carrera Panamericana’s deadliest year. The first class win for a Porsche came in 1953, when the Guatemalan driver Jose Herrate took the Small Sports Car category in his 550 Spyder. ‘The sensation’: poster celebrating Porsche success at the 1954 Carrera Panamericana © TAG Heuer The combination of fast, open roads and tight, mountainous sections held in a combination of suffocating tropical heat, high altitudes and bitter cold helped the Carrera Panamericana earn a formidable reputation during its short lifespan. That first race was limited to five-seat sedans, but even then, the event’s inherent dangers became only too clear with three competitors and a fan dying during it. The result was a nine-stage, five-day, 3,300km (2,100-mile) race – the Carrera Panamericana. So, in 1950, when authorities in Mexico were looking to celebrate the completion of their section of the north-south Pan-American Highway, they dreamt up an idea to create their own version. But to motorsport fans at the time, famed stage races such as Italy’s Mille Miglia were the pinnacle of the racing experience. The idea of cars being raced at breakneck speed on public roads lined by onlookers is difficult to grasp today. A race that excited and inspired both companies to adopt the Carrera name. Their paths have crossed during this period, but as these luxury brands announce a new collaborative partnership, it’s inevitable that thoughts turn to the extraordinary tales from these annual races that ran the length of Mexico in the early 1950s. Hans Hermann (right) and mechanic Herbert Linge take a break at the 1954 Carrera Panamericanaįor almost 60 years, Porsche and TAG Heuer have shared the use of the word 'carrera' – Spanish for ‘race’ or ‘career’ – independently of each other. One from the world of automotive, the other watches. But the name of this legendary, and notorious, 1950s race inspired not one but two gamechangers. A racing experience in its purest of forms. The Carrera Panamericana was many things. As these luxury brands launch a new watch together, we delve into the history of the notorious Mexican road race that inspired the name A name to contend with The word 'carrera' has a long association with both Porsche and TAG Heuer. The wild event that shaped Porsche and TAG Heuer’s racing experience How the Carrera Panamericana captivated two great companies
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