OldRacingCars.com

Coupe du Salon

Montlhéry, 9 Oct 1949

ResultsLapsTime/Speed
1 Raymond Sommer Talbot T26C [110 009] 6
#6 R Sommer (see note 1)
64 2h 42'18.0
92.38 mph
2 Harry Schell Talbot T26C [110 007] 6
#7 Écurie France (see note 2)
64 2h 44'28.5
3 Pierre Meyrat Talbot Spéciale [90201] 6
#14 Écurie Lutetia
60
4 Charles Pozzi Delahaye Spéciale [Sport 1] 6
#26 Écurie Lutetia
58
5 Louis Gérard (4.5 F1) 3-litre Delage D6-3LS [880001] 6
#20 L Gérard (see note 3)
57
6 Jean Behra Talbot T26 [MD90131] 6
#23 Écurie France
56
7 Marc Versini (4.5 F1) 3-litre Delage D6-3LS [880005] 6
#21 M Versini (see note 4)
54
8 Jean Lucas (4.5 F1) 3-litre Delage D6-3LS [880004] 6
#17 H Louveau (see note 5)
53
9 Charles Huc (4.5 F1) 4-litre Talbot Spéciale [90115] 6
#16 C Huc
51
R Georges Grignard Talbot T26C [110 006] 6
#19 G Grignard (see note 6)
31
R Guy Mairesse Talbot T26C [110 002] 6
#5 Écurie France (see note 7)
31
R Jean Judet Maserati 4CL [1566] - s/c 4
#24 J Judet (see note 8)
13 supercharger
R Gordon Watson Alta IFS [69IS] - s/c 4
#8 G M Watson (see note 9)
9 transmission
R Peter Whitehead Ferrari 125 [10C] - s/c V12
#9 P N Whitehead (see note 10)
0 accident
R Pierre Bouillin ("Levegh") Talbot T26C [110 005] 6
#4 P "Levegh" (see note 11)
0 accident
R Yves Giraud-Cabantous Talbot T26C [110 012] 6
#3 Automobiles Talbot-Darracq (see note 12)
0 accident
R Alexander Orley (F2) 2-litre Veritas - BMW 328 6
#18 A Orley

R René Simone (F2) 2-litre DB 5 - Citroen
#10 René Bonnet

DNS Henri Louveau (4.5 F1) 3-litre Delage D6-3LS [880004] 6
#17 H Louveau (see note 13)
Did not start
DNS Maurice Varet (4.5 F1) 3-litre Delage D6-3LS [880001] 6
#20 L Gérard (see note 14)
Did not start
DNSC Eugène Chaboud (F2) 2-litre Veritas - BMW 328 6
#15 Écurie Lutetia
Did not start (crashed)
DNA Philippe Étancelin Talbot T26C [110 008] 6
#1 P Étancelin (see note 15)
Did not arrive
DNA Louis Rosier Talbot T26C [110 001] 6
#2 Écurie Rosier (see note 16)
Did not arrive
DNA René Bonnet (F2) 2-litre DB 6 - Citroen
#10 René Bonnet
Did not arrive
DNA Francisco Godia Sales Maserati 4CL - s/c 4
#11 F Godia Sales
Did not arrive
DNA Juan Jover Sañés Maserati 4CL - s/c 4
#12 J Jover Sañés
Did not arrive
DNA Mariotti (F2) 1.4-litre Simca-Gordini 4
#22 Mariotti
Did not arrive
DNA Vallas (F?) Maserati
#25 Vallas
Did not arrive

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

Qualifying
1 Georges Grignard (4.5 F1) 4.5-litre Talbot T26C [110 006] - Talbot 6 2'25.1
2 Yves Giraud-Cabantous (4.5 F1) 4.5-litre Talbot T26C [110 012] - Talbot 6 2'25.3
3 Pierre Bouillin ("Levegh") (4.5 F1) 4.5-litre Talbot T26C [110 005] - Talbot 6 2'30.0
4 Guy Mairesse (4.5 F1) 4.5-litre Talbot T26C [110 002] - Talbot 6 2'30.5
5 Harry Schell (4.5 F1) 4.5-litre Talbot T26C [110 007] - Talbot 6 2'33.2
6 Jean Behra (4.5 F1) 4.5-litre Talbot T26 [MD90131] - Talbot 6 2'34.6
7 Peter Whitehead (4.5 F1) 1.5-litre Ferrari 125 [10C] - Ferrari s/c V12 2'37.4
8 Charles Pozzi (4.5 F1) 4.5-litre Delahaye Spéciale [Sport 1] - Delahaye 6 2'39.2
9 Raymond Sommer (4.5 F1) 4.5-litre Talbot T26C [110 009] - Talbot 6 2'39.3
10 Pierre Meyrat (4.5 F1) 4.5-litre Talbot Spéciale [90201] - Talbot 6 2'41.0
11 Gordon Watson (4.5 F1) 1.5-litre Alta IFS [69IS] - Alta s/c 4
12 Louis Gérard (4.5 F1) 3-litre Delage D6-3LS [880001] - Delage 6
13 Marc Versini (4.5 F1) 3-litre Delage D6-3LS [880005] - Delage 6
14 Jean Judet (4.5 F1) 1.5-litre Maserati 4CL [1566] - Maserati s/c 4
15 Alexander Orley (F2) 2-litre Veritas - BMW 328 6
16 Charles Huc (4.5 F1) 4-litre Talbot Spéciale [90115] - Talbot 6
17 René Simone (F2) 2-litre DB 5 - Citroen
18 Jean Lucas (4.5 F1) 3-litre Delage D6-3LS [880004] - Delage 6

Notes on the cars:

  1. 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.
  2. Talbot T26C [110 007] (Harry Schell): 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.
  3. Delage D6-3LS [880001] (Louis Gérard): Probably the car raced by Louis Gérard under the Ecurie Watney banner at Dijon in 1946. Entered by Ecurie Gersac at Pau in 1947, driven by Etancelin and Grignard. Then Gérard's private car, used mainly for sportscar races (but 2nd in 1950 GP de Paris). Owned in the later 1950s by François Jolly, passing subsequently to Jean-Pierre Bernard and then to Aldo Eminente, who fitted Figoni bodywork.
  4. Delage D6-3LS [880005] (Marc Versini): Appeared as an Ecurie Gersac entry for Varet at Montlhéry June 1947. Then to Marc Versini, mainly for sportscar races, 1948-51, but also in GP du Salon 1948 and 1949, GP de Paris 1949 and 1950. This car, which wore registration 9779-RP2, was later dismantled after Versini had legal problems.
  5. Delage D6-3LS [880004] (Jean Lucas): Raced by Louveau for Ecurie Gersac at Perpignan, Jersey, Marseilles and Nimes in 1947, and then on his own account in the same year's Belgian, Swiss, Comminges (with Maurice Varet) and Italian GPs. Also driven for Louveau that year by Trintignant in the Marne GP, Varet at Strasbourg and Alexandre Constantin in the Coupe du Salon. Then for Louveau in 1948 Pau, Nations and Chimay GPs, and sportscar races 1948-50. Car was with Jacques Nollé 1953, rebodied as coupé 1955, various other owners UK and France, and with Peter Mullin (USA) this century. Raced at 2007 Monterey by Matt Cobb.
  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 [110 002] (Guy Mairesse): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 002' was raced by 'Raph' and Eugene Chaboud in 1948 and Paul Vallee and Guy Mairesse in 1950. Owned by Mairesse 1950-51; also raced by Giraud-Cabantous 1950; by Jean Blanc and Levegh 1952; and by Etancelin in 1953. In late 1953, Vallee sold the car to Doug Whiteford in Australia to replace his existing chassis '110 007'. Whiteford was surprised to discover that he'd bought an earlier model and it was 1955 before the car raced in Australia. It was sold to Ralph Snodgrass in 1956 but crashed badly at Mt Druitt in 1957. Snodgrass retained the car until 1980 when it was sold to Reg Hunt who restored it for historic events. Retained by Hunt until sold to Ron Towney in 2006.
  8. Maserati 4CL [1566] (Jean Judet): Delivered 18 Apr 1939 for Giovanni Rocco. Passed during the war via Testi to Robert Mazaud, who raced it during 1946 before being killed in it at Nantes. Then via Marcel Balsa (who did not race it) to Jean Judet who appeared in French races between 1946 and 1950. Via Italian and German owners to the late Rodney Smith 2004. Retained by Smith's heirs 2007.
  9. Alta IFS [69IS] (Gordon Watson): Alta chassis 69IS was a single-seat Alta with independent suspension all round built for Lady Mary Grosvenor in 1939. It was not completed before the outbreak of war and was later built up post war and raced by Gordon Watson and Robert Cowell. It was rebodied with post-war bodywork and, according to Denis Jenkinson writing in 1987, then disappeared. Ted Walker has identified 69IS as the car driven by The Noble Louis Count Manduca, a member of the Maltese nobility, in 1952 and 1953 but suggestions that it was the car that went to Gib Barrett in Australia do not appear to be correct. In 2006, it was said to be owned by Paul Jaye.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. Talbot T26C [110 012] (Yves Giraud-Cabantous): 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'.
  13. Delage D6-3LS [880004] (Henri Louveau): Raced by Louveau for Ecurie Gersac at Perpignan, Jersey, Marseilles and Nimes in 1947, and then on his own account in the same year's Belgian, Swiss, Comminges (with Maurice Varet) and Italian GPs. Also driven for Louveau that year by Trintignant in the Marne GP, Varet at Strasbourg and Alexandre Constantin in the Coupe du Salon. Then for Louveau in 1948 Pau, Nations and Chimay GPs, and sportscar races 1948-50. Car was with Jacques Nollé 1953, rebodied as coupé 1955, various other owners UK and France, and with Peter Mullin (USA) this century. Raced at 2007 Monterey by Matt Cobb.
  14. Delage D6-3LS [880001] (Maurice Varet): Probably the car raced by Louis Gérard under the Ecurie Watney banner at Dijon in 1946. Entered by Ecurie Gersac at Pau in 1947, driven by Etancelin and Grignard. Then Gérard's private car, used mainly for sportscar races (but 2nd in 1950 GP de Paris). Owned in the later 1950s by François Jolly, passing subsequently to Jean-Pierre Bernard and then to Aldo Eminente, who fitted Figoni bodywork.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.

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.