1937 24 Hours of Le Mans

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1937 24 Hours of Le Mans
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Index: Races | Winners

The 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 14th Grand Prix of Endurance. It took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe on 19 and 20 June 1937. The race was won by Jean-Pierre Wimille and Robert Benoist in Roger Labric's works-supported Bugatti team, in one of the streamlined new Type 57G cars, at a record pace and exceeding 2000 miles in the race for the first time.

Contents

The race was also notable for one of the most serious accidents in the race's history. An hour into the race, French driver René Kippeurt lost control of his Bugatti tourer at the notorious Maison Blanche corner. His car slammed into the roadside bank and rolled, throwing the driver onto the circuit. Coming around the blind corner, cars took desperate evasive actions to avoid the wreck and the unconscious driver. Ten other cars were involved, including the Frazer Nash of Pat Fairfield which rammed the stationary Bugatti and was then hit itself. Kippeurt died at the scene and five others were taken to hospital with Fairfield dying the next day from his injuries. For the first time, the race was stopped to allow the wreckage to be cleared.

Robert Benoist (left) and Jean-Pierre Wimille (right), winners of the 1937 24-Hours Benoist (G) et Wimille (D) vainqueurs des 24 Heures du Mans 1937.jpg
Robert Benoist (left) and Jean-Pierre Wimille (right), winners of the 1937 24-Hours

With Sommer out after over-revving his gearbox avoiding the accident, it left a clear path for the French cars. After three hours, Wimille had a 2-lap lead. A short, sharp squall briefly slowed everyone down, but Wimille and Benoist were able to cruise to an easy outright victory by a margin of 100km, that also gave them the Index of Performance prize. French cars took the top four places, with the 1.5-class winning Aston Martin in fifth and German 2-litre Adler in sixth.

Regulations and organisation

In 1936, the dominance of the German Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union teams in Grand Prix racing and eclipse of French racing had led the Automobile Club de France (ACF) to draft new sports-car regulations for their Grand Prix.

These had sparked a resurgence in the French automotive industry and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) chose to align their race regulations closely in accordance with the ACF. All cars now had to be only two-seaters (doors optional). [1] Manufacturers had to sign a declaration that at least 30 cars were made, sold or currently in the process of being built. [1]

As the ACF regulations were for an unsupercharged engine, of a maximum of 4-litres, to further limit the impact of supercharging the ACO lifted the engine-equivalence ratio from x1.4 up to x1.6. [1] Extra distance was also added onto the larger engines, while the 3-and 4-litre classes were eased slightly for the reliability of the new French engines. [2] The ACO did line up with the international AIACR class delineations, now with eight eligible classes, named "A" to "H". At the bottom end, the bracket was moved up from 1000 to 1100cc and the smallest class was 500-750cc. [1]

This year the fuel supplier alternated to Esso, with four choices: its regular petrol, 100% benzole, a ternary blend of the regular with benzole and ethanol. However, the usual 4th choice (a petrol/benzole blend) was replaced by the option of 100% gasoline. [1] For the circuit, further spectator fencing was installed at the Esses and Indianapolis-Arnage corners.

The year also saw the AIACR formalise the flag-codes to be used by circuit marshals. Various combinations were already being used sporadically but this system has remained in use, unchanged ever since. These included a red flag to stop all cars, a yellow warning of imminent danger, a blue flag alerting to a faster car approaching from behind and a black and white chequered to signify the end of the race. Waving flags indicated greater urgency. These were all used at Le Mans for the first time, with equivalent coloured lights available around the circuit to assist the marshals during the hours of darkness. [1]

Le Mans in 1937 Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe 1932-1967.png
Le Mans in 1937
Engine
size
1935
Minimum
distance
1937
Minimum
distance
Average
speed
Equivalent
laps
6000cc+2,619 km (1,627 mi)2,679 km (1,665 mi)111.6 km/h (69.3 mph)198.6 laps
5000cc2,600 km (1,600 mi)2,601 km (1,616 mi)108.4 km/h (67.4 mph)192.8 laps
4000cc2,569 km (1,596 mi)2,552 km (1,586 mi)106.3 km/h (66.1 mph)189.2 laps
3000cc2,509 km (1,559 mi)2,474 km (1,537 mi)103.1 km/h (64.1 mph)183.4 laps
2000cc2,350 km (1,460 mi)2,331 km (1,448 mi)97.1 km/h (60.3 mph)172.8 laps
1500cc2,225 km (1,383 mi)2,203 km (1,369 mi)91.8 km/h (57.0 mph)163.3 laps
1100cc2,017 km (1,253 mi)2,041 km (1,268 mi)85.0 km/h (52.8 mph)151.3 laps
750cc1,743 km (1,083 mi)1,808 km (1,123 mi)75.3 km/h (46.8 mph)134.0 laps

[2]

Entries

The change in French racing regulations had promised a strong field for the cancelled race the year before. A year later, this finally came to fruition with a competitive entry list for this race. After a year of further testing, French manufacturers were in force for outright victory – with Delahaye, Bugatti, Talbot-Lago and Delage all present, thus vindicating the ACF's decision. In a unique confluence, both Le Mans and the blue riband French Grand Prix would be run to the same regulations this year and mindful of the pre-eminent race of the season following only a fortnight later, both Delahaye and Bugatti kept their latest racing models under wraps. Their competition had wilted – the British Lagonda, winner in 1935 now looked decidedly outmatched just two years later. Alfa Romeo had dominated the race for four years before that with their supercharged 8C. However, after the Scuderia Ferrari withdrew a 3-car entry, there was left only a single entry from two-time winner Raymond Sommer. In the smaller classes, there was the debut for two German teams, Adler and BMW. Often recently the preserve of small British sports cars, the list was notable for the number of small French cars, led by a squadron of Simca-Fiats, resembling an entry-list more akin to the first years of the race in the 1920s. The further penalising on supercharged engines meant there were only two such cars in the field this year, well down on the dozen or more typically seen in the earlier years of this decade.

Given the cancellation of the race in 1936, the Coupe Bienniale was instead drawn from the finishers of the previous 1935 race which still provided twelve entries returning for honours.

CategoryEntriesClasses
Large-sized engines16 / 14over 3-litre
Medium-sized engines16 / 131.5 to 3-litre
Small-sized engines24 / 22up to 1.5-litre
Total entrants57 / 49

Over 2-litre entries

Automobiles Bugatti had struggled in Grand Prix racing, with their Type 59 proving unsuccessful. Under the new ACF regulations work had started on the new car soon after the 1936 race was cancelled. The Type 57 Grand Prix (later shortened to 57G) was developed from the Type 57S luxury tourer. The 3266cc racing engine put out 170 bhp with the main chassis members drilled out with holes to reduce weight. On the long back straight, it could reach almost 220 kp/h (135 mph). With a 130-litre fuel tank, over it all was a full-width streamlined magnesium-alloy body encompassing the wheels, and giving it the nickname "tank". It was also fitted with hydraulic brakes and a 4-speed synchromesh gearbox. [3] [4] In the hands of Grand Prix driver Jean-Pierre Wimille and Raymond Sommer, it had proven successful in 1936, including winning the French Grand Prix. [5] Meanwhile, Technical Director Jean Bugatti was also working on a 4.5-litre version and originally two of these Type 57S45 cars had been entered. However, time ran out to have them ready and so Bugatti stalwart Roger Labric entered two of the three Type 57Gs on behalf of Bugatti. For Wimille, it was his first Le Mans, and was joined by Robert Benoist, former works driver and current Competition Director, while voiturette driver Pierre Veyron raced with Labric himself, in the second car. [3] [6]

Bugatti Type 57G Bugatti 57G (19733857275).jpg
Bugatti Type 57G

There were two other privateer models entered – a new Type 57 Sports for Frenchman Raymond d'Estrez Saugé, which he had fitted with a larger rear fuel-tank for the 3.3-litre car. [7] René Kippeurt also returned with his 3-litre Type 44. Sometimes racing under the pseudonym "Rekip", this year he had modified the bodywork of his tourer. [8]

Delahaye had been convinced to come back to racing with the help of the wealthy American couple of Laury and Lucy Schell, resident in France. The ACF rules had produced the Type 135, and their money saw the development of the updated 135 CS, with a 170 bhp 3.6-litre Straight-6, and fitted with a semi-automatic gearbox. [4] The Schells purchased four cars and encouraged a number of their French racing friends to buy cars as well – many of whom then fitted personalised aluminium bodyshells. [9]

Delahaye 135 CS 1936-48 Delahaye 135S-175S (Simeone) 03.png
Delahaye 135 CS

Like Bugatti, a new model was being prepared . The Type 145 had a 4.5-litre V12, but not being fully ready it was the 135 CS cars that were entered. Although not as fast as the Bugatti or Talbot, they did have a proven reliability. [9] Seven were entered for Le Mans. The Écurie Bleue had two cars with factory support. Laury Schell was partnered by René Carrière (a pair who had recently finished third in the Mille Miglia), and Grand Prix racer René Dreyfus raced with the experienced Henri Stoffel, who had finished second in 1931 and 1935. Parisian cinema-owner Joseph Paul and Eugène Chaboud had already had success in local French races, while former boxer Louis Villeneuve, Robert Brunet and Paul Bénazet were regular gentleman-racers. [9]

The Alfa Romeo 8C had been the premier car to beat in the 1930s races, yet this year there was only a single entry. Ferrari had provisionally entered three cars, but when Alfa Romeo bought out an 80% share of the Scuderia early in the year, their Chairman Ugo Gobbato chose to withdraw their cars. So the only Alfa presence was entered by Raymond Sommer. The Alfa Romeo 8C-2900 had been specifically designed for the Mille Miglia, the premier Italian sports-car race. The shorter wheelbase and supercharged 3-litre engine was well-suited to the long straights and tight town-corners. Scuderia Ferrari won in 1936 and 1937, along with the Spa 24 Hours. The twin-supercharged 8-cylinder engine put out 220 bhp. [10] A brand new car, painted black, was built at Portello for Sommer and driven straight to Le Mans by his prospective co-driver Giovanni Battista Guidotti. They would be supported by Meo Costantini as pit manager, sporting director at Alfa Romeo and former Bugatti team manager. [10]

Delage had been very successful in Grand Prix racing in the 1920s, duelling with Bugatti. However, the company had gone into receivership after the Great Depression, to be purchased by British expat Walter Watney. He arranged a deal with Delahaye to have Delage cars built at their factory with Delahaye parts. [11] Louis Delâge, still kept on as a director, developed the D6 coupé. The elegant D6-70 was a new version with a special 3-litre engine. Producing 130 bhp , it was capable of getting the car up to 160 kp/h (100 mph). A 1936 entry was filed by the works team, but this year a car was entered by the Société R.V. – a company co-owned by Parisian Delage agent Jacques de Valence de Minardière, who was also its lead driver. This car had recently been bought by slot-machine magnate Louis Gérard, who had never raced before, but would be the co-driver. [11]

Talbot T150C Paris - Retromobile 2013 - Talbot T150C - 1936 - 102.jpg
Talbot T150C

Unable to convince the ACF to run a 3-litre class in their regulations, new Talbot owner Anthony Lago was forced to adapt the T120 raced here in 1935. The new 4-litre dry-sump engine put out 165 bhp , and was very fast. Called the 'T150 Course', the chassis was shortened and fitted with independent front suspension and a Wilson pre-selector gearbox. Extensive testing was done in 1936 at Montlhéry by André Morel (ex-Amilcar works driver) and René Dreyfus (ex-Scuderia Ferrari) along with Le Mans winner Luigi Chinetti. But reliability was an issue and results were poor. [12] In 1937 Dreyfus left for Delahaye. In return, Lago was able to entice Albert Divo and young star René le Bègue to join from Delahaye, along with Raymond Sommer. Over the break, the cars were lightened and given an extra 25 bhp. Four were entered for Le Mans. However, with the French Grand Prix only a fortnight later, Lago withdrew the two works cars to have them prepared for that race. Sommer had a release clause in his contract to drive his Alfa Romeo at Le Mans. Two privately-owned cars would race – one with Chinetti joined by off-contract Grand Prix driver Louis Chiron and the other with young Greek ERA-driver Nicky Embiricos and Raphaël de Montbressieux (racing under the pseudonym "Raph"). [12]

The biggest car in the field was the 4.5-litre Lagonda, entered by Arthur Fox's team, continuing with the long-time works support. Rescued from bankruptcy the previous year, Lagonda had engineer W. O. Bentley (formerly owner of his own company with a strong Le Mans pedigree) working up a new V12-engined car. Meanwhile, the LG45 kept the same 130 bhp as the race-winning M45 Rapide, upgrading it with new suspension and a new gearbox, all of which could now get it up to 200 kp/h (125 mph). Team regular, and 1935-race winner, Johnny Hindmarsh was teamed up this year with Charles Brackenbury. [13]

1.1- to 2-litre entries

Just as much as the larger-engine classes, the 2-litre class promised an exciting competition with a good field of new entries. British roadsters had dominated the mid-sized classes in the past few years. Aston Martin had achieved an excellent third outright in the 1935 race, although of late, Riley had taken over their pre-eminence. Aston Martin were the expensive, elite brand and looked to move into the under-represented 2-litre market. Orchestrator of that success, Technical Director ”Bert” Bertelli, had left the company in February. The new Speed Model had either a 1949cc engine or a dry-sump 1971cc version. When the works team was folded after the cancelled 1936 race, the two cars were on-sold several times to end up with Robert Hichens and Dutchman Eddie Hertzberger and both arrived at Le Mans. The 1.5-litre car that had finished third two years' previously also returned to the track, now owned and entered by John Skiffington, Viscount Massereene. [14]

Aston Martin Speed Model Aston-martin-speed-model-ul.jpg
Aston Martin Speed Model

Like Aston Martin, Riley had also closed down its works team, as economic forces were forced on the company. Bought out by Morris Motors, no British entries arrived. However, there were two French entries from the new Écurie Eudel of Guy Lapchin and Jean Eudel (owner of the Riley dealership in Paris). Taking two ex-works cars, they commissioned Georges Paulin to design a new metal bodyshell with streamlined wheel-fairings- the same designer and coachbuilder as Peugeot and Darl'mat were using. Lapchin rode with Jean Trévoux, who had an entry for the Biannual Cup. Raoul Forestier, another Écurie Eudel investor, drove the other car. [15]

In August 1934, "Aldy" Aldington, director of Frazer Nash, signed an agreement with BMW to license-manufacture the German cars in Britain. Soon after, the new BMW 328 model was introduced. Designed by former Horch engineer Fritz Fiedler, the car featured swing-axle front suspension, a live rear axle and hydraulic dampers. The 2-litre 6-cylinder engine produced 80 bhp and could get the roadster up to 150 kp/h (95 mph). Full production started in February 1937 along with racing successes. For Le Mans, three cars were entered: one full works entry, driven by Uli Richter and Fritz Roth (replacing Ernst Henne injured at the Eifelrennen race). The other two were badged as Frazer Nashes, with Aldington joined by his fellow AFN-director A.F.P Fane, while ERA works driver Pat Fairfield was brought in to join AFN-investor David Murray. They were all improved versions of the standard car, with a spare wheel mounted on the rear, 118-litre, fuel tank and were now capable of reaching 185 kp/h (115 mph). The British cars ran on Dunlops while the German car ran on tyres from local Munich company Metzeler. [16]

BMW 328 BMW 328 (16.06.2007).jpg
BMW 328

Adler had been a Frankfurt mechanical company since starting in 1880, building bicycles. By the start of the war, they had 20% of the German car market. The Depression hit the company hard, having to lay off 70% of their workforce. The Trumpf model, introduced in 1932, was the start of their revival of fortunes. The 'Super' version had a bigger 1.7-litre version of the side-valve engine, that put out 38 bhp. [17] The "Rennlimousine" version caused a sensation when it was unveiled in 1936. Based on a Swiss concept car, from the 1920s, it featured a fully-enclosed, longtail aluminium bodyshell. It was designed by Adler engineer Reinhard von König-Fachsenfeld, one of the innovators in vehicle aerodynamics. The sloping cockpit blended into the pointed tail. The wheels were included under the shell and the hubs had hubcaps over the spokes. Endurance records were set at the AVUS track and the race-engines were tuned up to 55 bhp. [18] Three cars came to Le Mans: the lead car of Graf Orssich and Rudolph Sauerwein had won their class at the previous year's Spa 24-hours. The second car was run by their other team-drivers Paul von Guilleaume and Otto Löhr. The third car had a standard 1.5-litre engine and was loaned to French driver Anne-Cécile Rose-Itier, who held an entry to the Biennial Cup. She was joined by her new beau Huschke von Hanstein. Finally, there was a French privateer entry of a 996cc Trumpf Junior roadster in the crowded 1.1-litre class. [18]

Peugeot had been a force in French motorsport ten years previously. When the new Peugeot 302 tourer was released, it was Émile Darl'mat, owner of the largest Parisian Peugeot dealership, which saw its potential as a sports roadster. He got permission from the company to build his own Darl'mat Spéciales. Fitted with an aerodynamic aluminium body, they would have the larger 70 bhp 2-litre engine of the Peugeot 402 sister-model. With works-team support, three cars were entered. Works driver Louis Rigal had driven for Peugeot the only time they had competed at le Mans, in 1926, and was paired with Daniel Porthault who had latterly driven a Lorraine-Dietrich of the same vintage. Peugeot's own competition manager Charles de Cortanze drove the second car with works driver Maurice Serre, while another works driver Jean Pujol raced with Maurice Contet. [19]

Peugeot 302 Darl'Mat special Peugeot DarlMat 1937 RSideFront LakeMirrorClassic 17Oct09 (14600567855).jpg
Peugeot 302 Darl’Mat special

The other new-entrant manufacturer was HRG. Only formed in 1936 by Ronald Godfrey and his partners, they had built a half-dozen cars with a staff of 10. An aluminium body was fitted over an ash-wood frame. It was fitted with a 1.5-litre Meadows overhead-valve engine and 4-speed gearbox. One of the first people to purchase a model was Archie Scott. He brought the car to Le Mans, with HRG principal Ted Halford (the "H" of HRG) as his co-driver. [20]

Up to 1.1-litre entries

Singer returned to defend their class-victory from 1935. In the interim, the works team had been closed down but the team manager, Stan Barnes, set up his own team with his brother Donald. Team Autosports brought three cars to the race, with works backing. Stan Barnes and Roy Eccles had entries in the Biannual Cup after driving for Aston Martin in the 1935 race. Donald would drive one car, joined by Norman Black (a former Singer works driver), while Eccles had his wife Marjorie as co-driver. A fourth car was put in by French privateer, Jacques Savoye, who put his own bodyshell on the chassis. [21]

Earlier in the decade, MG cars had fared very well at Le Mans. This year, there was only a single entry. At the last race, in 1935, speed-record champion George Eyston had three all-female crews to run the Midget PA. This year he provided support to Dorothy Stanley-Turner, the 20-year-old owner of a Midget PB. The newer model was now 937cc and developed 43 bhp. She had been mentored by Joan Chetwynd and started racing at Easter. [22] Her co-driver, Enid Riddell, was an unusual choice – she would be imprisoned in London during the war as a Nazi sympathiser. [23]

With ample technical support from Fiat, the new SIMCA daughter-company had achieved rapid success on the circuits in 1936, with Amédée Gordini running, effectively, a works team. Gordini convinced Henri Pigozzi, SIMCA general manager, to support the design of a special racing version of the Simca-Fiat 6CV. It was built with a one-piece aluminium body on a wooden frame, with improved suspension and gearbox, and hydraulic brakes. The 996cc engine was tuned and modified to now generate 55 bhp. Alongside this project, SIMCA had started licence-production of the Fiat 500 "Topolino", known as the Simca Cinq or 5CV. Gordini also prepared racing versions of that model, with another specially-fashioned bodyshell. Its little high-compression 569cc side-valve engine put out just 20 bhp. Gordini brought five cars to Le Mans, with three Sixes and a pair of Cinqs. He drove a Six himself, with team regular Philippe Maillard-Brune, while his other driver, Jean Viale, ran a Cinq. The Alin brothers, who had driven a BNC twice before, were brought in as co-pilots. [24] [25] Just-Émile Vernet entered his privateer SIMCA Six, with Suzanne Largeot as his co-driver. [26]

Simca-Fiat Cinq Gordini Retromobile 2015 - Simca Gordini Type 5 Le Mans - 1937 - 001.jpg
Simca-Fiat Cinq Gordini

A surprising entry came from Yves Giraud-Cabantous with a pair of venerable Chenard-Walcker Z1s. He had run his own Caban cars here in 1931 and 1932 with the aid of Roger Labric. The Chenard-Walckers had last raced here in 1925, helping secure the Biennial Cup and the first (and only) Trienniale Cup for the manufacturer. At the time these small, streamlined cars had been innovative, inspired by the Bugatti Type 32. After Chenard-Walcker stopped motor-racing in 1926, the cars had been parked up in a warehouse until Giraud-Cabantous offered to buy them. [27] [5] The 1095cc pushrod engine put out 50 bhp and Giraud-Cabantous installed a supercharger on his that put the car now up in the 2-litre class. However, they had proven there was still life in them by winning the Bol d'Or 24 hour race. That it was done by top French wrestler Charles Rigoulot in his very first motor-race just added more celebrity to the team. He would join the team-owner in one car, with Roux/Cotet in the other. [28]

The Austin EK75 "Speedy" was the sports-version of the Austin 7. Fitted with a new racing engine, the latest "Grasshopper" variant could now reach 125 kp/h (80 mph). A one-piece bodyshell, removing the doors on the roadster, saved further weight. Again, taking advantage of prior results, all three cars were able to be entered for the Biannual Cup. [29] An unusual entry was a Ford Model CX entered by Australian Joan Richmond and her fiancé Maurice "Bill" Bilney. The CX was a deluxe tourer version of the Ford Model C Ten production car, with a 30 bhp engine. Assisted by former Aston Martin engineer and driver Jack Besant, they upgraded the car to racing standard for the 1936 race. A year later they entered it again. [27] [5]

Practice and pre-race

Delage driver Louis Gérard, to his credit, having never raced before put in the most laps of anyone to learn the circuit and his new car. The little HRG team, had a problematic week – the car was damaged in a minor car accident en route to Le Mans. A plane had to be chartered to fly in a new suspension unit. [20]

The Bugatti team practiced their pit-stop routine on Friday night, and were able to change four tyres, replenish fuel, water and oil in just over 100 seconds – far quicker than other teams. They had also found a very impressive fuel economy of less than 20 litres/100 km (better than 14mpg). [30] Roy Eccles was supposed to be racing a Singer with his wife. However, after celebrating too hard on the night before the race, he was unable to take the start. His place would be taken by Freddie Clifford. Donald Barnes also had to rush back to London for the early birth of his child, so his place in the Singer was taken by his brother, and team co-owner, Stan Barnes. [21]

Race

Start

Peugeot-Darl'Mat team lined up for the start L'equipe Peugeot aux 24 Heures du Mans 1937 (seule complete a l'arrivee).jpg
Peugeot-Darl’Mat team lined up for the start

The honorary starter this year was John Cobb, British driver and all-time record holder at Brooklands. [31] [32] [33] Although the Lagonda was first away, it was "Raph" in his Talbot, who got to the front going down the Hunaudières Straight for the first time. Then Raymond Sommer got into the lead on the run down to Indianapolis. [34] [32] [31] Wimille was ninth at the end of the first lap, letting the engine warm up, just ahead of the Lagonda. Then on the third lap, Wimille broke Sommer's 4-year old track record and Veyron let him by to take third. Then, on successive laps he passed Brunet, then Sommer, to take the lead. [30] [34] Only five laps in, Chiron had to pit the Talbot to change sparkplugs, costing him three laps. [12] [35]

It was at the end of the first hour that the accident occurred. The Maison Blanche corners, leading up to the pit-straight, already had a notorious reputation with serious multi-car accidents in the 1927 and 1932 races. Running a lap down, René Kippeurt lost control of his Bugatti coming through the left-right combination at 130 kp/h (80 mph). Hitting the bank hard and mowing down a length of fencing, the car got airborne throwing the driver out onto the circuit before rolling several times down the road. [33] [8] [35] Next to arrive were the two BMWs of Roth and Fairfield. Instinctively Roth swerved right, sending him over a ditch, through a hedge and rolling his car. Unsighted, Fairfield went the other way but slammed into the Bugatti head-on. [36] [35] The impact was so hard, it dislodged the engine off the Bugatti's chassis. Next to arrive was Trémoulet in his Delahaye, but he could do nothing but hit the stationary Frazer Nash-BMW, and go flying through the air and ending up in a field. The Talbot of "Raph" hit Trémoulet and ricocheted into a roadside tree. The chain reaction continued when the Riley of Forestier, in turn, rear-ended the Talbot and ending up through a hedge. Morris-Goodall, in his Aston-Martin, skidded on spilt oil and side-swiped the Bugatti while Chiron, running again, was able to slide to a stop and squeeze his Talbot through. [33] [25] [32] [31] [35] However, running over debris, a sliver slashed a water hose and he lost his coolant forcing his retirement as well. [12]

Meanwhile, Forestier had got out and, joined by a marshal waving a red flag, was running down the track to warn the rest of the rapidly approaching field, including the leaders. Wimille braked hard and picked his way through, but Sommer also had to avoid people running onto the track to pull Kippeurt's motionless body off the racing line. Desperately trying to slow up with engine-breaking and missing a gear, he over-revved the engine and his race was effectively over. On the following lap, it expired at the Mulsanne corner. [10] [35] The remainder of the field came to a halt, with the race brought to an official stop for the first time. The toll on the drivers was severe – Kippeurt died at the scene and five more were taken to hospital. Three were discharged with cuts and bruises, but "Raph" had two broken legs, while Fairfield underwent emergency surgery. His injuries were too serious though, and he died on Sunday evening. [1] [32] [31] After about ten minutes the wrecks and debris were pulled off to the side of the road to allow the field to get through. However, by being one of the last cars to get through, it had allowed Wimille to steal a march on the field with almost a full lap's lead. [30] By 7pm, it had grown to a 2-lap lead. The team-car of Veyron/Labric was second, pursued by the leading Delahaye, of Schell/Carrière.

With the failure of the Alfa Romeo and Lagonda, it left the race for overall victory clear for the French teams. As the cars made their first fuel stops, the Delahayes came in one after the other. Stoffel tripped getting into the car he shared with Dreyfus and broke the door-hinges. Forty minutes were lost getting it repaired and dropping them well down the order to 30th. [37] Brunet, running fifth, handed his car over to novice driver Parguel who planted it in the sandbank at Mulsanne on his first lap. Somehow a shovel appeared, and he was able to get back to the pits. Now down in 35th, a furious Brunet promptly took over and proceeded to drive solo through the night. [37] The incredible fuel economy of the two Bugattis meant it was nearly 7.30pm before they pulled in for their first pit-stops and driver-changes – Veyron did 33 laps, while Wimille did a remarkable 38 laps. [30] [35] Another team with excellent fuel economy were the Adlers. Huschke von Hanstein had come in after 38 laps and refuelled but forgot to top up the engine oil. When he came back in two laps later to do it, it technically violated the 24-lap margin between fluid replenishments and got disqualified. His co-driver, Anne-Cécile Rose-Itier, was furious at his rookie mistake. [18]

The good weather that served most of the race was interrupted by a heavy thunderstorm at 8pm that lasted half an hour. As cars eased back in the rough weather, the Delahaye of Schell moved up to second. [3] [35] The only casualty was the unsupercharged Chenard-Walcker that skidded off the track at the Mulsanne corner, and planting itself in the sandbank. [27]

Adler (#33) leads Schell's Delahaye (#11) through the first corner 24 Heures du Mans 1937, deux voitures de categorie differentes en course.jpg
Adler (#33) leads Schell’s Delahaye (#11) through the first corner

Night

The storm passed and the night stayed dry. Wimille and Benoist continued circulating at a regular speed, without incident. Meanwhile in the 2-litre battle, the remaining Frazer Nash-BMW of Aldington/Fane was leading and running sixth overall. Then Fane stopped on the Hunaudières Straight with ignition problems. He was able to get back to the pits, but despite working in the pouring rain the two drivers could not get it restarted. [36] [38] The class lead was taken up by the Aston Martins of Morris-Goodall (having repaired its accident damage) and Eddie Hertzberger. The Dutchman was having a good race, and by midnight was running 7th overall. [14] They were being chased keenly by the Adler and Peugeot teams for class honours. Along with the Maison Blanche accident, attrition was high and by nightfall fully half the field had retired. [38]

By midnight Wimille and Benoist had extended their lead to three laps. [39] Schell and Carrière consolidated their second place while the Paul/Mongin Delahaye tussled with the Labric/Veyron Bugatti over third place. [38] Dreyfus drove hard through the night, charging back up the field and pulling back four laps on this group in the process to be back inside the top-10. [37] [38] In the Biennial Cup, it was the Aston Martin of Dorothy Eccles and Freddie Clifford leading from the Morris-Goodall Aston, Savoye's Singer in third, with Villeneuve's Delahaye next and the all-female MG fifth on handicap. [38]

During the night all three Austins were put out by the same problem: engine vibrations bent the copper oil-pipes severely. When they inevitably cracked and broke, the oil soon leaked out and the engines quickly seized. [29] Soon after dawn the Bugatti of Labric and Veyron was put out with a split fuel-tank. The car had been losing time through the night with either clutch or fuel-supply issues. Meanwhile, the sister car now had a 7-lap lead. [30] After the early problems, Robert Brunet had driven through the night all the way up to tenth. He finally handed over to his inexperienced co-driver. All the hard work was undone when it was retired soon after with a broken gearbox. [37] By 5am, Dreyfus' incredible drive had got him back up to third, with the Delage sedately cruising behind in fourth. [38]

Benoist (left) and Wimille (right) at a pit-stop for the Bugatti Benoist (G) et Wimille (D) aux 24 heures du Mans 1937.jpg
Benoist (left) and Wimille (right) at a pit-stop for the Bugatti

Morning

With the retirements through the night, the crowd was excited that the Delahaye of Villeneuve/Vagniez was second in the Biennial Cup and closing in on the Hichens/Morris-Goodall Aston Martin. But their hopes literally went up in smoke just after 8am, when the engine caught fire in a refuelling stop. Although put out, the electrics were too fried to continue. [40] [38] After running second for 17 hours, the Schell Delahaye began overheating in the mid-morning. After several pit-stops, it was found a nut securing the water-pump had come loose, eventually rupturing a hose. Leaking water and unable to make the next refuelling stop to fill up, the car was retired around 10am. [37] [38] Dreyfus' speed allowed him to catch and pass Paul to move up to second, but by lunchtime they had virtually completely worn out their brakes and dropped behind again. [37]

Hertzberger's Aston Martin had set the pace through the night in the medium-engine classes, but then soon after 8am, they were stopped by a split oil-line. [14] The leading cars of the Adler (Sauerwein/Orssich) and Peugeot (Contet/Pujol) teams were now vying for the class-honours, swapping the lead several times through the morning. [18] Just before midday, the remaining Singer of Marjorie Eccles and Freddie Clifford stopped out on the track while leading the Coupe competition. Marjorie walked back to the pit with a broken magneto. When she returned to the car with a spare she was prevented from doing repairs by an official, as the part had not been in the car, per the standard regulations. [21]

By noon, Benoist had a comfortable 11-lap lead. However, in a lapse of concentration, he overshot his braking at Arnage trying to lap another car. Beached in the roadside ditch, it was pushed back onto the road by keen spectators. Potentially a disqualifiable offence, the stewards were persuaded that it was warranted as the car was in a dangerous position to other cars. The damage was not serious and they were able to continue, easing back on their pace. [30]

Finish and post-race

With the attrition of the field, by there were only two cars in the race for the Biennial Cup. The women in the MG had been well in contest in the first half of the race. However, they encountered clutch problems in the morning, but once those were resolved things had been running reliably. [23] [38] The Aston Martin had a hardy margin over the smaller MG, until it came sputtering to a stop around 3pm. Morris-Goodall managed to limp back to the pits where they parked the car. The MG could not overhaul the 8 laps needed to exceed its Index target, but would win if the Aston did not finish. With ten minutes remaining, "Mort" gingerly took the car out for its final lap. He made it round to win the Biennial Cup. [14] [41] "/> [42] The MG also finished, getting 10 laps further than their target distance. [23]

Wimille brings the winning Bugatti across the line Bugatti Type57G Tank - 24 Heures du Mans 1937.jpg
Wimille brings the winning Bugatti across the line

With the leaders relaxing, the pursuing Delahayes were able to claw back two of the laps. [30] At 3pm Benoist pitted to hand over to Wimille to take the final shift to the chequered flag. [32] The public address announced that the leaders had exceeded the previous race-distance record, set in 1933, to generous applause from the crowd. [3] [42] Wimille continued on without incident to take a dominant victory, having not relinquished first place since the first hour. Marcel and Paul finished 7 laps (100 km) in arrears, with Dreyfus a further five laps behind them. The Delage coupé cruised home to fourth, trouble-free aside from windscreen wipers unable to cope with the sudden storm early in the race. [11]

A commendable fifth place (albeit over 500 km behind the winners) was the privateer Aston Martin Ulster. It had run without incident, steadily moving up the field through the second day. The car ran ten laps fewer than it did in 1935, but was still good enough to head home all the 2-litre cars and easily winning its 1.5-litre class by 42 laps over the HRG. [14] That car had been delayed by a broken oil-pipe in the morning [38] and had crept around carefully in the last hour doing just enough to make its target distance. [42] In the end, that 2-litre class was won by the leading Adler pair of Sauerwein/Orssich, with the team sandwiching a pair of the Darl'Mat Peugeots, with just 3 laps between the four of them.

Amédée Gordini had been controlling the 1.1-litre class for virtually the whole race. But when a mistake in the pit-signalling from his crew called him in for refuelling two laps too early at lunchtime, the car was disqualified. [24] It capped off a bad race for the 5-car works team with just a single car finishing with all the rest waylaid by mechanical issues. That car was the little SIMCA Cinq of Viale/Alin which was the only finisher in the 750cc class. Although nearly 100 laps behind the winners, they still beat their Index target by 25 laps. [26] It fell to Vernet's privateer SIMCA to win the 1.1-litre class after the demise of the Singer. The near-standard Ford CX also lasted the distance, coming second-in-class. Tragically however, Richmond's fiancé Bilney would be killed five weeks later at the Donington 12-hour race. [27]

For France, it was their first victory since 1926, vindicating the ACF's decision to change their racing formula. The winners comfortably broke the distance record set by Sommer and Nuvolari in their Alfa Romeo in 1933 and exceed 2000 miles for the first time. The Bugatti also won the Index of Performance. Wimille set a new lap record and joined a small group of driver to win the race on debut, including Tazio Nuvolari and Woolf Barnato. [39] It should have been a celebratory renaissance of French racing, with half the field again made up of French cars. However, the two deaths cast a grim shadow over Bugatti's achievement. They were the first race fatalities at Le Mans since 1925. [25] "Raph" needed several months to recover from his broken legs and spent his time recuperating at Wimille's house on the Côte d'Azur. [30] The effect on his co-driver, Embiricos, after his own serious accident the week before was sufficient to convince him to give up a promising racing career. [12]

The French Grand Prix was held a fortnight later, to the same regulations. Bugatti had one of their new Type 57S45 cars, but the handling was terrible and it never raced. With Bugatti out, it was a victory to Louis Chiron, leading home a 1-2-3 for Talbot. [30]

Official results

Finishers

Results taken from Quentin Spurring’s book, officially licensed by the ACO [43] Class Winners are in Bold text.

PosClassNo.TeamDriversChassisEngineTyreTarget
distance*
Laps
15.02 Flag of France.svg Roger Labric Flag of France.svg Jean-Pierre Wimille
Flag of France.svg Robert Benoist
Bugatti Type 57GBugatti 3.3L S8 D 186243
25.014 Flag of France.svg J. Paul
(private entrant)
Flag of France.svg Joseph Paul
Flag of France.svg Marcel Mongin
Delahaye 135 CSDelahaye 3.6L S6 D 188236
35.010 Flag of France.svg Écurie Bleue Flag of France.svg René Dreyfus
Flag of France.svg Henri Stoffel
Delahaye 135 CSDelahaye 3.6L S6 D 188231
43.019 Flag of France.svg Société R.V. Flag of France.svg Jacques de Valence de Minardière
Flag of France.svg Louis Gérard
Delage D6-70Delage 3.0L S6 D 184215
51.537 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg J.M. Skeffington
(private entrant)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Hon. John Skeffington
Viscount Massereene
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Robert Murton-Neale
Aston Martin 1½ UlsterAston Martin 1494cc S4 D 163205
62.033 Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Adlerwerke Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Peter, Graff Orssich
Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Rudolf Sauerwein
Adler Trumpf Super Rennlimousine Adler 1679cc S4 E 167205
72.026 Flag of France.svg Émile Darl'mat Flag of France.svg Jean Pujol
Flag of France.svg Marcel Contet
Peugeot 302 Darl'mat Spéciale Sport Peugeot 1996cc S4 D 172203
82.025 Flag of France.svg Émile Darl'mat Flag of France.svg Charles de Cortanze
Flag of France.svg Maurice Serre
Peugeot 302 Darl'mat Spéciale SportPeugeot 1996cc S4 D 172203
92.034 Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Adlerwerke Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Otto Löhr
Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Paul von Guilleaume
Adler Trumpf Super RennlimousineAdler 1679cc S4 E 167202
102.027 Flag of France.svg Émile Darl'mat Flag of France.svg "Danniel" Daniel Porthault
Flag of France.svg Louis Rigal
Peugeot 302 Darl'mat Spéciale SportPeugeot 1996cc S4 D 172197
112.031 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg C.T. Thomas
(private entrant)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Robert Hichens
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mortimer Morris-Goodall
Aston Martin Speed ModelAston Martin 1949cc S4 D 171 [B]193
121.148 Flag of France.svg J.-É. Vernet
(private entrant)
Flag of France.svg Just-Émile Vernet
Flag of France.svg Suzanne Largeot
Simca 6 Gordini Fiat 996cc S4 D 147171
131.536 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg A.C. Scott
(private entrant)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Archie Scott
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ted Halford
HRG Le Mans Meadows 1496cc S4 D 163163
141.142 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg M.K.H. Bilney
(private entrant)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bill Bilney
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Joan Richmond
Ford Ten Model CX SpecialFord 1099cc S4 D 151161
151.149 Flag of France.svg H. Lesbros
(private entrant)
Flag of France.svg Henri Lesbros
Flag of France.svg Dimitri Calaraséano
Adler Trumpf Junior Adler 996cc S4 ?147160
161.154 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Capt. G.E.T. Eyston Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Dorothy Stanley-Turner
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Enid Riddell
MG Midget PB MG 936cc S4 D 144 [B]154
1775059 Flag of France.svg Amédée Gordini Flag of France.svg Jean Viale
Flag of France.svg Albert Alin
Simca 5 Gordini Fiat 568cc S4 D 120145

Did not finish

PosClassNoTeamDriversChassisEngineTyreTarget
distance*
LapsReason
DNF5.011 Flag of France.svg Écurie Bleue Flag of France.svg Laury Schell
Flag of France.svg René Carriére
Delahaye 135 CSDelahaye 3.6L S6 D 188193engine
(18 hr)
DNF1.141 Flag of France.svg Yves Giraud-Cabantous Flag of France.svg Yves Giraud-Cabantous
Flag of France.svg Charles Rigoulot
Chenard-Walcker Z1Chenard-Walcker 1095cc S4
supercharged
D 168151electrics
(19 hr)
DNF5.09 Flag of France.svg L. Villeneuve
(private entrant)
Flag of France.svg Louis Villeneuve
Flag of France.svg André Vagniez
Delahaye 135 CSDelahaye 3.6L S6 D 188 [B]147pit fire
(17 hr)
DSQ1.146 Flag of France.svg Amédée Gordini Flag of France.svg Amédée Gordini
Flag of France.svg Philippe Maillard-Brune
Simca 6 GordiniFiat 996cc S4 D 147137premature
refilling (21 hr)
DNF2.032 Flag of the Netherlands.svg E. Hertzberger
(private entrant)
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Eddie Hertzberger
Flag of France.svg Albert Debille
Aston Martin Speed ModelAston Martin 1974cc S4 D 172136engine
(18 hr)
DNF5.01 Flag of France.svg Roger Labric Flag of France.svg Roger Labric
Flag of France.svg Pierre Veyron
Bugatti Type 57GBugatti 3.3L S8 D 186130fuel tank
(15 hr)
DNF1.150 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg R.H Eccles
(private entrant)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Team Autosports
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Marjorie Eccles
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Maj Frederick "Freddie" Clifford
Singer Nine Le Mans ReplicaSinger 973cc S4 D 146 [B]121electrics
(21 hr)
DNF5.08 Flag of France.svg A. Parguel
(private entrant)
Flag of France.svg André Parguel
Flag of France.svg Robert Brunet
Delahaye 135 CSDelahaye 3.6L S6 D 188100gearbox
(morning)
DNF5.018 Flag of France.svg R. d’Estrez Saugé
(private entrant)
Flag of France.svg Raymond d’Estrez Saugé
Flag of Spain (1931-1939).svg Genaro Léoz Abad
Bugatti Type 57SBugatti 3.3L S8 D 18699gearbox
(11 hr)
DNF1.153 Flag of France.svg J. Savoye
(private entrant)
Flag of France.svg Jacques Savoye
Flag of France.svg Pierre Pichard
Singer Nine "Savoye Spéciale"Singer 973cc S4 D 146 [B]93electrics
(15 hr)
DNF1.152 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg F.S Barnes
(private entrant)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Team Autosports
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Geoff Boughton
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg F.H. Lye
Singer Nine Le Mans ReplicaSinger 973cc S4 D 14691engine
(16 hr)
DNF75058 Flag of France.svg Amédée Gordini Flag of France.svg Adrien Alin
Flag of France.svg Athos Querzola
Simca 5 GordiniFiat 568cc S4 D 12077fuel system
(~12 hr)
DNF75057 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Austin Motor Company Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Charles Dodson
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bert Hadley
Austin 7 EAK GrasshopperAustin 748cc S4 D 133 [B]74engine
(12 hr)
DNF75055 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg A.R. Marsh
(private entrant)
Austin Motor Company
Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg Kay Petre
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg George Mangan
Austin 7 EAK GrasshopperAustin 748cc S4 D 133 [B]72engine
(12 hr)
DNF1.151 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg F.S Barnes
(private entrant)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Team Autosports
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg F. Stanley Barnes
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Norman Black
Singer Nine Le Mans ReplicaSinger 973cc S4 D 14672electrics
(10 hr)
DNF1.145 Flag of France.svg Amédée Gordini Flag of France.svg Jacques Blot
Flag of France.svg Henri Ferrand
Simca 6 GordiniFiat 996cc S4 D 14755fuel system
(~12 hr)
DNF2.029 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg AFN Ltd Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Harold Aldington
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Alfred "A.F.P" Fane
Frazer Nash-BMW 328 BMW 1971cc S6 D 17243engine
(4 hr)
DSQ1.535 Flag of France.svg Mme A.-C. Rose-Itier
(private entrant)
Flag of France.svg Anne-Cécile Rose-Itier
Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Fritz Huschke von Hanstein
Adler Trumpf RennlimousineAdler 1495cc S4 D 163 [B]40premature
refilling (evening)
DNF5.015 Flag of France.svg J. Seylair
(private entrant)
Flag of France.svg "Jacques Seylair" (Lucien Langlois)
Flag of France.svg Paul Bénazet
Delahaye 135 CSDelahaye 3.6L S6 D 18836engine
(evening)
DNF75056 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg J. Carr
(private entrant)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Charles Goodacre
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Dennis Buckley
Austin 7 EAK GrasshopperAustin 748cc S4 D 133 [B]32engine
(dusk)
DNF2.040 Flag of France.svg Yves Giraud-Cabantous Flag of France.svg Charles Cotet
Flag of France.svg Charles Roux
Chenard-Walcker Z1Chenard-Walcker 1095cc S4 D 15132accident
(4 hr)
DNF5.03 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Arthur W. Fox Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Johnny Hindmarsh
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Charles Brackenbury
Lagonda LG45 Meadows 4.5L S6 D 191 [B]30engine
(~3 hr)
DNF1.539 Flag of France.svg Écurie Eudel Flag of France.svg Jean Trévoux
Flag of France.svg Guy Lapchin
Riley TT Sprite Riley 1493cc. S4 D 163 [B]11engine
(2 hr)
DNF5.04 Flag of France.svg R. Sommer
(private entrant)
Flag of France.svg Raymond Sommer
Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Giovanni Battista Guidotti
Alfa Romeo 8C 2900AAlfa Romeo 2.9L S8
supercharged
P 19111engine
(1 hr)
DNF5.012 Flag of France.svg E. Chaboud
(private entrant)
Flag of France.svg Eugéne Chaboud
Flag of France.svg Jean Trémoulet
Delahaye 135 CSDelahaye 3.6L S6 D 1889accident
(1 hr)
DNF5.07 Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg A. M. Embiricos
(private entrant)
Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg Nicos Embiricos
Flag of France.svg "Raph" (Comte George Raphaël
Béthenod de Montbressieux)
Talbot T150CTalbot 4.0L S6 D 1909accident
(1 hr)
DNF1.144 Flag of France.svg Amédée Gordini Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Marino Zanardi
Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Angelo Molinari
Simca 6 GordiniFiat 996cc S4 D 1479transmission
(2 hr)
DNF1.538 Flag of France.svg Écurie Eudel Flag of France.svg Raoul Forestier
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Roger Caron
Riley TT SpriteRiley 1493cc. S4 D 163 [B]8accident
(1 hr)
DNF2.030 Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Bayerische
Motorenwerke AG
Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Fritz Roth
Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Uli Richter
BMW 328 BMW 1971cc S6 Metzeler 1728accident
(1 hr)
DNF2.028 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg D. Murray
(private entrant)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg David Murray
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Pat Fairfield
Frazer Nash-BMW 328BMW 1971cc S6 D 1728accident
(1 hr)
DNF3.020 Flag of France.svg "M. Rekip"
(private entrant)
Flag of France.svg "M. Rekip" (René Kippeurt)
Flag of France.svg René Poulain
Bugatti Type 44 Bugatti 3.0L S8 D 1848fatal accident
Kippeurt (1 hr)
DNF5.021 Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg L. Chinetti
(private entrant)
Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Luigi Chinetti
Flag of Monaco.svg Louis Chiron
Talbot T150CTalbot 4.0L S6 D 1907engine
(1 hr)
Sources: [44] [45] [46] [47]

[48]

Did not start

PosClassNoTeamDriversChassisEngineReason
DNA5.05 Flag of France.svg Automobiles Talbot Flag of France.svg Albert Divo Talbot T150CTalbot 4.0L S6Car not ready
DNA5.06 Flag of France.svg Automobiles Talbot Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Gianfranco Comotti Talbot T150CTalbot 4.0L S6Car not ready
DNA5.016 Flag of France.svg Viscomte P. Merlin
(private entrant)
Flag of France.svg Viscomte Pierre Merlin Delahaye 135 CSDelahaye 3.6L S6Did not arrive
DNA3.022 Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Scuderia Ferrari Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Carlo Pintacuda Alfa Romeo 6C-2300 PescaraAlfa Romeo 2.3L S6Withdrawn
DNA3.023 Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Scuderia Ferrari Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Francesco Severi Alfa Romeo 6C-2300 PescaraAlfa Romeo 2.3L S6Withdrawn
DNA3.024 Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Scuderia Ferrari Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Eugenio Siena Alfa Romeo 6C-2300 PescaraAlfa Romeo 2.3L S6Withdrawn
DNA1.143 Flag of France.svg J. Breillet
(private entrant)
Flag of France.svg Jean Breillet Rally ABCChapuis-Dornier 1093cc S4Did not arrive
DNF1.147 Flag of France.svg Amédée GordiniSimca 6 GordiniFiat 996cc S4Did not arrive

1937 index of performance

Pos1935-37
Biennial Cup
ClassNo.TeamDriversChassisIndex
Result
1-5.02 Flag of France.svg Roger Labric Flag of France.svg Jean-Pierre Wimille
Flag of France.svg Robert Benoist
Bugatti Type 57G1.320
2-5.014 Flag of France.svg J. Paul
(private entrant)
Flag of France.svg Joseph Paul
Flag of France.svg Marcel Mongin
Delahaye 135 CS1.262
3-1.537 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg J.M. Skeffington
(private entrant)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Hon. John Skeffington
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Robert Murton-Neale
Aston Martin 1½ Ulster1.258
4-5.010 Flag of France.svg Écurie Bleue Flag of France.svg René Dreyfus
Flag of France.svg Henri Stoffel
Delahaye 135 CS1.235
5-2.033 Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Adlerwerke Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Peter, Graff Orssich
Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Rudolf Sauerwein
Adler Trumpf Super Rennlimousine1.227
6-75059 Flag of France.svg Amédée Gordini Flag of France.svg Jean Viale
Flag of France.svg Albert Alin
Simca 5 Gordini1.214
7-2.034 Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Adlerwerke Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Otto Löhr
Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Paul von Guilleaume
Adler Trumpf Super Rennlimousine1.211
8-1.536 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg A.C. Scott
(private entrant)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Archie Scott
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ted Halford
HRG Le Mans1.205
9=-3.019 Flag of France.svg Société R.V. Flag of France.svg Jacques de Valence de Minardière
Flag of France.svg Louis Gérard
Delage D6-701.176
9=-2.025 Flag of France.svg Émile Darl'mat Flag of France.svg Charles de Cortanze
Flag of France.svg Maurice Serre
Peugeot 302 Darl'mat Spéciale Sport1.176
9=-2.026 Flag of France.svg Émile Darl'mat Flag of France.svg Jean Pujol
Flag of France.svg Marcel Contet
Peugeot 302 Darl'mat Spéciale Sport1.176
141st2.031 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg C.T. Thomas
(private entrant)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Robert Hichens
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mortimer Morris-Goodall
Aston Martin Speed Model1.127
162nd1.154 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Capt. G.E.T. Eyston Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Dorothy Stanley-Turner
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Enid Riddell
MG Midget PB1.070


Class winners

ClassWinning CarWinning Drivers
over 5-litreno entries
3 to 5-litre
(new class)
#2 Bugatti Type 57GWimille / Benoist *
2 to 3-litre#19 Delage D6-70Gérard / de Valence
de Minardière *
1500 to 2000cc#33 Adler Super TrumpfSauerwein / Graff Orssich *
1000 to 1500cc#37 Aston Martin UlsterMurton-Neale / Skeffington
750 to 1100cc
(new class)
#48 Simca Six GordiniVernet / Largeot *
Up to 750cc
(new class)
#59 Simca Cinq GordiniViale / Alin *
Note *: setting a new class distance record.

Statistics

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The 1961 24 Hours of Le Mans was a motor race for Sports cars and Grand Touring cars staged at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France on 10 and 11 June 1961. It was the 29th Grand Prix of Endurance and the fourth race of the 1961 World Sportscar Championship. Ferrari and Maserati were the main contenders, with Aston Martin an outside chance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 24 Hours of Le Mans</span> 28th 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race

The 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 28th 24 Hours of Le Mans Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 25 and 26 June 1960, on Circuit de la Sarthe. It was the fifth and final round of the F.I.A. World Sports Car Championship as well as being the fifth round of the inaugural FIA GT Cup. It was held just a week after the tragic Belgian F1 GP in which two drivers were killed and Stirling Moss and another driver were seriously injured. The prospect of a duel between the 3-litre (180 cu in) Ferrari versus the 2-litre (120 cu in) Porsche championship-leaders was enough to draw large crowds to the 24 Hours race and some 200,000 spectators had gathered for Europe's classic sports car race, around the 13.5 km (8.4 mi) course.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1923 24 Hours of Le Mans</span> 1st 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race

The 1923 24 Hours of Le Mans, officially the 24 Hours Grand Prix of Endurance, was the inaugural Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 26 and 27 May 1923.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1951 24 Hours of Le Mans</span> 19th 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race

The 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 19th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 23 and 24 June 1951. It was won by Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead in their works-entered Jaguar C-type, the first Le Mans win for the marque.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1950 24 Hours of Le Mans</span> 18th 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race

The 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans was a motor race for sports cars, staged at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France on 24 and 25 June 1950. It was the 18th Grand Prix of Endurance. The race was won by the French father-and-son pairing of Louis and Jean-Louis Rosier driving a privately entered Talbot-Lago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1949 24 Hours of Le Mans</span> 17th 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race

The 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 17th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 25 and 26 June 1949. Luigi Chinetti won the race for a third time in the first Ferrari barchetta by driving 22.5 hours. This race also saw the death of British driver Pierre Maréchal when his Aston Martin DB2 was involved in an accident between Arnage and Maison Blanche around 1:00 a.m. Marechal had attempted to pass another car there and he hit an embankment and the hapless Briton was crushed by the overturning car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1936 24 Hours of Le Mans</span> Scheduled to be the 14th 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, not held due to worker strikes

The 1936 24 Hours of Le Mans was originally planned to be the 14th Grand Prix of Endurance to be held on 14 and 15 June 1936. However, France was in the middle of the turmoil and civil unrest sweeping over Europe. A general strike across the country in the wake of the recent electoral victory of the Popular Front had only been resolved days before scrutineering was due to start. In response to the dominance of the German teams in grand prix racing, the Automobile Club de France (ACF) had chosen to run their Grand Prix to a sports-car formula, which would in turn be eligible to run at Le Mans. Owing to the strikes, many of the teams had been unable to prepare their cars sufficiently, and even such matters as getting fuel, transportation or fuel for entrants and spectators would be difficult.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1935 24 Hours of Le Mans</span> 13th 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race

The 1935 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 13th Grand Prix of Endurance. It took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe on 15 and 16 June 1935. The race was won by Johnny Hindmarsh and Luis Fontés in a British Lagonda, breaking the run of four consecutive Alfa Romeo victories. A record number of 58 starters included a record number of British cars, at 37, dominating the smaller classes. Another notable point of the entry was four all-female cars, and a Le Mans record of ten women competing.

The 1934 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 12th Grand Prix of Endurance. It took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe on 16 and 17 June 1934. Four privateer Alfa Romeo entries were expected to fight for outright honours, with an outside chance for the four Bugattis ranged against them. British cars dominated the smaller classes. Two-time winner Raymond Sommer soon took the lead until, after only 90 minutes, he stopped out on the circuit with smoke pouring from his engine. For the next five hours the Alfas of Luigi Chinetti and Earl Howe duelled for the lead. However, soon after night fell, the lights failed on Howe's Alfa costing him two hours to get the electrics repaired. Chinetti took the lead, but their car had developed a leak in the fuel tank. The solution was the same as Sommer had used the previous year: to plug the gap with chewing-gum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1933 24 Hours of Le Mans</span> 11th 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race

The 1933 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 11th Grand Prix of Endurance. It took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe on 17 and 18 June 1933. Up against five strong privateer entries from Alfa Romeo, the opposition looked fairly weak, mostly being of 1920s vintage. There was a strong British contingent in the smaller classes. The big drawcard was the presence of top European drivers Louis Chiron and Tazio Nuvolari. The current European champion was paired with one of the previous year's winners, Raymond Sommer

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1932 24 Hours of Le Mans</span> 10th 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race

The 1932 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 10th Grand Prix of Endurance that took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe on 18 and 19 June 1932. A significant year for the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) with the biggest changes to the circuit in the race's history. A new section bypassing Pontlieue suburb was built starting with a long right turn after the pits, going over a hill then down to the Esses, a left-right combination, before rejoining the Hunaudières straight at the new right-hand corner of Tertre Rouge. This shortened the track by almost 3 km down to 13.491 km (8.383 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1931 24 Hours of Le Mans</span> 9th 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race

The 1931 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 9th Grand Prix of Endurance that took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe on 13 and 14 June 1931.

The 1930 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 8th Grand Prix of Endurance that took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe on 21 and 22 June 1930. It saw the first appearance of a German car and the first entry from female drivers.

The 1928 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 6th Grand Prix of Endurance that took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe on 16 and 17 June 1928.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1935 Grand Prix season</span> Third AIACR European Championship season

The 1935 Grand Prix season was the second year of the new 750 kg Formula. The success of the previous year encouraged the AIACR to reinitiate the European Championship. It was composed of the seven national Grands Prix and was won by Rudolf Caracciola, driving for the Mercedes-Benz team. The team dominated the season winning five of those Grand Épreuves, as well as four of the other major races of the season. However, in one of the great motor-races in sporting history, Tazio Nuvolari in a Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo beat the combined numbers of the German teams in their home Grand Prix. The season also saw the arrival on the international stage of the bright young talent Bernd Rosemeyer in the Auto Union team.

References

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