Emile Coquille
Emile Coquille was a French entrepreneur and motorsport official and, as such, played a key role in establishing the Le Mans 24-hour race .
Emile Coquille was the French general agent for the British motorcycle and tire company Rudge in the 1920s . In this role he was one of the founders of the Le Mans 24-hour race alongside Charles Faroux and Georges Durand .
In 1922, Georges Durand , the secretary of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest , had the idea of organizing a long-distance race for touring cars to demonstrate the capabilities of normal road cars . In October of the same year he spoke to Charles Faroux , the publisher of the trade magazine La Vie Automobile , at the Paris Motor Show , who was immediately enthusiastic. Coquille, who had sufficient capital, was called in and agreed to provide 100,000 francs in prize money. He also donated the Rudge Whitworth Cup, which has gone down in the history of motorsport and this race as the Biennial Cup.
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Coquille, Emile |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French motorsport official |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 19th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | 20th century |