Hersham and Walton Motors

HWM was founded in 1938 by John Heath, an engineer and racing driver. In 1946, Heath was joined by George Abecassis, and the partners moved the business to a facility on New Zealand Avenue in Walton-on-Thames. The building had previously served as an aircraft construction site for Vickers during the war.

The transition to car construction began in 1948 when Heath and Abecassis built a streamlined sports racing car using a Sports Alta chassis. Encouraged by the results of this initial machine, they constructed the HW-Alta in 1949. The success of the HW-Alta led the partners to develop a full team of cars, known as HWMs, for the 1950 Formula Two season.

HWM gained a reputation for identifying and developing young driving talent. The team provided Stirling Moss with his first professional drive after he had previously competed as a privateer in a Cooper. Moss drove for HWM for nearly two years, utilizing the team's all-independent chassis to compensate for the power deficit of the four-cylinder Alta engine.

In 1950, the team achieved results that exceeded expectations against established continental marques. Moss finished third at Reims and secured another third-place finish in the Formula One race at Bari, trailing only the Alfas of Giuseppe Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio. During this period, Johnny Claes recorded the first post-war victory by a British car in a Grand Prix-titled event by winning the Grand Prix des Frontières at Chimay.

From 1950 to 1952, HWM maintained a competitive presence in Formula Two despite significant financial constraints. The team's operations were often precarious; transporters frequently broke down, and the mechanics faced logistical challenges such as lack of funds and language barriers while traveling through Italy. Despite these hardships, the team ended the 1950 season with a substantial European reputation and a small profit following the sale of their three works cars.

The roster of drivers during the team's peak years included Peter Collins, Duncan Hamilton, Harry Schell, Paul Frère, and Lance Macklin. Macklin became one of the team's most loyal drivers after Abecassis was impressed by his performance as a co-driver in an Aston Martin DB2 at the 1950 Le Mans.

By 1953, the HWM Formula Two cars were increasingly outclassed by rivals. When international regulations changed in 1954, John Heath developed a new works car for Formula One. However, the vehicle proved uncompetitive. At the 1954 French Grand Prix at Reims-Gueux, Macklin qualified 23 seconds behind the pole time of Juan Manuel Fangio and retired from the race following an engine failure. This result led HWM to abandon its Formula One program.

The 1950 works cars followed diverse paths after their initial season. One car retained its original Alta engine, while another was fitted with a Jaguar XK120 engine by Oscar Moore, marking the start of a trend for Jaguar-powered specialist racers. The third car was sent to Hollywood for use in a film starring Kirk Douglas before being modified with a Chevrolet V8 to race on the American West Coast as the "Stovebolt Special."

The trajectory of the racing team was fundamentally altered in 1956 when founder John Heath was killed while competing in the Mille Miglia in Italy behind the wheel of an HWM works car.

Following the death of John Heath, George Abecassis lost the desire to continue the works racing program. The team's competitive activities continued for only one year after the accident, concluding in 1957. Abecassis continued to run the business alone until 1958, when he partnered with Mike Harting, the former global sales manager for Aston Martin. Abecassis eventually retired, leaving ownership to Harting.

In 1953, HWM introduced its first Jaguar-engined sports racing car. Abecassis drove the car to several successes, and the team remained active in sports car racing across Britain and the continent until 1957. During this era, HWM occasionally defeated works entries from larger manufacturers such as Jaguar and Aston Martin.

The business also established a long-term commercial relationship with Aston Martin. After Abecassis won his class at Le Mans in 1950 driving an Aston Martin, HWM was awarded an Aston Martin franchise in 1951.

Hersham and Walton Motors continues to operate in Walton-on-Thames as HWM Aston Martin and HWM Sports Cars. It is recognized as the oldest Aston Martin dealership in the world. The business is currently owned by the Harting family and Guy Jenner. While the racing team's period of international prominence was brief, it is noted for its role in launching the professional careers of several major drivers, most notably Stirling Moss.