OldRacingCars.com

French Grand Prix

Reims, 17 Jul 1949

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Louis Chiron Talbot T26C [110 007] 6
#6 Écurie France (see note 1)
64 3h 06'33.7
99.96 mph
2 "B Bira" Maserati 4CLT-48 [1598] - s/c 4
#30 Enrico Plate (see note 2)
64 3h 06'51.3
3 Peter Whitehead Ferrari 125 [10C] - s/c V12
#24 P N Whitehead (see note 3)
64 3h 07'22.2
4 Louis Rosier Talbot T26C [110 001] 6
#10 Écurie Rosier (see note 4)
64 3h 07'30.4
5 Raymond Sommer Talbot T26C [110 009] 6
#2 R Sommer (see note 5)
61
6 Eugène Chaboud Delahaye Spéciale [Monoplace] - V12
#16 Écurie Lutetia
58
NC Georges Grignard Talbot T26C [110 006] 6
#14 G Grignard (see note 6)
48
R Pierre Bouillin ("Levegh") Talbot T26C [110 005] 6
#12 P "Levegh" (see note 7)
39 mechanical
R Benedicto Campos Maserati 4CLT-48 [1600] - s/c 4
#36 Automovil Club Argentino (see note 8)
32 valves
R Yves Giraud-Cabantous Talbot T26C [110 003] 6
#8 Y Giraud-Cabantous (see note 9)
30 engine
R Philippe Étancelin Talbot T26C [110 008] 6
#4 P Étancelin (see note 10)
26 engine
R Juan Manuel Fangio Maserati 4CLT-48 [1599] - s/c 4
#34 Automovil Club Argentino (see note 11)
25 clutch
R Reg Parnell Maserati 4CLT-48 [1596] - s/c 4
#38 R Parnell (see note 12)
21 engine
R George Abecassis Alta GP [No 1] - s/c 4
#18 G E Abecassis (see note 13)
16 gearbox
R David Murray Maserati 4CL [1569] - s/c 4
#40 D Murray (see note 14)
13 engine
R Giuseppe Farina Talbot T26C [110 012] 6
#28 Automobiles Talbot-Darracq (see note 15)
11 gearbox
R Luigi Villoresi Ferrari 125 [12C] - s/c V12
#20 Scuderia Ferrari (see note 16)
4 brakes
DNA Alberto Ascari Ferrari 125 - s/c V12
#22 Scuderia Ferrari
Did not arrive
DNA Luigi Fagioli Plate Special - Talbot s/c 4
#26 L Plate
Did not arrive
DNA Giuseppe Farina Maserati 4CLT-48 [1602] - s/c 4
#28 G Farina (see note 17)
Did not arrive
DNA Emmanuel de Graffenried Maserati 4CLT-48 [1601] - s/c 4
#32 Enrico Plate (see note 18)
Did not arrive
DNA Fred Ashmore Maserati 4CLT-48 [1593] - s/c 4
#40 R Parnell (see note 19)
Did not arrive

All cars are 1.5-litre s/c F1 or 4.5-litre F1 unless noted.

Qualifying
1 Luigi Villoresi (4.5 F1) 1.5-litre Ferrari 125 [12C] - Ferrari s/c V12 2'42.0
2 Juan Manuel Fangio (4.5 F1) 1.5-litre Maserati 4CLT-48 [1599] - Maserati s/c 4
3 Louis Rosier (4.5 F1) 4.5-litre Talbot T26C [110 001] - Talbot 6
4 Raymond Sommer (4.5 F1) 4.5-litre Talbot T26C [110 009] - Talbot 6
5 Philippe Étancelin (4.5 F1) 4.5-litre Talbot T26C [110 008] - Talbot 6
6 Giuseppe Farina (4.5 F1) 4.5-litre Talbot T26C [110 012] - Talbot 6
7 Benedicto Campos (4.5 F1) 1.5-litre Maserati 4CLT-48 [1600] - Maserati s/c 4
8 "B Bira" (4.5 F1) 1.5-litre Maserati 4CLT-48 [1598] - Maserati s/c 4
9 Louis Chiron (4.5 F1) 4.5-litre Talbot T26C [110 007] - Talbot 6
10 Pierre Bouillin ("Levegh") (4.5 F1) 4.5-litre Talbot T26C [110 005] - Talbot 6
11 Yves Giraud-Cabantous (4.5 F1) 4.5-litre Talbot T26C [110 003] - Talbot 6
12 Eugène Chaboud (4.5 F1) 4.5-litre Delahaye Spéciale [Monoplace] - Delahaye V12
13 David Murray (4.5 F1) 1.5-litre Maserati 4CL [1569] - Maserati s/c 4
14 Reg Parnell (4.5 F1) 1.5-litre Maserati 4CLT-48 [1596] - Maserati s/c 4
15 George Abecassis (4.5 F1) 1.5-litre Alta GP [No 1] - Alta s/c 4
16 Georges Grignard (4.5 F1) 4.5-litre Talbot T26C [110 006] - Talbot 6
17 Peter Whitehead (4.5 F1) 1.5-litre Ferrari 125 [10C] - Ferrari s/c V12 NT

Notes on the cars:

  1. Talbot T26C [110 007] (Louis Chiron): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 007' was Paul Vallee's Ecurie France car driven by Chiron 1948-49 and Apezteguia in 1950. To Tom Hawkes in Australia in 1951. From him it passed to Doug Whiteford, Rex Taylor and then a string of Australian, UK (including a loan period in the Donington Collection), Swiss, US and French owners to Bernie Ecclestone's collection in 1997. Retained 2002.
  2. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1598] ("B Bira"): Maserati records show this car going to 'B. Bira' 23 Sep 1948. Bira raced 1948 British GP, 1949 Argentine Temporada and 1949 European season. Retained 1950 being used as Platé team car from Pescara. Raced by Harry Schell for Enrico Platé in 1951 then becoming one of two cars extensively rebuilt as Platé-Maseratis for 1952. Probably raced by Giovanni de Riu in F2 in 1953. Then sold via de Graffenried to 20th Century Fox for film work and then acquired by Tom Carstens (Tacoma, WA). Subsequent history unknown.
  3. Ferrari 125 [10C] (Peter Whitehead): Peter Whitehead bought 10C new for 1949 and used it through 1949 and 1950 before buying a newer ex-works 125. This car was raced by Dobson in 1951 and later sold to David Murray. Whitehead later bought a 1949/50 LWB Tipo 125 renumbered 0114; it is this latter car that spent many years in the Donington Collection.
  4. Talbot T26C [110 001] (Louis Rosier): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 001' was raced by Louis Rosier from 1948 to 1950 and then under the Ecurie Rosier banner by Pozzi in 1950; by Henri Louveau and Louis Chiron in 1951; and by Giraud-Cabantous, Chaboud and Mairesse in 1952. It was acquired by the Musée Henri Malatre at Rochetaillé, France, in 1956 and was still on display in 1990.
  5. Talbot T26C [110 009] (Raymond Sommer): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 009' was Raymond Sommer's 1949 car and then passed to Yves Giraud-Cabantous for 1950. Driven by Giraud-Cabantous and Pierre Meyrat 1951 and next seen with Louis Girardot 1953-56 and then possibly via Serge Pozzoli to Fritz Schlumpf 1957. In Musée de l'Automobile in Mulhouse 2001, possibly numbered 110002.
  6. Talbot T26C [110 006] (Georges Grignard): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 006' was raced by Georges Grignard in 1948, by Giraud-Cabantous in 1949, Pozzi and Levegh in 1950 and by Jean Blanc in one 1951 hillclimb. Then to Ecurie Belgique in 1951 and retained to 1952. Reappeared in US ownership in 1964 and then via two further US owners to Dean Butler in 1998. Retained 2003. This car was on display at the 2006 Brussels Retro Festival honouring Ecurie Francorchamps.
  7. Talbot T26C [110 005] (Pierre Bouillin ("Levegh")): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 005' was raced by 'Levegh' from 1948 to 1951 and by Grignard once in 1951. Retained by the works until it was sold to Otto Zipper in the US in 1957. Then to the Briggs Cunningham museum via two other US owners to Tony Wang 1988.
  8. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1600] (Benedicto Campos): Built in 1949 for Automovil Club Argentina and raced by under the ACA's "Scuderia Achille Varzi" banner Malusardi and Benedicto Campos. Raced in 1950 by Jose Froilan Gonzalez and then 1950-52 by other ACA drivers in South America. Reportedly to Venezuela then via US, Japanese and further US owners to 1996. Owned by Jean-Louis Duret from 1996. Retained 2000.
  9. Talbot T26C [110 003] (Yves Giraud-Cabantous): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 003' was raced by Joseph Chotard in 1948 and Yves Giraud-Cabantous in 1950 before being rebuilt as '110 053'
  10. Talbot T26C [110 008] (Philippe Étancelin): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 008' was Philippe Etancelin's car in 1948 and then passed to Jean Achard November 1950. Achard moved to Brazil, taking the car, and sold it there to Pinheiro Pires who raced it in Brazil from 1951 to 1954. Remains to UK via Colin Crabbe in the 1980s and then via other UK owners to Tony Bianchi c1999. Has been raced in historics up to 2005.
  11. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1599] (Juan Manuel Fangio): Built in 1949 for Automovil Club Argentina and under the ACA's "Scuderia Achille Varzi" banner raced by Fangio and others. Raced occasionally in Europe 1950 by Fangio then to South America 1950-52 for various ACA drivers. A car with this number discovered in Argentina in 2002. Owned by Daniel Sielecki (Argentina) 2002.
  12. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1596] (Reg Parnell): Maserati records list this as Reg Parnell's car dated 14 Sep 1948. Raced by Parnell from 1949 to 1951, under the Scuderia Ambrosiana banner in 1950 and 1951, also by Hampshire in 1951. Sold or leased to Bobby Baird mid-1951 and then sometime after 1952 sold to Count Johnny Lurani. Lurani sold it in 1955 to Pat Hoare in New Zealand where it raced until the mid-1960s and then spent many years in the Queenstown Motor Museum. It was sold in 1982 and returned to Europe in 1989. Sold at auction a number of times in the late 1980s and 1990s. Owned by Max Lustenberger (Switzerland) from 1999. Retained 2004.
  13. Alta GP [No 1] (George Abecassis): Alta 'GP1' was built for George Abecassis and raced in 1948 and 1949. Later formed the basis of a HW-Alta-Jaguar sports which went to Phil Scragg and registered as RPG 418. Three owners later the car went to Kenya, returning to the UK in 1973. It was owned by Chris Lunn in 2005. The 'GP1' Alta in the Donington Museum was built up from some parts of GP1 plus a frame of unknown origin. (Source: Powered by Jaguar 2nd Ed 2005, Nye)
  14. Maserati 4CL [1569] (David Murray): Delivered on 29 May 1939 to Johnny Wakefield who campaigned it successfully up to the outbreak of war. After Wakefield's death in 1942, purchased by Reg Parnell. Raced by extensively Parnell between 1946 and 1948, after which it was raced by David Murray in 1948/49. Fitted by Parnell with twin-stage supercharged engine, then Ambrosiana team spare during 1950 before passing via John Green to Bobby Baird in 1951. To George Weaver in USA, then via British, Swiss and German owners to Georg Kaufmann (Switzerland). Retained 2005
  15. Talbot T26C [110 012] (Giuseppe Farina): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 012' was driven by Robert Brunet in 1948 then as a works car for Farina in 1949; then Giraud-Cabantous. Dismantled and parts used for T26-DA chassis '110 052'.
  16. Ferrari 125 [12C] (Luigi Villoresi): One of two works 125s built for the start of 1949, 12C was also used as a F2 car early in the season. It may be the car used by Sommer in 1950 but as it had been rebodied, it is not possibly to identify. It may be the car renumbered #0104 and sold to Peter Staechelin for 1951.
  17. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1602] (Giuseppe Farina): Maserati records show this car going to Nino Farina on 15 Jun 1949. Raced by Farina in 1949 and used as a spare car in 1950 Argentine Temporada series. Note that the 1602 chassis plate appears to have been used on 1609.
  18. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1601] (Emmanuel de Graffenried): To Enrico Platé for 1949 (dated 7 Mar 1949 in Maserati records) and driven by Emmanuel de Graffenried. Continued as de Graffenried's well-used car through 1950 and 1951. Probably one of two cars extensively rebuilt as Plate-Maseratis for 1952. Probably raced by Ottorino Volonterio in F2 in 1953. Sold with the sister car (probably 1598) by de Graffenried to 20th Century Fox for film work then sold again via Tom Carstens (Tacoma, WA). Subsequent history unknown.
  19. Maserati 4CLT-48 [1593] (Fred Ashmore): Shown in Maserati records as Alberto Ascari's early 1948 car. To Reg Parnell 1949 for Fred Ashmore then raced in 1950 by David Hampshire and others as part of Scuderia Ambrosiana. Then David Murray's car for 1951. Crashed in practice at the Nürburgring for the 1951 German GP and not seen again.

Formula 1 events 1948-1953

The results published here were compiled by David McKinney and Adam Ferrington from a range of sources including Autocourse, Motor Sport and Autosport, as well as the F1 Register's A Record of Grand Prix and Voiturette Racing Volume 5 covering 1950 and 1951. Individual car identities were then meticulously checked against their enormous libraries of books and photographs, notably Talbot-Lago de Course by Pierre Abeillon, Les Gordini by Robert Jarraud, Gordini – Un Sorcier, Une Equipe by Christian Huet and The History of English Racing Automobiles by David Weguelin.

David has also contributed extensively from his notes on car identities compiled over 40 years of research, Michael Müller has contributed immaculately researched histories of all the 1948-1950 Ferrari 125s, and Doug Nye, both through his books and his personal assistance on HWM, has also been of great help.

Please note that since David's sad death in 2014, Adam and Allen have agreed that these pages will remain unaltered from now on, as a lasting testimony to David's expertise.