La Carrera Panamericana ran from 1950-1955 in Mexico and is considered one of the most dangerous races in the world. Created by the Mexican government to highlight their newly constructed highway system, the nine-stage, five-day race ran from Southern Mexico, north to the border with Texas. After increasing accidents, the race was cancelled after 1955, conventional wisdom dictating that the ever increasing speeds, static safety standards of the time, and hyper-competitive nature of the drivers was creating a deadly combination. Over 27 people died in those 5 years, giving it the highest mortality rate per race of any in motorsport.
Luckily the race was revive by Duardo Leon Camargo in 1988. Nice.
Another interesting fact: Designed by famous American industrial designer Raymond Loewy, the 1953 Studebaker Champion Regal Starliner (below), due to it's exceptional aerodynamics, it is one of the most popular car entry shapes. This model alone has (Post-1988 races to 2007) giving it 13 out of 20 first-place Panamericana wins.
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