Le Mans 24 hour race, 1939
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The 16th 24-hour race of Le Mans , the 16 e Grand Prix d'Endurance les 24 Heures du Mans , also Les 24 Heures du Mans, Circuit de la Sarthe , took place on the circuit from June 17 to 18, 1939 des 24 Heures instead.
The race
The 1939 race was the last 24-hour race at Le Mans before the outbreak of World War II on September 1, 1939. Bugatti had announced its return to Le Mans after the French automobile company had decided not to participate in 1938 due to technical problems. The 3.3-liter 57C tank was officially reported by the Le Mans winner of 1937 Jean-Pierre Wimille , but behind it was the Molsheim plant with all its logistics. A total of 25 vehicles came from France, including works cars from Delahaye , Delage and Talbot . Anthony Lago had 4.5-liter Grand Prix racing cars converted so that they now complied with the Le Mans regulations.
The Adlerwerke brought one of their Trumpf racing limousines to the Sarthe. The car received a new 2.5-liter engine, but was so destroyed in an accident during training that it was not possible to take part in the race. The German automotive industry was represented by BMW ; the Munich company brought three works BMW 328s to Le Mans.
In addition to many private teams, two Lagonda V12s came from Great Britain . This 4.5 liter sports car came to Le Mans for the first time in this form. At Lagonda - led by Alan Good - Walter Owen Bentley had found a new field of activity after the sale of Bentley to Rolls-Royce . After half a dozen victories at Le Mans, the British automobile pioneer was able to draw on a wealth of experience. Unfortunately for Bentley, the two V12 racing cars were finished so late that they could only be tested for the first time during training. In the summer of 1939, Lagonda still believed that this year's Le Mans race was just a test run for later use. One of the cars was rolled out as a works car, driven by Arthur Dobson and Charles Brackenbury . The second vehicle was given to Peter Mitchell-Thomson, 2nd Baron Selsdon , who contested the race together with Lord William Waleran .
But again Raymond Sommer was the favorite for the overall win . Sommer brought a new Alfa Romeo Coupé to the start, which he drove with the Thai Prince Bira .
Until Saturday night, Luigi Chinetti in the Talbot, Louis Gérard in the Delage , Robert Mazaud - who drove the fastest race lap -, Raymond Sommer and Jean-Pierre Wimille fought a fierce battle for the top. Gérard / Monneret-Delage was in the lead until early Sunday morning when the French team had problems with the engine. One last long pit stop finally cost her victory, Pierre Veyron in the Bugatti was able to overtake. The Delage finished second ahead of the two Lagondas, who, to everyone's astonishment, finished the race in third and fourth place without any technical problems.
Results
Pilots by nationality
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Final ranking
Item | class | No. | team | driver | chassis | engine | tires | Round |
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1 | 8.0 | 1 |
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Bugatti 57C tank | Bugatti 3.3L Supercharged I8 | 248 | |
2 | 3.0 | 21st |
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Delage Type D 6-3 liters | Delage 3.0L I6 | 245 | |
3 | 5.0 | 5 |
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Lagonda V12 | Lagonda 4.5L V12 | 239 | |
4th | 5.0 | 6th |
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Lagonda V12 | Lagonda 4.5L V12 | 238 | |
5 | 2.0 | 26th |
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BMW 328 Touring Coupe | BMW 2.0L I6 | 236 | |
6th | 5.0 | 12 |
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Delahaye 135CS | Delahaye 3.6L I6 | 235 | |
7th | 2.0 | 27 |
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BMW 328 | BMW 2.0L I6 | 230 | |
8th | 5.0 | 20th |
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Delahaye 135CS | Delahaye 3.6L I6 | 224 | |
9 | 2.0 | 28 |
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BMW 328 | BMW 2.0L I6 | 220 | |
10 | 1.1 | 39 |
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Simca 8 | Fiat 1.1L I4 | 213 | |
11 | 5.0 | 14th |
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Delahaye 135CS | Delahaye 3.6L I6 | 202 | |
12 | 2.0 | 29 |
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Aston Martin Speed Model | Aston Martin 2.0L I4 | 199 | |
13 | 1.1 | 41 |
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Simca Huit | Fiat 1.1L I4 | 195 | |
14th | 1.5 | 32 |
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HRG 1500 | Singer 1.5L I4 | 192 | |
15th | 1.1 | 37 |
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Morgan 4/4 | Coventry Climax 1.1L I4 | 184 | |
16 | 1.5 | 34 |
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Riley Sprite TT pourtout | Riley 1.5L I4 | 180 | |
17th | 1.1 | 38 |
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Simca Huit | Fiat 1.1L I4 | 163 | |
18th | 1.1 | 45 |
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Singer Le Mans Replica | Singer 1.0L I4 | 154 | |
19th | 750 | 48 |
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Simca Cinq | Fiat 0.6L I4 | 148 | |
20th | 750 | 49 |
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Simca Cinq | Fiat 0.6L I4 | 147 | |
Failed | ||||||||
21st | 3.0 | 25th |
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Alfa Romeo 6C 2500SS | Alfa Romeo 2.4L I6 | 173 | |
22nd | 5.0 | 18th |
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Delahaye 135CS | Delahaye 3.6L I6 | 171 | |
23 | 1.5 | 31 |
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Aston Martin 1½ Ulster | Aston Martin 1.5L I4 | 155 | |
24 | 5.0 | 3 |
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Talbot T26 | Talbot 4.5L I6 | 154 | |
25th | 3.0 | 22nd |
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Delage Type D 6-3 liters | Delage 3.0L I6 | 152 | |
26th | 5.0 | 15th |
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Delahaye 135CS | Delahaye 3.6L I6 | 115 | |
27 | 1.1 | 44 |
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Singer Nine Le Mans Replica | Singer 1.0L I4 | 105 | |
28 | 5.0 | 9 |
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Talbot-Lago SS | Talbot 4.0L I6 | 102 | |
29 | 5.0 | 19th |
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Delahaye 135CS | Delahaye 3.6L I6 | 99 | |
30th | 5.0 | 8th |
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Talbot 150SS Figoni | Talbot 4.0L I6 | 88 | |
31 | 5.0 | 7th |
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Talbot T26 | Talbot 4.5L I6 | 88 | |
32 | 5.0 | 10 |
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Talbot-Lago SS | Talbot 4.0L I6 | 68 | |
33 | 1.1 | 36 |
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MG PA Midget | MG 0.8L I4 | 63 | |
34 | 5.0 | 16 |
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Delahaye 135CS | Delahaye 3.6L I6 | 62 | |
35 | 5.0 | 11 |
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Delahaye 135CS | Delahaye 3.6L I6 | 50 | |
36 | 1.1 | 43 |
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Simca Huit | Fiat 1.1L I4 | 50 | |
37 | 5.0 | 4th |
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Talbot T26 | Talbot 4.5L I6 | 45 | |
38 | 1.1 | 47 |
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MG PB Midget | MG 1.0L I4 | 40 | |
39 | 1.1 | 40 |
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Simca Huit | Fiat 1.1L I4 | 29 | |
40 | 1.1 | 42 |
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Simca Huit | Fiat 1.1L I4 | 26th | |
41 | 1.5 | 30th |
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Eagle trump | Adler 1.5L I4 | 6th | |
42 | 1.1 | 46 |
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Singer Nine Le Mans Replica "Savoye Special" | Singer 1.0L I4 | 4th | |
Not started | ||||||||
43 |
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Eagle trump | 1 | ||||
44 | 8.0 | 1T |
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Bugatti T37 | 2 |
1 not started 1 training car
Only in the entry list
Here you can find teams, drivers and vehicles that were originally registered for the race, but did not take part for various reasons.
Item | class | No. | team | driver | chassis | engine | tires |
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45 |
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Eagle trump | |||||
46 |
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Delahaye 145 | |||||
47 | Atalanta | ||||||
48 | Bentley | ||||||
49 |
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Alfa Romeo 8C 2900A | ||||
50 |
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Class winner
class | driver | driver | vehicle | Placement in the overall ranking |
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Index of Performance - 2nd Annual Cup of the ACO |
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Simca Huit | Rank 10 |
14th Biennial Cup |
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Simca Huit | Rank 10 |
3001-5000 cc |
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Bugatti 57C tank | Overall victory |
2001-3000 cc |
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Delage Type D 6-3 liters | Rank 2 |
1501-2000 cc |
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BMW 328 Touring Coupe | Rank 5 |
1101-1500 cc |
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HRG 1500 | Rank 14 |
751-1000 cc |
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Simca Huit | Rank 10 |
-750 cc |
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Simca Cinq | Rank 19 |
Racing data
- Registered: 50
- Started: 42
- Rated: 20
- Race classes: 8
- Spectator: unknown
- Honorary starter of the race: unknown
- Race weekend weather: sunny
- Route length: 13.492 km
- Driving time of the winning team: 24: 00: 00,000 hours
- Total laps of the winning team: 249
- Total distance of the winning team: 3354.760 km
- Winner's average: 139,781 km / h
- Pole position: unknown
- Fastest race lap: Robert Mazaud - Delahaye 135CS (# 15) - 5: 12.100 = 155.627 km / h
- Racing series: did not belong to any racing series
literature
- Christian Moity, Jean-Marc Teissèdre, Alain Bienvenu: 24 heures du Mans, 1923–1992. Éditions d'Art, Besançon 1992, ISBN 2-909-413-06-3 .
- RM Clarke: Le Mans. The Bentley & Alfa Years 1923-1939. Brooklands Books, Cobham 1998, ISBN 1-85520-465-7 .